Philadelphia Eagles 2009 post-mortem

1) Who'd have thought the Eagles would have a bad D? The Eagles O-line is undersized, the linebacking corps doesn't have enough players and the secondary was patchwork all season. The return of Stewart Bradley should help resolve some linebacking issues, but the fact remains that losing one linebacker shouldn't cripple the squad.

2) Is the answer one or the other, or both?: A) Donovan McNabb is not a big game quarterback. B) Andy Reid is not a big game coach. I don't know for sure, but simple logic dictates that it leans towards A. Donovan has rarely shown up in big games, which doesn't give much insight into Andy's coaching. It's hard to coach well in a big game when your most important player isn't producing.

3) Was this 5's last game in green? This question has been asked for at least the last 3 seasons. I don't know. I do know that the answer is getting closer to 'yes'. Is Donovan in the twilight of his career? Probably? His legs aren't what they once were which compromises his mobility, but he still makes decisions as if he can escape like the SuperFive of a decade ago. He still has great touch on the deep ball and he still hits his receivers in the shoe laces from 7 feet away. But the question is more than 'Is Donovan done?', it's....

4) Is Kevin Kolb the quarterback of the future? Or is he Bobby Hoying, showing flashes of brilliance only to die in a fetal ball once the job was his? I think we'll know Andy's true feelings about Kolb come April. Does he draft a QB in the first or second round to compete wioth Kolb? We'll know his true feelings about Donovan much earlier, specifically if he deals him to Oakland or St. Louis before the draft. For what it's worth, I think we take one more year with Donovan and the young guys and give the new chemistry time to gel. Either way, I think next year is it and Kevin Kolb is under center in 2011.

5) The Youth Movement at the offensive skill positions, it's here to stay. LeSean McCoy is the new starting running back and the once-spectacular Brian Westbrook is gone. The starting wide receivers are deSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin at the ends and Jason Avant in the slot. A more dangerous corps, the NFL does not have. Brent Celek is the rock at tight end. This is a young group with massive upside.

6) O-line: The tackles are set with Jason Peters - Mr. Streaky - and Winston Justice both under long-term contract. Assuming Jamaal Jackson's knee is OK, he's your center. Todd Herremans and Max Jean-Gilles are both more-than-servicable at guard, though an upgrade via free agency wouldn't surprise me.

7) Defensive line: at end, no one other than trent cole scares anyone. Abiamiri and Parker are spotty. Clemons and Howard were nowhere to be seen. Patterson and Bunkley ar eundersized and get mauled in the run game. Dallas, the new class of the NFC East, is loaded with beef and the Eagles MUST deal with it in the offseason.

8) At linebacker, it's Stewart Bradley. Period. And he didn't even play this year. What happened to Chris Gocong? He fell off the earth. Was he sleeping with Andy's wife?

9) Secondary: Assante Samuel and Sheldon Brown are fine corners who were stretched thin by a lack of help (and consistency) at the safety spot. Quentin Mikell will be fine, but Sean Jones, Macho Harris and Quentin Demps need to be upgraded.

10) Do we stay with Donovan and Andy out of love, trust or fear? I remember how bad it was being an Eagles fan in the 80's and through much of the 90's. Excepting the Randall/Buddy years, we were awful. Say what you will about Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb, we've been in the playoffs 8 out of their 11 years here. That's remarkable. We've risen to a level of success - granted, not postseason - that had been elusive for 40 years prior to their arrival. BUT, at what point do you say 'this just isn't going where it should be' and retool? Or do you say 'but there are no guarantees, and you've got to be in the playoffs to win the Super Bowl, and so let's ride this streak'? I don't know the answer, but I'm realizing that I've become loyal out of fear - I just don't want to suffer thorugh more 4-12 seasons.

The injury bug killed the Eagles this year. We were an 8-8 team and I think I got sucked in by the 6-game streak in November and December. I began to believe that we were more than the sum of our parts. I thought offensive firepower alone could have saved us. I acted as if Jim Johnson were still here and with some duct tape and chewed-up gum and sheer force of his amazing will, he could make the defense hold. But he wasn't, and we weren't. And now we aren't.

There IS hope for 2010. We're young and don't need a major overhaul. But there are deep questions to be answered.