Somber Doug Pederson Compares Eagles to 2015 Kansas City Chiefs
Doug Pederson’s news conference the day after the Eagles were thumped soundly by their NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night was terse and somber, bordering on funereal.
Gone was the laughing, joking Pederson. In his place was a more serious head coach who talked about accountability and leadership and how he still has belief in his team even after it has been outscored 75-30 in the last two games.
Pederson harkened back to the 2015 season when he was the offensive coordinator for Andy Reid’s Kansas City Chiefs to prove that there is still hope in a season that has quickly gone off he rails. The Chiefs won 10 straight after that disastrous start.
“I see a lot of the same similarities where we are,” said Pederson less than 24 hours after the Eagles lost 37-10 in a primetime game. “We’re only 3-4 and we’re still a game out of first place in our division here with a lot of football left.
“Obviously the sense of urgency has to pick up from the standpoint of each week becomes a little more important, but we have the guys in the locker room, I got the coaches on this staff to get it done and that’s what well do.”
Pederson said that any sort of turnaround has to start with him.
Following Sunday night’s loss, right tackle Lane Johnson alluded to the fact that there may have been some players who were late to meetings and practice, but Pederson didn’t confirm any of those instances.
“I love the fact that they’re talking that way,” said Pederson. “It shows that that it means something to them and it’s important to them. Those are the little things that you carry it over into the work place. If an employee shows up late or is not on time for certain things, there are consequences for that.
“I’m not saying that’s happening, but using that as an example from the standpoint that it is a little thing, but it can magnify itself in a game, meaning you’re not going to pay as much attention to your assignment or alignments and different things. That kind of what’s creeping in a little bit. But it starts with me. That’s where I get to control that message and drive that point home.”
What held that 2015 Chiefs team together, Pederson said, were the players in the locker room.
Right now, however, this Eagles locker room seems to be fracturing with an anonymous player leak to ESPN’s Josina Anderson last week that was critical of quarterback Carson Wentz and Pederson’s game plans.
That anonymous source was identified by Howard Eskin as receiver Alshon Jeffery. Eskin is not an employee of the team but is a sideline reporter and flies with the Eagles.
Pederson refused to comment on that whether or not Eskin’s report was accurate. The coach said he spoke to the players in the locker room about leaking information, but chose not to elaborate on that conversation saying it was an in-house matter.
Agholor effort
It appeared that Nelson Agholor didn’t give much of an effort on a deep pass during the second half of Sunday’s game. Agholor didn’t seem to extend his arms on a pass that just missed being a completion by about a yard or two.
Pederson said he believed Agholor gave maximum effort on the play.
“I do,” said Pederson. “I go back to the Minnesota game and we had a chance to hit him down the middle. We’re just missing by about a yard or two on plays like that. But I felt like the effort was there.”
Injury update
Pederson had nothing new to report about existing injuries and expected return timetables regarding receiver DeSean Jackson , left tackle Jason Peters, running back Darren Sproles or defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan, but said that defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway is being further evaluated for an ankle injury he suffered against the Cowboys.
Ridgeway has been a bright spot stepping for the injured Malik Jackson and Jernigan.
