"Right now," he said, "we are what we are."
What the 3-6 Eagles are is a team at the center of widespread turbulence, and if they lose this week to the Washington Redskins
, they'll be alone in last place in the NFC East.
This past Sunday, in a 38-23 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Eagles quarterback Michael Vick injured an eye, suffered a concussion and might have permanently lost his starting job to rookie Nick Foles. Reid, the league's longest-tenured head coach, moved closer to validating the growing belief that he'll be fired.
"Listen," most of Reid's answers began, impatience and an inability to find answers coming through clearly.
A few months ago, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said that another 8-8 season wouldn't be good enough to give Reid another year in Philadelphia. The Eagles finished with a .500 record in 2011, after a free agent spending spree elevated expectations and former quarterback Vince Young called them a "dream team." This season has been an all-around frustration.
"This organization is not used to it, individual players aren't used to it, this team isn't used to it," Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin said. "Last year was pretty rocky, but to be sitting here 3-6 is not what anyone envisioned or planned."
If Reid is fired, his 14-season run has been remarkable. He had never been an NFL coordinator, let alone a head coach, when he moved into the position in 1999. He guided Philadelphia to five appearances in the NFC championship game and one in the Super Bowl.
But perhaps more impressive is that Reid has survived in one of the NFL's most difficult divisions, where the competition is fierce and the media scrutiny intense. The division doesn't so much test coaches as it consumes them; since Reid's first year, the Redskins (seven), New York Giants (two) and Cowboys (five) have combined to employ more than a dozen head coaches. That means more than a dozen new systems, schemes and philosophies.
Reid is hardly alone in coping with turmoil and doubts about his job. Dallas's Jason Garrett and Washington's Mike Shanahan aren't guaranteed to return in 2013. New York's Tom Coughlin has continually battled questions about his future, with only two improbable Super Bowl championships keeping him safe.
Reid has moved forward while blending on-field challenges with off-field drama. In 2005, quarterback Donovan McNabb and wide receiver Terrell Owens clashed, leaving Reid to coach and officiate a series of public sparring matches. Reid also has dealt with his two sons' personal issues, including the death of his elder son, 29-year-old Garrett, who was found dead in his dormitory room at the team's training camp complex last summer. The autopsy report, released last month, revealed that Garrett Reid, who had been working with the Eagles, died of a heroin overdose.
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