BEFORE ANDY Reid hired Jim Johnson to be the Eagles' defensive coordinator in 1999, Johnson had had just one previous opportunity to run his own defense in the NFL.
That was with the Indianapolis Colts in 1996-97. It wasn't exactly a rousing success. The Colts won just 12 games in those two seasons and Johnson's defense finished 18th and 25th in points allowed respectively.
I mention this not to besmirch the reputation of Johnson, who is one of the best defensive coaches in NFL history, but to show that even the very best football coaches aren't magicians.