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Will Eagles run through rain?

Inquirer staff writer Don McKee writes in his Morning Sports report:

The whole world (well, the whole area) is watching to see if Andy Reid's commitment to the run will last longer than Kevin Kolb's tenure as a starter.

According to the Weather Channel's Web site, weather.com, it'll probably be raining at game time tonight when the Eagles host the Cleveland Browns. A balmy but cloudy 64-degree day will give way to showers in the evening, which will become a steady, light rain. The temperature will drop to 48 and the winds will be from 10 to 15 m.p.h.
You're getting all this scientific information because most fans are convinced Reid only ran the ball last week in Giants Stadium when a strong wind made passing suicidal.

In more balmy weather tonight, Reid seems likely to return to the frenetic passing attack that led to a 5-5-1 record before Thanksgiving.

So here's a reminder to Coach Reid from Tom Thayer, the former Notre Dame guard who went on to play nine seasons in the NFL, including the Chicago Bears' 1985 Super Bowl team.

Thayer is a color commentator on Bears' broadcasts for WBBM-AM in Chicago.

"If you don't have a run game, you can't have the deception of the play-action pass," Thayer told the South Bend Tribune. "If you don't have the run game and you don't have the deception and threat of the play-action pass, the ability to have the regular, normal third-down passing game is going to be even more difficult."

Thayer said he doesn't understand why teams don't run more often, so the offensive linemen can fire off the ball and "use the snap count as a weapon."

"These guys spend a lot of time in the weight room developing strength," he said. "And if you don't let them use their strength in the most confident manner on the football field, there's no reason to sit there and develop this strength."

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