PHILADELPHIA

Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said Tuesday Andy Reid would remain the team’s head coach in 2012.

The Eagles finished 8-8 on the season and missed the playoffs, but Reid had to lead Philadelphia on a four-game winning streak to avoid a losing record.

“It’s been a very, very unusual season,” Lurie said. “This season was without question the most disappointing season since I’ve owned the team.

“This is not only unacceptable, it is very disappointing.”

But Lurie said “the intangibles” Reid brings to the organization and his ability to bounce back following a poor season led him to stick with Reid for a 14th season.

“The team jelled and clearly came together,” Lurie said, referring to the team’s four-game win streak at season’s end.

Reid, who is currently the NFL’s longest tenured head coach, has amassed a 126-81-1 record since joining Philadelphia in 1999. The Eagles have won six NFC East titles during Reid’s time at the helm. The Eagles went to the Super Bowl once under Reid in 2004-2005, losing to the New England Patriots 24-21 in Super Bowl XXXIX.

He has two seasons left on his current contract at $4 million per season.

There’s a point in “The Princess Bride” where Vizzini says the word “inconceivable” too many times for Inigo’s taste, and Inigo looks at him sideways and says, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

I bring this up because Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie used the word “unacceptable” several times in today’s news conference, and that’s one of those words that sports people use without thinking about what it really means. If something is “unacceptable” (as Lurie insists the Eagles’ 8-8 season was) yet elicits no consequences, then that makes it, by definition, “acceptable.” Lurie spent the first 15 minutes of his address to the Philadelphia media talking about his anger and frustration, called the first half of the season “dismal” and “terrible” and said he took little solace in the Eagles’ 4-0 finish because it came against teams that weren’t “that competitive.”

But in the end, he announced that he would bring head coach Andy Reid back for a 14th season. And he announced that any coaching staff changes — including any decisions on embattled first-year defensive coordinator Juan Castillo — would be up to Reid. And while the idea that something “unacceptable” has happened but that no one is to be held accountable for it likely isn’t sitting well with disenchanted Eagles fans today, as usual I think there’s some gray area here.

“Accountable” isn’t automatically the same thing as “fired.” As a result of the flop that was a 2011 season in which, Lurie said, “the difference between the expectation and the result was dramatic,” Andy Reid enters 2012 under greater pressure than he has felt at any time during his tenure as Eagles coach. I believe Reid will coach in 2012 under more pressure than any other coach in the entire league. Lurie made it clear with several of things he said that, unless the Eagles rebound, big-time, next season, the news conference he has next January isn’t going to be as friendly.

“If I didn’t think that next year would be substantially better,” Lurie said. “Then I would be up here announcing a coaching change.”

That says to me that, if next year is not substantially better, Lurie will in fact be up there announcing a coaching change. If I were Reid, that’s the way I’d be hearing it. And throughout Reid’s long and impressive tenure as Eagles coach, I doubt he’s ever faced this degree of ultimatum.

Lurie spoke of other teams in recent history that rebounded from disappointing seasons to win the Super Bowl, naming the New York Giants and the New Orleans Saints specifically. He spoke of Reid’s record of bouncing back from seasons in which the Eagles missed the playoffs, pointing out that it’s very good. He didn’t say he expected 2012 to continue that trend, but he didn’t have to. That much was clear. Lurie is an owner who’s much more upset about this season than he let on at any point while it was unfolding, but he’s also an owner who believes in a measured approach, who believes in continuity in positions of leadership, and who believes Reid is a good coach who knows what he’s doing and is capable of making next season a success where this one was not.

But Lurie also left little doubt that this can’t happen again. So from this point forward, every decision Reid makes is going to be scrutinized in ways it never has been before by the guy who matters most. Whatever mistakes Reid made in 2011, Lurie was able to view them through the prism of all the good work Reid did for him in the previous 12 years, with the knowledge that players have historically played hard for Reid and have wanted to play for the Eagles because of the coaching structure they have in place. But any mistakes Reid makes between now and this time next year will be viewed through the prism of Lurie’s present disappointment, and are likely to be judged much more harshly as a result.

Reid must now decide about Castillo and the rest of the coaching staff, then he must get to work on free agency and the draft. Then there will be minicamps and OTAs, the incubators the 2011 team lacked but which the 2012 Eagles must use to make sure they don’t sleepwalk their way through the first half of next season the way they did this one.

