One Loss and Rumors about Doug Pederson Already Begin to Swirl
PHILADELPHIA – Lose one game in a cynical city like Philadelphia, and this is what happens – rumors begin about the job security of Eagles head coach Doug Pederson.
On Thursday’s NFL Draft Insider’s Podcast, Pro Football Network Insider Tony Pauline mentioned that there are some in the league who feel Pederson may have reached his limit and it will be a struggle for the Eagles from here on out.
“There are some rumblings from people inside the league who I spoke with earlier this week who feel that Doug Pederson may have reached his limit,” sources told Pauline, who stressed that this was not his opinion nor one he shares nor on he is rooting for because he likes Pederson as a coach and person.
Sources went onto tell Pauline that, “Doug Pederson may be stressed out a little bit. Basically, it’s not going to get any better for Doug Pederson.”
The Eagles’ loss in Washington was eye-opening for how a 17-0 lead evaporated, a game plan that seemed to lack any sort of ingenuity, and how physically dominated the Eagles were against the Washington defensive front.
It was also curious the way quarterback Carson Wentz finished the answer to a question from SI EagleMaven on Wednesday when asked why there weren't more rollouts in the game plan to get him away from Washington's all-day-long pressure.
Wentz gave some reasons, such as the flow of the game and not staying ahead of the chains.
He then added: "It’s always one of those things where you come out of the game and you wish you might have done this differently or whatever. But as players, we gotta execute the play when it’s called. If it’s not executed properly or well, sometimes you get away from those things."
He ended his answer with this: “I don’t know fully the right answer.”
That could be translated many ways, one of which could be that it was a veiled criticism at Pederson and his game plan or lack of in-game adjustment.
In an interview on Wednesday, Pederson appeared beleaguered and tired, almost looking as if he spent the night with a limited number of hours sleeping his office on the couch or in a chair.
It would seem a stretch that, after one game, the sky is falling, especially because the Eagles’ defense is ranked No. 1 overall after that one and only game to date.
“It’s only Week 1 for us,” said defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. “You can’t listen to the outsiders. You can’t listen to anybody. The guys in that locker room, as I say every year, we believe in each other.
“Nothing else matters what goes on outside of that locker room. We have to go play on Sundays with the guys in that locker room…Whatever outsiders think, they think. We know the talent and the group of guys we have in that locker room.”
Pederson was hired in 2016, won a Super Bowl in 2017, and signed a contract extension in 2018 that runs through 2022.
He has a 42-29 overall record, with three straight trips to the playoffs and two NFC East titles on his watch.
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