One Very Simple Case For Ending the Andy Reid Era

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Know what I'm tired of hearing? Arguments in favor of firing Andy Reid.

Not because I disagree. In fact, I think all this nonsense in the media about Reid coming back next year is pure crazy talk. There is no way he survives this. None -- and he shouldn't*.

I'm sick of it because it's become a tired, uninspired echo. "Andy Reid needs to go because of his play calling. The arrogance of his personnel decisions can't be defended. The locker room needs a new voice after so long. He has to take to the bullet for promoting Juan Castillo. He's a big, fat dummy."

"Andy Reid should be fired because he hasn't won a Super Bowl in 13 seasons." The truth is, Reid is likely finished here because the results simply aren't there anymore.

This situation doesn't require professional psycho-analysis. We don't need a self-professed expert to take us through the pros and cons of making a head coaching change.

All we have to do is look at what the Eagles have accomplished since reaching the big game in 2004.

2005: missed playoffs
2006: lost in divisional round
2007: missed playoffs
2008: lost NFC Championship
2009: lost in wild card round
2010: lost in wild card round
2011: 4-8, almost a lock to miss the playoffs

In the last seven seasons, the Eagles have had one legitimate contender. We can define what a contender is in various manners, but once the dust had settled, only the '08 team had a real great shot at winning a Super Bowl.

Jeff Garcia was at the helm in '06, and while they were only a play or two away from another conference championship game, even had they somehow sneaked into the Super Bowl, the Colts trounced them earlier.

In '09 and '10, they had fundamentally flawed teams. First, Donovan McNabb was clearly declining, practically incapable of winning them close games against difficult opponents. Last season, they had gaping holes at several positions.

Now they are 4-8, and have pretty much cemented missing the postseason altogether for the third time in seven seasons -- nearly half. They only have playoff wins in two others.

For my first ever post on this site, I wrote following the '07 campaign the Birds were closer to winning a championship than people thought at the time. Next season, they came within one game of getting back to football's biggest stage.

Andy Reid will lose his job because the Eagles are going in the opposite direction now, moving farther from contention with each passing year.

What else matters?

* Provided they don't steal an improbable playoff berth and rack up at least one or two post-season victories. Hey, the Cowboys and Giants aren't exactly putting the division away.

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