Who’s to blame for the Eagle’s struggle?

For the last decade the Philadelphia Eagles have had Andy Reid calling the shots, a coach with not only a tenor that demands respect, but supposedly proves success. In fourteen seasons with the Eagles Reid has won 129 games and only lost 88, he’s won the NFC East seven times and finished second three, but have only had a single super bowl appearance which they lost in 2004. Reid who has been known to put together some of the most explosive offenses has consistently been above average, in a city like Cleveland that might satisfactory, but not the city of brotherly love. Philadelphia is a city that demands championships and Reid has not been able to deliver. Now whether this is his fault or not remains to be seen.

If the blame doesn’t go to the coach the next viable option in the National Football League usually is the quarterback. Now, in Philadelphia since 2004 when Reid started coaching, there have been 26 different starting quarterbacks. The Eagles have dealt with everyone from Randall Cunningham and Donovan McNabb to Kevin Cobb and now Michael Vick, none of which have been known to be standout winners in the NFL. There is a case to be made here, granted it may be the Eagles front office and management, who haven’t been able to draft a starter that’s reliable nor groom a prospect into a successful option. You have to wonder if the system in place is the problem or if the right quarterback just hasn’t landed in Philadelphia yet.

Reid’s offenses sure can build hype and sell tickets with acquisitions like Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy and Desean Jackson, but have fell  short of expectations year in and year out. Reid continues to shuffle between quarterbacks; even after fourteen seasons, now having to make the decision between the rookie Nick Foles and the veteran Vick, who has been sacked a painful 27 times in only nine starts. Even Tom Brady and Peyton Manning need time to throw the ball. Concussions have held Vick out the last few weeks. In his defense not many quarterbacks take the shots he’s taken this year, at 32 years old those are sure to end the career of one of the most explosive and controversial quarterbacks to ever play the game.

At three and eight the Eagles just released their best past rusher, Jason Babin, for lack of production. That’s a sign of throwing in the towel on the 2012 season, now Reid will make a decision between Foles and Vick to start this week against the Dallas Cowboys. It’s likely they will see what they have in Foles. Either way this quarterback controversy is nothing like the win, win decision Jim Harbaugh has to make this week in San Francisco, and very well could be the last decision the great Andy Reid makes in Philadelphia.