At some point, you have to feel for Andy Reid.
The man has come oh-so-close to the Lombardi Trophy more times than Kanye West can make an ass out of himself. He’s had to put up with his gun-toting, heroin-using kids and Terrell Owens (I’m not sure which is worse). The poor guy went to BYU, and to cap it all off, he slightly resembles a giant walrus.
But sympathy is no reason to pick a Super Bowl winner. Behind the black jumpsuit and the bushy mustache, the guy is one hell of a football coach. Not only is he identical to Mike Holmgren, coaching under him for Green Bay, three coaches who worked under Reid (Brad Childress with the Vikings, Jim Harbaugh with the Ravens and Steve Spagnuolo with the Rams) are head coaches in the NFL.
Reid has made a name for himself during the years as one of the most respected and longest tenured coaches in the league but has never been able to win the big game. That will change in 2009.
The Eagles were once again knocked out of the playoffs last year in the NFC Championship by the Arizona Cardinals. In what has been a weak NFC for the better part of the decade, the Eagles have been the most consistent team in the conference, reaching five NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl since 2002. With the core of the 2008 team returning and a few more additions on the offensive side of the ball, Donovan McNabb has been practicing his “I’m going to Disney World” face in the mirror each night before bed.
McNabb injured a rib and might not play this weekend against the Saints, but Reid brought in veteran Jeff Garcia as a safety net. Garcia will prove to be a valuable asset down the road if McNabb runs into any additional injury problems. There’s another high-profile quarterback the Eagles brought in this season. Any guesses as to who it is?
The Eagles took the risk 31 other teams wouldn’t this off-season by signing Mike Vick, fresh off his prison sentence. Come February, the risk will be well worth the reward. Vick is so dynamic and elusive that even if he only sees action in five to 10 plays a game, defensive coordinators all over the league will be forced to spend hours each week prepping for Vick, or he will beat them time and time again because despite what sceptics think, he is that good.
Pair Vick and McNabb with speedy wideout (and return specialist) DeSean Jackson, Brian Westbrook, and rookie running back out of Pittsburgh LeSean McCoy, and the Eagles will have one of the most potent offenses in the NFL. Jackson, who had a stand-out rookie campaign, is already off to a fast start in 2009, bringing an 85 yard return back for a touchdown. Westbrook is one of the most versatile players in the NFL, being one of only seven players in NFL history to rush for 30 TDs and catch 25 TD passes. McCoy, who rushed for 1,488 yards and 21 TDs last year at Pittsburgh, will complement Westbrook in the backfield no matter who’s under center.
The Eagles’ scary-good offense paired with a solid defensive, led by corners Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown, can make 2009 the year the Eagles finally win one for the big Walrus.
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