This isnt the first crisis Andy Reid has faced as head coach of the Eagles. He navigated the team through Donovan McNabbs ugly rookie growing pains in 1999, through T.O.s meltdown in 2005, through McNabbs season-ending injury in 2006, through Jim Johnsons tragic death in 2009.
Definitely not the first crisis. Maybe the biggest. And if things dont change soon, quite possibly the last.
Reid has been through his share of ups and downs since replacing Ray Rhodes as the Eagles head coach after the 1998 season, but there has been no greater challenge to his stewardship of the Eagles than the past month.
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Four games. Four disasters.
Four losses. Four catastrophes.
Not just losses but consistently stupid, undisciplined and disinterested football. The kind the Eagles never used to play.
Whats allowed Reids Eagles to navigate all the previous challenges has been a focus on fundamentals, hard work and discipline. His guys always played hard for him, even if they werent very talented. That bailed the franchise out of a lot of tough situations.
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But now, the chemistry is different. Too many young players that dont seem to care. Too many older players that are just passing through. Not enough guys who truly give a damn.
And thats why week after week were seeing this confused, chaotic, scrambled, muddled mess called Eagles football.
Remember Dimitri Patterson?
The kid had way less talent than any of the Eagles current crop of superstar cornerbacks, but you know what, he went out there and battled every single snap, and when he got beat, he took it hard and went back out there the next series and battled even harder the next time.
What were seeing now is a football team that gets the crap knocked out of em and doesnt take it hard. Reid has had bad teams before, but hes never had thisa team that way too often looks like its just going through the motions.
Hate to say it, but Frank Gore was right.
Has Reid lost this team? Thats pretty strong stuff, and its still a bit too early to say.
If the Eagles can find a way to beat the Redskins in Landover next weekend and the Bills beat the Giants in East Rutherford, the Eagles will find themselves just one win behind the NFC East leaders.
Who knows. Maybe theres one last miracle run in that locker room.
But lets be honest. What were all seeing right now reeks of Rich Kotite at the end, Ray Rhodes at the end. That bad.
And just like those years1993, 1994, 1997, 1998its embarrassing.
Very few head coaches in NFL history have stayed with the same organization as long as Reid, and theres a reason for it. As capable as they are, at some point, their voice just stops getting through.
And thats when you get a quarterback waiting until time runs out in the half before throwing the ball away. Thats when you get a Pro Bowl running back fumbling the ball away at the 2-yard line for no particular reason at all. Thats when you get an 11-year veteran jumping offsides when the other team isnt even trying to run a play.
Enough blaming the lockout. No other NFL team is underachieving like the Eagles. The 31 other teams didnt have off-seasons, either.
Enough blaming Juan Castillo. Its been a rough month for him, but he cant go out onto the field and make his overmatched linebackers and defensive backs tackle guys that are right in front of them.
No, the blame for 1-4 lies squarely with Reid.
Reid is a decent man and a successful coach who doesnt deserve the constant vicious personal attacks he gets from so many fans and corners of the media.
But the bottom line is this season is teetering on the verge of collapse and for the first time, he doesnt seem to have any answers.
Hes benched everybody he can bench, tried every hapless linebacker and safety he can try, made practice harder, made practice easier ... everything.
And still they lose. In every imaginable way.
Reids first six years in Philly brought four NFC Championship Game appearances, eight playoff wins and a trip to the Super Bowl.
The last sevenso farhave brought one NFC Championship Game appearance, two playoff wins and a fourth-quarter defensive collapse in Arizona the only time they got anywhere close to a Super Bowl.
The Eagles status as an elite team is fading. Barring a complete reversal, this will be the third straight year theyve failed to win a playoff game.
Its funny to hear so many fans clamoring for Jon Gruden, a guy who won in Tampa in 2002 with Tony Dungys players, then went six straight years without winning as much as a single playoff game.
But their frustration is completely understandable. Something has to change. And soon.
Reid can demote Castillo and replace him with Johnnie Lynn. He can trade for a veteran linebacker who may not know the defense but at least will try to tackle somebody. He can start rookie second-round pick Jaiquawn Jarrett. He can find a spot on the O-line for dependable Jamaal Jackson. He can try Akeem Jordan and Keenan Clayton, since theyre the only linebackers he hasnt tried yet.
There are a few options, most of them falling into the desperation category. Right now, that might be all Reid has left.E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com