Philadelphia’s 31-6 defeat at the hands of Washington yesterday is unlikely to quell calls for the dismissal of Eagles head coach Andy Reid. This isn’t the first time Reid’s been in choppy waters, and given The Philadelphia Daily News’ Paul Domowitch’s three decades on the Eagles beat, who better to explain to us the difference between Reid’s postgame remarks and what he really meant to say.
Q: How do you avoid having your tenuous job security become a distraction for your team?
What Andy said: “Listen, you control what you can control. And that’s getting better as a football team. That’s where my emphasis is. Become a better coach and make sure I put my guys in the right position to make plays.”
What Andy meant: “I had hoped Jeffrey would address that by giving me a five-year contract extension, but he politely declined.”
Q: Are the problems with this team fixable?
What Andy said: “Yes, I believe it’s fixable. Like I said, we’ve got to eliminate the mistakes. It’s not (a lack of) effort or want-to. I don’t see that. I see guys pressing a little bit where they don’t need to press. Guys that have been very consistent players for us in the past are pressing just a bit. They want to do so well. They want to be that guy that makes that play.”
What Andy meant: “We’re as fixable as the Petraeus marriage.”
Q: Is there any scenario where you would step down?
What Andy said: “I’m standing in front of the team and telling them these are the things we need to do. One of which is to continue to battle. (To quit) would be a copout. That’s not how I see things. That’s not the way I’m wired.”
What Andy meant: “I’ve got 5 ½ million reasons to keep coaching this football team.”