Andy Reid should get more out of his assistants during the game.

After the Eagles poor performance against the Cincinnati Bengals, a performance that pushed the Birds squarely back in last place in the NFC East, it is obvious changes must be made immediately if the Eagles have any desire to salvage the season.

Even if they go 5-1 over the final six games, the Eagles record would be 10-5-1 and it would take a lot of events to go their way to make the postseason.

For starters, Andy Reid has got to have a better handle on what is going on during games. It is impossible for one man to remember everything, regardless of how simple and obvious.

The game-day criticisms are too widespread to not have merit.

His assistants must have a better role in helping Reid manage the game.

To have so many players and coaches admit after the game against the Bengals they were not sure how overtime works in the NFL is inexcusable.

“That rule, not knowing that rule, I don’t think has any affect on what we did there,” Reid said at his Monday press conference.

To dismiss it as no big deal or had no factor in the outcome —13-13 tie—just is not true. The 10-year veteran coach lowered his own bar of excellence by claiming that he was not the only one who is not familiar with all the rules of the game. 

His words give the impression of a lack of drive to be the best.

It is the coaching staff’s job to be aware of every aspect of how the pro game is played. I believe it was their job to inform Reid and even the players about how overtime works when the game was tied at the end of regulation.

“I’ll tell you that I’m sure there are plenty of rules that guys don’t understand,” Reid said. “But I don’t think that has any factor whatsoever to do with the outcome of this game and how they played in the overtime. I think that’s absurd. We obviously…you play to win in that time whether you think you have another overtime period or you don’t. And you play your heart out to win it in that time, and that’s how we approached it and that’s how the players approached it.”

The players and coaches do not seem to be not playing or coaching with heart right now.

To pass on all 18 third downs makes no sense, regardless of what your scouting shows as your opponent’s weakness.

Is Reid using his assistant coaches for what they were hired for? Was there not one assistant coach in Reid’s ear about what was going on as the overtime was winding down?

Your Pro Bowl running back Brian Westbrook is banged up and his backup Correll Buckhalter runs just twice against the Giants but gains 21 yards, and, against the Bengals, he nets 47 yards, again on only two touches.

It might behoove someone to tap Reid on the shoulder to suggest using Buckhalter more.

It is not just the Bengals game that was the problem, game day strategy it has been a problem for a long time and it is finally catching up with the Eagles and the chances this group has of winning a title.

You always hear about a “players-only” meeting to air out problems and hopefully get those problems resolved.

Maybe it is time for the coaching staff to have an “assistant coaches only” meeting and find a way to solve what seem to be problems that have nothing to do with talent or ability.

These are problems that have to do with common sense.

It will be a real shame to have wasted the career of a franchise quarterback like Donovan McNabb because coaches could not keep track of time, of usage of players, of strategy or of the stinkin’ rules.