Guy just dropped dead right before the 2009/2010 season.
Eagles had made the playoffs 7 out of the previous 9 seasons including 4 NFC Championship losses and 1 Super Bowl Loss. That's going to the championship over 50% of the time in 9 seasons. After he died the team made 2 brief wild card births and then missed the playoffs entirely 2 years after. The other schemes and coaches didn't work at all. The most ideal course would have been keeping one of his guys, Steve Spagnolou to keep the pressure going. Instead Todd Bowles and the dung heap offensive line coach were two of the worst coordinators I have ever seen. EVER. These Rooney Rule hires were so under qualified for the position it is sickening. It is an embarrassment to the NFL to see the Eagles trot those two losers out there and they cost Andy Reid his job.
Jim Johnson wasn't successful because of talent, it was scheme. Pressure pressure pressure. Opponents had low QB ratings when they went to the Vet and to the Link. Opposing QB's might get that pass off but they understood they they were going to get hit by blitzing linebackers and even defensive backs.
Johnson was famous for stacking defenders, he would stack 4 or 5 defenders to the right side where there were only 3 blockers. The left side of the line meanwhile might have 3 offensive lineman blocking 1 guy. It wreaked havoc on bad lines and inexperienced QB's. His defense got to take free shots at QBs. You'd think with all that blitzing they'd get beat deep a lot but it would happen a lot less than you thin.
Jim Johnson was NOT all talent. How many Eagle defenders do you remember from all those years? Brian Dawkins, Hugh Douglas, Jermiah Trotter, Michael Lewis, Sheldon brown, Javon Kearse ... He didn't have the 2000 Ravens or 2002 Bucs, the guy had to plug and play linebackers because Eagles management is mostly cheap. The Redskins paid Trotter big bucks so you have to make due with what you have. Somebody else wants to pay Hugh Douglas so plug and play. The linebackers were never marquee. Even the CBs were seen as replaceable. The thing that never changed was Jim Johnson and a pure pressure zone blitzing scheme of punishing QBs.
You can say what you want about Andy Reid but what destroyed this team was losing Jim Johnson, the Eagles never recovered. Their defense was pathetic last week. San Diego didn't kick their first punt until 5 min left in Q3. If Sam Diego didn't fumble twice inside the 10 yard line they could have put up 43-47 points. That's a west coast team at 10AM west coast time putting up big points on you at home. The coverage was so soft that Philip Rivers was 16/18 in the first half, yeah I am looking at you Carey Williams. Eddie Royal ran wild with 3 TD like he was Jerry F'in Rice.
Vick had the 2nd best game of his life last week. With a Chip Kelly offense and horse shit defense you have to look at the Eagles over every single week until the books adjust. Part of it is Chip Kelly, the other part is the joke of a defense they push out there.