Taking a Look at the Andy Reid Debate
The last time Andy Reid made it to the Super Bowl, he had Donovan Mcnabb as his quarterback and Terrell Owens playing wide receiver on one leg.
It is crazy to think about how times have changed.
Now fifteen years later, Reid will have the opportunity to rewrite his shortcomings and finally cement his legacy as a coach by winning a Super Bowl ring. The only problem is it would not be in midnight green.
With this comes the speculation about how Eagles fans should feel if he is able to defeat the 49ers next week in Miami.
On one side there is the thought of being happy for Reid, considering the fact that it would be Reid’s first Super Bowl victory. To add to this is the thought that the Eagles were able to win their first Super Bowl before Reid was able to win his first.
Reid was also instrumental in bringing both players and coaches onto the team that would have a great impact on the team’s success in the post-Andy Reid era. In terms of coaches, Reid brought guys such as Duce Staley and Doug Pederson onto his staff. While both Pederson and Staley had smaller roles under Reid, they would both flourish over time.
Pederson’s time under Reid help propels him to an eventual head coaching job, something that the Eagles are currently no second-guessing. While Staley would stay in a smaller role as the running backs coach, he was able to coach up multiple running back rooms that would be key to the Eagles’ success in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Reid also drafted players such as Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Brent Celek, and made a trade for Jason Peters. All of these players were key in getting the Eagles over the Super Bowl hump, as well as helping the team continue its success beyond 2017. However, on the other end of the spectrum is the notion that Eagles fan should not be pulling for Reid because he never won a Super Bowl with the Eagles. While this thought seems to be a bit harsher, it has a solid weight to it.
Under Reid’s tenure with the team, fans saw some of the most disheartening losses in big games. From 2001-2003 the Eagles came up short in the NFC Championship Game. In back to back seasons, the team was upset at home, losing by double digits to both the Buccaneers and Panthers in 2002 and 2003 respectively. Even after Reid and the team got over the hump in 2004 and made it to the Super Bowl, they were met with disappointment in a three-point loss to the Patriots.
During this time fans agonized because they always thought things would finally go the Eagles way, and they never did. This could easily lead a fan to be discontent with the idea of Reid winning a Super Bowl with another team.
Whether you will be rooting for Reid to draw up an offensive masterpiece or for Reid to mismanage the clock in big moments next Sunday, all Eagles fans should at least appreciate what Reid did for the team.
As it stands today, Reid is the most winning coach in team history by a large margin sitting at 130 wins. Reid was able to start his hall of fame worthy head coaching career in Philadelphia, and that is something every Eagles fan should respect and never look down upon.
Featured Image: Michael Perez/AP Photo
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categorized:Eagles News Unique Columns