The Philadelphia Eagles announced Tuesday that they have fired embattled defensive coordinator Juan Castillo (right). (US Presswire)


Someone had to pay the price for the Philadelphia Eagles’ disappointing start, and even though a struggling offense has been the biggest problem so far, it was defensive coordinator Juan Castillo who lost his job.

Coach Andy Reid made that announcement on Tuesday morning and also said that he’s promoted secondary coach Todd Bowles to Castillo’s old position.

Reid heard a lot of skepticism and even criticism when he hired Castillo as defensive coordinator before last season, because Castillo had been an offensive line coach for more than a decade and he had never coached on the defensive side of the ball in the NFL.

“I put Juan in this situation and things didn’t work out the way I hoped,’’ Reid said. “I take full responsibility for putting him in that situation.’’

Reid said the defense started the season well, but regressed the last couple of weeks and that prompted his decision.

“I started seeing some trends come back that I wasn’t really happy about,’’ he said. “I had to trust my instincts on this.”

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Philadelphia Eagles from blogger Kevin Noonan, follow @CBSEagles.