“It’s possible there was a miscalculation in terms of implementing big scheme changes in a lockout situation,” Lurie said.

That could mean the Eagles stay the course, scheme-wise, in the belief that they are moving in the right direction but just took too long to start moving. It could mean that they make big scheme changes again this offseason in the belief that they will have the time this year to implement them. That sounds as though it’s up to Reid. But whichever way he goes, it’s got to work, or he’s going to be gone. He may not have to win next year’s Super Bowl to keep his job in 2013, but it’s very clear after listening to Lurie today that he’s got to make a pretty serious run at it to make up for the damage this season caused. Those are the consequences of 8-8: That Reid finds himself, at long last, facing a make-or-break season.

The Philadelphia Eagles began the 2011 NFL season as the clear-cut favorite to win the NFC East. The season ended with the Eagles packing their bags and heading home after the regular season ended. What went wrong? Murphy’s Law was alive and well in Philadelphia but much of the carnage was avoidable.

Michael Vick needs to bring his “A’ Game the rest of the season.
Photo by: SRA Moses Ross Wikimedia Commons

Is it easier to fire the big man Andy Reid or is it easier to gut this team and rebuild from scratch? There will be serious carryover issues in 2012 and the problems must get addressed now to prepare for next year. Not all is bad with the Eagles and the team has positives to build on.

Bad Chemistry

The Eagles assembled one of the most talented teams in the NFL but they forgot about one important aspect of building a team: Chemistry. Adding Nnamdi Asomugha was a huge coup for Andy Reid and the Eagles front office but it also led to some serious chemistry issues in the secondary, starting with Assante Samuel questioning the move in training camp.

Eagles in Trouble at Quartback Position for Years?

One Eagles front office move that will handcuff the team for years was the signing of Michael Vick to a long-term contract. Vick is going to get injured every season and every time he goes down the Eagles and their fans will suffer. Until the Eagles rid themselves of Vick and get a legitimate quarterback they will never seriously contend in the NFC East.

Then the Eagles added a competent backup in Vince Young but they forgot this is the same guy who led to Jeff Fisher calling it quits after a long tenure with the Titans. Young’s antics in Tennessee led to more than a few gray hairs for Fisher, who took 2011 off to recuperate.

Vince Young compounded the Eagles front office woes by declaring the Philadelphia Eagles a “Dream Team.” The name became a derogatory term later in the season when the team went on a losing streak and eliminated themselves from serious contention to make the NFL Playoffs.

Jason Babin and LeSean McCoy Positives Going Forward

The Eagles did have some bright spots in 2011. LeSean McCoy showed the NFL he is worthy of consideration as a top five NFL back and when Andy Reid allowed him to take over games he did in a big way. McCoy’s running style and never quit attitude led to several key wins for the Eagles but he did break down at the end of the season.

Jason Babin gave the Eagles defense one positive through a dismal first half of the season. Babin gave the Eagles a legitimate pass rush and led to the improvements on defense in the second half. Babin finished the season strong, scoring eight sacks in his last four games and gave Eagles fans something to look forward to in 2012.

DeSean Jackson Must Go

McCoy’s impressive season became overshadowed by the baffling antics of DeSean Jackson. Jackson left the Eagles with no choice but to let him walk once the free agency period begins. The Eagles blew their chance to trade Jackson but there are options they can look into.

The Eagles can franchise tag Jackson and then trade him after he signs. This will be a tough move to pull off since Jackson’s brash attitude will clash with most quarterbacks and receivers in the NFL. The Eagles have already blown any chance to get value for Jackson and their best bet is to move up the NFL Draft board and snag Justin Blackmon of the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Blackmon is Terrell Owens and Randy Moss rolled into one without being a head case.

*Todd Jacobs lives in Las Vegas but has been a Philadelphia Eagles fan since the ’70s. Members of Todd’s family were devout Eagles fans and he had little choice but to follow the Eagles from an early age.

Sources:

ESPN Clubhouse: Philadelphia Eagles news and stats.

Reading Eagle: Jackson facing uncertain future in Philly

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

As soon as Vince Young said the term, “dream team,” fans of the Philadelphia Eagles must have been scared. While the team was the most active during the offseason in bringing in stars, comments from the least talented of the new acquisitions were sure to cause problems. The Eagles struggled to an 8-8 record and while some players had monstrous fantasy seasons, others faltered. Who are the biggest surprise and disappointments, and which star can say they were the Eagles’ 2011 fantasy MVP?

