Many interesting things occurred in week two of the NFL season, but I really don’t give a shit.  I am interested in one team’s journey and destiny, and the other 31 simply exist because they have to have an opponent.

The Sunday night return of Michael Vick to the place where it all began, was less than stellar.  The night ended for Vick as he walked off the field concussed after having brought his Eagles to a 10 point lead in the game.

I’ve gone on record saying that this is Mike’s team and this teams fortune rests on his performance, and we are about to find out if that is the truth.  Since I only speak the truth, well, you should listen closely.

The headline on the back of today’s Philadelphia Daily News (the sports paper) says: “Vick Pays Price for Daring Style”.

Get the fuck outta here.  No really.

Vick has paid the price for drafting Danny Watkins – the 2011 Caucasian version of Antoine Davis – for having an offensive line that with the exception of Jason Peters is quite offensive in its play – for buying 3 of the top 10 corners in the league, upgrading the front defensive four and ignoring the middle of the defense.

Vick is paying the price for the ineptitude of Andy Reid, and all of Philadelphia is paying that price, now with the New York football Giants next in the queue, and some kid named Kafka who may or may not start.

It is time to acknowledge what is wrong with the Philadelphia Eagles, and it is not the current Black quarterback, nor was it the previous one.

There is a perception that Michael Vick is fragile.  He’s had quite a few injuries and has never in all of this career started all 16 games.

Michael Vick is not fragile, the offensive line is just not good enough.  I could toss out that because he is Mike Vick, and plays the role of Superman on most Sundays the refs don’t call the same calls when the defense comes a charging, but that is just a distraction.  A truth, but a distraction none the less.

In my lifestyle rule #1 is protect the property.  Andy Reid hasn’t gotten that for quite some time now.  In the past few years with the departure of Runyan and Thomas the O Line has just not gotten the job done.  Last night was  yet another example.

The emergence of Jason Peters as the number one offensive lineman on the team should scare you.  The 2nd game your number one draft pick 40 year old lineman is inactive should scare you more.

Let’s get off this well gee Mike Vick sure runs around a lot soap box.  The man is running to save his life on the field because the defense is pouring through on every play like water in a steel sieve. 

Let’s be clear.  The play that Vick got hurt on the defender from Atlanta came in low, around the knees,  and then oooops went Vick into his own offensive lineman.  That play should have gotten the yellow flag for violation of the “Brady Rule”  but the league will not protect the Mike Vick’s of the game in the manner they protect the Peyton Mannings and Tom Bradys.  I hope you are paying attention Cam Newton.

Atlanta got away with a dirty play, dirty birds. That dirty play does not happen though if one other lineman shows up to play for Sunday night football.

This line is not good enough to protect a 3rd grade math teacher, let alone your $100 million dollar investment Jeff Lurie.  Your beloved coach is responsible for this line.  Your beloved coach is a moron.

Your beloved coach promoted Juan Castillo to the position of Defensive coordinator, after he fired a better than adequate Sean McDermott.  The same Juan Castillo who was the offensive line coach 365 days ago, when the heir apparent to McNabb Kevin Kolb got knocked out of his first game as a starter….because the offensive line couldn’t stop a toddler in search of a cheerio.

He did such a bang up fucking job on the offensive line that you REWARD him with a promotion, and control of calling the plays for the defense.  That same defense that gave up 30+ points last night.  Seriously?

Your front line has Trent Cole (who was a machine last night) & Jason Babbin.  Your secondary is a wet dream with Samuel, Rogers-Cromartie, and that kid from Oakland (yeah this is not the week I try to spell his name) and you fill the middle of the defense with:

Foku
Matthews
Chaney
Coleman
Page

In what bizarro world is this an acceptable combination?  I would rather you place a call to Dhani Jones and bring Brian Dawkins back with a walker than tell me these linebackers & safeties are good enough. They are not. 

If you doubt my statement ask anyone who started Tony Gonzalez in Fantasy football yesterday what his numbers were.  He looked like the Gonzalez of KC not the TE at the edge of the end of his career waiting for his Canton jacket.

Gonzalez had a monster game because Atlanta figured out what we should have known all along, you don’t have to kill this soft middle with the run, you can also do  it with the over the middle slant.   We had no answer for it last night, nor will we have an answer for it as  long as those 5 are starting at linebacker and safety.

Although questionable personnel exists on this team, that is not our biggest problem.  Our biggest problem is the judgment of Andy Reid and what it has cost us over the years.  What it WILL cost us this season.

If football is a game of inches, it is also a game of judgment.  Andy Reid over the 13 years of his tenure has given us more than enough reason to question his.  Last night was not different.  Andy that red flag in your pocket?  It is okay to throw it …. no really.  I would rather you waste a timeout on a questionable call than with your poor clock management.

I’ve grown weary of hearing in your post game comments, “I’ve got to do a better job…..”.

No Andy, we’ve seen your best.  It is not good enough.  Not good enough to bring the Lombardi to Philadelphia. I think you and Marty should sit down and have a seltzer water with one another.  You are our version of him.  You deliver lots of wins, after all your players can pull one out of the L column despite your inability to plot a game for the W column.  Lots of wins zero championships.

5 NFC championship games – zero Lombardi trophies.  

The numbers speak for themselves….I need not say a word.

I will say it is time to move on from the Reid era. 

One additional thought before I sign off though:

Dunta Robinson said of his hit on Jeremy Macklin that it was a ‘clean hit’.  Apparently he was concussed also because if that was a clean hit, I will be a monkey’s uncle.

There was nothing clean about that hit last night, nor the hit from last year on Jackson.  And fuck the player’s association for getting his fine reduced from last year.

And now one sobering dangerous thought:

With the Eagles loss last night they fall to 1-1.  Sitting atop the NFC East is the Washington Redskins.  Now we all know (well maybe Rex Grossman doesn’t) that Washington has a 5 game losing streak in them, and that they will NOT win the division.  But today?  They sit alone atop the leader board.  To that I say: #getrightwithgod #theendisnear