By ALEX SMITH

STAFF WRITER

Being a Philadelphia sports fan can be tough. Being a Philadelphia sports fan while living in New York is even tougher. I don’t get to watch many Philadelphia Eagles games, unless they are playing the Giants or are in the Sunday or Monday night games. When I have gotten to watch the Eagles play this season they have been horrendous. People around campus keep asking me the same questions: Should quarterback Michael Vick be benched? Is backup Nick Foles the answer? After watching Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, I have discovered that the answer to both of those questions is a resounding “no.” While Vick is expected to miss this week’s game with a concussion, I still believe he is not the biggest problem on this team.

Let me be very frank. The Eagles stink. They are an incredibly disappointing team given the talent-ridden roster. The team went 8-8 last season thanks to a four game winning streak to end the year. Owner Jeffrey Lurie came out after the season, saying that another 8-8 year would not be acceptable. The 2012 Eagles are now 3-6 and have lost five games in a row. Andy Reid is the most successful coach in franchise history, but I have a tough time seeing him returning next year if things don’t change. With all that said, Vick’s performance has not been the problem. The major flaws in this team lie elsewhere.

The biggest problem for the Birds over the past season and a half has been the defense. The Eagles brought in big names like Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Jason Babin and Demeco Ryans to help bolster their defensive game. Babin has caused some trouble in the locker room, Ryans hasn’t been himself and Asomugha and Cromartie ought to go to a hospital for being burned so many times.

In my opinion, it all goes back to Andy Reid’s decision to promote offensive line coach Juan Castillo to defensive coordinator. No typo there.

As Charles Barkley says in the hit film Space Jam, “It wasn’t a dream. It really happened!”

I wish it was a dream, Chuck. It was a terrible choice in the first place, and it took Reid a season and a half to admit his mistake and fire Castillo. The defense doesn’t get pressure on the opposing quarterback: they are a pathetic tackling team and the secondary is incredibly inconsistent.

Through nine games this season, it’s been the offensive line that has stepped up as public enemy No. one in the eyes of Philly fans. It started back in the preseason, when All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters was lost for the entire season with a ruptured right Achilles tendon. Peters is one of the best offensive linemen in the league, and the Eagles have not been able to replace him. Starting center Jason Kelce blew out his knee in September. Guard Danny Watkins has been battling injuries all season long. When right tackle Todd Herremans, who is in charge of defending Vick’s blind side, was lost for the season after suffering an injury against New Orleans in Week 9, guard Evan Mathis became the last man standing of the O-Line’s original crew.

The replacement offensive linemen for Philadelphia have been worse than the NFL’s infamous replacement officials. Yeah, that bad. In the Sunday night game against New Orleans, they allowed seven sacks to a bad Saints defense. Vick is the fastest and most athletic quarterback to ever play in the NFL. No team should be able to sack him seven times in one game. There are no excuses for that. And it’s been more than just that game. Vick has been sacked 27 times in eight-and-a-half games. He’s also been forced out of the pocket and knocked around mercilessly in every single game.

This is why Nick Foles is not the answer. The rookie QB from Arizona can scramble a bit, but he is not a mobile quarterback. He’s a stand in the pocket kind of guy, and with this porous offensive line, I’m honestly scared for Foles’ well being.

I have to give the rookie some credit. In this weeks’ loss to Dallas, Foles stepped into action in the second quarter after Vick was knocked out of the game with a concussion. Foles passed for 219 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. While he showed flashes of brilliance at times, and made me feel confident in the future, he also showed that he’s not ready to be a starting quarterback in the NFL just yet. He threw a number of dangerous passes, one of which was picked off by Brandon Carr and returned for a score. He also fumbled the ball in the end zone in the game’s final minutes, when the Eagles were within one score. He threw a few passes across his body and off his back foot, and he had another pick that was called back because of a penalty. Foles needs more time to develop and should not be thrown into the fire when the offensive line is as terrible as it is.

I know Vick’s numbers aren’t great. I know that he has been turning the ball over at an alarming rate. But the Eagles cannot give up on him yet. He was so good out of nowhere for this team in 2010, stepping in for Kevin Kolb in the season opener and putting up an MVP-like season. He has since been rewarded with a massive contract to which he has not lived up. But he is still the biggest weapon in the NFL.

When he is on his game, and is given time to throw in the pocket, he can be lethal through the air as well as on the ground. He has one of the strongest arms in the NFL and has become a much better passer. I’m glad Vick plays for my hometown team, because I know how good he can be.

In time, Foles will be the starter in Philly and he’ll be very good, but it would be a terrible decision to throw him in the starting role right now.

I still believe in Michael Vick.