Eagles' Search for Answers Continues

Not even the bye week or relatively good health could solve their problems, and, most alarming, is head coach Doug Pederson doesn't seem to know why

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Doug Pederson came from the Andy Reid coaching tree, but one thing Pederson can’t do is win a game coming out of a bye, which was a specialty of Reid’s during his 14 years in Philadelphia.

So why should we be surprised that Pederson’s Eagles looked out of sync going 0-for-9 on third down, undisciplined, committing 11 penalties for 74 yards, and just plain sloppy and unprepared Sunday at MetLife Stadium?

Pederson was asked to explain a 27-17 loss to the New York Giants, their first win over the Eagles in four years, with a team at mostly full health and coming off a week of rest and self-scouting. He struggled to do it.

“It’s hard to explain because you go into the game feeling really good, we’re getting some guys back, feel fresh and ready, have a good week of preparation then you know…listen, it came down to execution, it came down some decision making on my part,” he said. “We all had a hand in this one. It had nothing to do with effort, intensity, it had nothing to do with that.”

There may never be an answer for how poorly the Eagles played on Sunday, for a defense that surrendered two touchdowns the first time the Giants had the ball and an offense that had three points at halftime.

To find that answer would be to find the answer to the entire season, because that has been the theme all season long, fall behind early then try to play catch up. Sometimes it works, most times it doesn’t.

The Eagles are sitting 3-5-1 with a slate of games against five teams who are a combined 30-12 after Sunday’s early round of games.

Maybe it is time for Pederson to give up some of the play calling. Perhaps GM Howie Roseman should step in and mandate that.

Chicago Bears’ GM Ryan Pace did that with Matt Nagy, stripping him of the play-calling completely and turning it over to Bill Lazor.

Except who would call the plays, and wouldn’t that signal the beginning of the end for Pederson in Philadelphia?

There needs to be an answer somewhere, though, doesn’t there?

VIDEO: Jalen Mills talks about the mood of the team

Foolishly, there was the expectation among many that the Eagles would look like a different team coming out of the bye, and that quarterback Carson Wentz would magically become his 2017 self.

Well, Wentz played a turnover-free game, but he didn’t have any touchdown passes, either. He completed just 21 of 37 throws for 208 yards. Mostly, he credited the Giants’ defense afterward.

“That’s a good defense over there,” said Wentz several times. “They made it hard on us. We definitely made it tougher on ourselves, left some plays out there, didn’t execute enough.”

That’s not an answer.

The hope among the fan base was that Pederson and his staff would go into a think tank and come up with some new plays.

As if...

It was just more of the same old, same old without any creativity, not a single jet sweep or screen pass, and nothing inventive for Jalen Hurts.

Hurts ran two play in the Eagles’ 27-17 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday. He fumbled the shotgun snap on one and, in another (yawn) read-option look, he was stopped dead in his tracks for a one-yard loss.

Hurts is two-for-two passing the ball, yet Pederson and his staff refuse to let him do more of it in his very small package of plays. In fact, it might be time to shelve the Hurts experience altogether if that’s all they’re going to do with him. It’s become so predictable and so easy for defenses to stop.

Pederson was pressed again for an explanation of the disappointing performance.

“I think it takes everybody,” he said. “I think it takes intensity in practice, I think it takes everybody being on the same page, I think there’s a work ethic, there’s pride and guys saying enough’s enough. … There’s still a lot of pride left in that locker room. Guys are mad, guys are upset, I’m mad that we lost this game.”

He isn’t alone.

“We put the work in throughout the week, so it should reflect,” he said. “Once you close your eyes and you wake up in the morning on Monday you have to let this go, come to work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday pissed off. We have the Browns coming up this week and we have to handle them for sure.

“Everybody’s frustrated, not just the coaching staff, the players, too, the whole building, everybody’s frustrated. It’s not just one single person or one individual group the message is to bring your hard cap to work. That’s it.”

Maybe that’s the answer - tougher practices.

Who knows?

Pederson should know, but the fact that he doesn’t seem to is a major concern.

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