MVP – LeSean McCoy

There is no doubt in my mind that McCoy is the best running back in the NFL, especially so in fantasy football. This season, his yardage figures don’t compare to those of Ray Rice, but the instability at the quarterback position in Philadelphia can be blamed for that. He rushed for 1,309 yards on 273 carries and made 48 catches for 315 yards with 20 total touchdowns.

Biggest Surprise – Jason Babin

The eight-year pro is one of the offseason acquisitions for the Eagles, but he was probably the least hyped. When the Eagles signed him, it was his sixth team in six seasons, including a previous stint with the team. As a member of the Tennessee Titans a year ago, he made 13 sacks and was a force on the defensive line. What he did this season was grow from that success to become one of the best sack-artists in the NFL. He made 18 sacks to go with 40 total tackles, rewarding those fantasy GMs that selected him in IDP leagues.

Biggest Disappointment – Michael Vick

The former Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback began his second season as the Philadelphia starter and suffered through the same problems he has suffered from his entire career. He missed three games due to injury, adding further proof that his body type isn’t one for taking hits. He did set a new career high in passing yards with 3,303, but struggled in all other facets. A year ago, he turned the ball over nine total times, while this season, he threw 14 interceptions and lost four fumbles. It is hard to keep your team in the game when you keep giving the ball away.

Another disappointing stat for Vick were his rushing scores. A year ago, he set a career-high with nine and followed that up this season with just one. Vick can still be a fantasy star, but he won’t be a first round selection in 2012 like he was this season.

For a closer look at All-Injury teams for all major fantasy positions and biggest stars and busts from each NFL team, click here.

More from this contributor:

LeSean McCoy is Top Fantasy Running Back in 2011

Backup Running Backs to make Splash in 2011

Don’t Give up on These Players too Early

Drafting Individual Defensive Players?

Top 2011 Fantasy Football Rookies

Hobson Lopes has been playing fantasy football for more than 10 years and can be followed on Twitter @HobsonLopes.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The Eagles struggled early and never recovered. A four-game winning streak at the end came too late and they finished 8-8, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2007 and just the fourth time in coach Andy Reid’s 13 seasons.

“It’s going to motivate us to work harder,” quarterback Michael Vick said Monday. “It’s very disappointing.”

After an offseason spending spree brought several accomplished players to Philadelphia and added to a roster that already featured Vick, LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson, the Eagles were the talk of the NFL. They were defending NFC East champions and seemingly on the rise.

So when Young compared his new teammates to the Miami Heat, some people scoffed but most expected the Eagles to make a serious run at the first championship since 1960. Even team president Joe Banner declared the Eagles “all-in” and called this a Super Bowl-or-bust year.

But the team quickly imploded.

“There were definitely red flags,” said defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins, who won the Super Bowl with Green Bay last season. “A lot of people see Super Bowl, or I think they let the fact that the Super Bowl is there, and so many people talk about it right away. You can hear people nowadays, they come out of the draft talking about Super Bowl and I think it kind of gets thrown around too loosely now.

“It’s obviously the ultimate goal in where you want to get to, but you have to understand that you have to work hard. It’s something that is a process and you have to take it each step at a time to get to it and I think a lot of time people just want to jump from preseason to the Super Bowl without doing what it takes in between.”

Various factors contributed to a four-game losing streak that dropped the Eagles to 1-4 and doomed them from the beginning. Vick couldn’t finish two games in September because of injuries, the offense made critical turnovers and the defense struggled mightily as new players tried to adjust to new defensive coordinator Juan Castillo’s system.

Finishing games was a problem, too. The Eagles lost five games in which they led in the fourth quarter. One play could’ve made the difference in a season where the division was mediocre. The Eagles weren’t eliminated from playoff contention until right before their next-to-last game kicked off and they ended up second behind the New York Giants (9-7).

“It will be tough to sit at home and watch the playoffs, but we have to maintain a positive outlook about what we could be and go into the offseason knowing that we can play with the best teams in the league,” wide receiver Jeremy Maclin said. “Philly is not used to not being in the playoffs. I think guys will be hungry. This offseason will be very critical for us and I think it will be good.”

It’s uncertain whether the team will make major changes. Reid was criticized heavily this season and many fans want him gone. They chanted “Fire Andy!” during a loss to New England. Reid refused to discuss his future after Sunday’s game and wasn’t available to reporters on Monday. He’s expected to return, but his coaching staff may look different.