Andy Reid is running out of scapegoats.
In their first game since Reid fired defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, the Philadelphia Eagles' defense had its worst game of the season in a 30-17 victory by the Atlanta Falcons.
"It was an embarrassing performance," Reid said afterward.
Atlanta took the opening kickoff and drove the ball right down Philadelphia's throat for a 16-play, 8:44 touchdown drive. The rest of the day played out in similar fashion. The Falcons scored on their first six possessions, including three consecutive touchdowns to start the game. The Eagles didn't make a defensive stop until there was 5:35 left in the game. They only were able to run three plays before trailing 14-0.
New coordinator Todd Bowles sent more pressure than Castillo, and nothing seemed to work. The defense got pressure on Matt Ryan but couldn't close. Ryan wound up completing 22 of 29 passes for 269 yards and three TDs in a nearly flawless performance. Julio Jones burned Nnamdi Asomugha for a 63-yard touchdown down up the sideline. The Falcons converted seven of their first 10 third downs.
Michael Vick's status as the starting quarterback reportedly is up for debate on a weekly basis, but he wasn't the problem Sunday. (Although he wasn't exactly the solution.) He got hit a ton and didn't turn over the ball.
Reid finally has lost a game after a bye week, ending a 13-game winning streak. It's worth wondering if he'll have a chance to start a new streak in Philadelphia next season.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
