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| Eagles’ Vince Young in action against the Seattle Seahawks in the second half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, in Seattle. |
SEATTLE — Coaching is often about choices, about putting people in the right positions, as Andy Reid obsessively puts it. Three of Reid’s worst choices might have rung down the final curtain on the Eagles’ season, and on Reid’s 13-year tenure, Thursday night at CenturyLink Field, leading to a 31-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
It was Reid, with his defense reeling from historically bad red-zone numbers last season, who followed up his failed choice of Sean McDermott for defensive coordinator with offensive line coach Juan Castillo. Once again, Castillo’s defense looked baffled and soft; despite his constant references to hard work and fundamentals, Castillo’s unit does not embody either of those virtues.
It was Reid who placed the team’s offensive future in the hands of quarterback Michael Vick, who has shown repeatedly that he doesn’t know how to or just won’t avoid taking unnecessary, crunching hits, and who missed his third game in a row Thursday night with broken ribs.
And it was Reid who determined that Tennessee Titans [team stats] flop Vince Young was the guy he needed to back up Vick, who also missed three games with a rib problem last season. Reid thought Young, a seasoned starter, could get the team through a few Vickless games without disaster ensuing.
That last decision was the absolute killer Thursday night, as Young’s four-interception evening gave Reid’s team, now 4-8, no chance to beat the unimposing Seahawks, who entered the game 4-7, just like the Eagles.
"Four turnovers, it’s tough to win ballgames that way," said Reid. Young has thrown eight interception in his three starts. "It’s my responsbility to make sure we play better."
Team president Joe Banner again declined to speak to reporters about Reid or the team’s performance. Running back LeSean McCoy, who defended Reid in a pregame NFL Network interview, reiterated that defense after the loss.
"He takes a lot of blame for a lot of things," McCoy said of Reid. "As players, we need to dig deep and get things done ... He shouldn’t be accountable for everything that happens."
Distraught defensive end Trent Cole was asked what is wrong with this team, which has suddenly gone from losing fourth-quarter leads to getting blown out in back-to-back games.
"Bleep, I don’t know," Cole said. "But we’ve gotta find a way to win ... We’re going to keep pushing forward and keep this train a-going. This is Eagles football. We don’t give up. We never give up. We’re going to keep playing until the end."
It wasn’t clear whether Cole was trying to convince reporters or himself.
"It’s all of us not getting it done. There’s no excuses," said McCoy, who finished with 84 yards on 17 carries, plus four catches for 49 yards. McCoy scored both Eagles touchdowns. But he again played a limited role early, with seven carries and no catches in the first half, despite the absence of injured wideout Jeremy Maclin.
The Eagles’ minus-nine turnover differential was 29th in the NFL going into the game. Now it’s minus-13, worst in the league going into the weekend.
"You can’t," McCoy said, when asked how he could explain that situation.
Despite some disconnected-looking moments from DeSean Jackson, as has become typical, Reid and his players said they felt like the team played hard. Given the final score, it isn’t clear whether that should be treated as good news.
"I see great energy. I see the right mentality," said left guard Evan Mathis, groping to explain the disastrous record.
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