Ryan leads unbeaten Falcons over Eagles 30-17

PHILADELPHIA — Asante Samuel just wanted to give his former coach a little love.

Andy Reid turned him away.

Too bad for Reid his Eagles couldn’t do the same to Atlanta’s offense.

Matt Ryan threw touchdown passes on Atlanta’s first three possessions against the Eagles and new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, and the Falcons remained the NFL’s only unbeaten team with a convincing 30-17 win over Philadelphia on Sunday.

Samuel, who played four seasons with the Eagles, had every reason to puff his chest after the Falcons raced to a 7-0 start for the first time in the franchise’s 47-year history.

Reid had no desire to wish him well, the outspoken Samuel said. In the postgame locker room, Samuel mimicked Reid waddling away from him during the handshake.

“I was like dang, Big Red, what I did?” Samuel said. “So I just pat him on the belly a little bit. That big belly.”

Reid has a pretty big target after the latest Eagles’ debacle left him pondering his next big move.

The Eagles lost for the first time since Bowles replaced embattled Juan Castillo as defensive coordinator, a sign that personnel, as much as play-calling, is at fault.

“You don’t go from the outhouse to the penthouse in one week,” Bowles said. “Right now, we’re in the damn outhouse.”

In a desperate purge, Reid dumped his loyal coordinator.

His next move, perhaps, could be changing his quarterback. Reid softened his usual staunch defense of Michael Vick and said every Eagle after this “embarrassing performance” was being evaluated.

Vick was a pedestrian 21 of 35 for 191 yards and a touchdown, and failed to beat his former team in his second start against the Falcons since returning to the NFL in 2009.

“Whatever decision Coach makes, I support it,” Vick said. “The thing I know is, I’m giving it everything I’ve got out there when I step on the field. Deep down, as long as I know I’m doing that, giving it everything, that’s all I can ask out of myself.”

Philadelphia’s struggles are no longer Samuel’s concern.

“We’re 7-0 over here baby,” Samuel said. “If I was over there now, they have to go to work.”

The Eagles (3-4) lost after a bye for the first time in 14 games under coach Andy Reid since 1999.

“That was an embarrassing performance,” Reid said. “I’m stating the obvious. We need to get better. I need to do a better job. This is fixable. We have the talent.”

Reid’s Eagles have lost three in a row after starting 3-1.

Jets under fire

The Eagles aren’t the only team considering a quarterback change.

Rex Ryan and the New York Jets also fell to 3-5 Sunday with a 30-9 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Ryan said he is sticking with Mark Sanchez as the Jets’ starting quarterback, but adds the coaching staff will look at “everything” during the bye week because the team has “no wiggle room.”

On Sunday, fans were chanting for Tim Tebow to replace Sanchez. Ryan says Sanchez is “our guy,” and believes the fourth-year quarterback still gives the Jets the best chance to win.

Ryan acknowledges that he and his coaches will explore how Tebow can be used more after the versatile backup saw minimal playing time during the season’s first half.

The Jets have games at Seattle and St. Louis after the break, followed by a home game on Thanksgiving against New England.