The Patriot way. It’s a phrase that has been thrown around the NFL for years now, used to describe the almost unbelievable coaching of Bill Belichick and the Patriots consistency to make it to and win the Super Bowl over and over again. But the era of Brady and Belichick is coming to an end and the passing of the torch has arguably already happened. The thing about the Philadelphia Eagles is that there is far more to this team than two names. In the last two years, the Eagles have endured a complete transformation and the end product is a Super Bowl ring. But while the change of talent on the field is one thing, the culture away from it is what really made the difference.
Think back to Doug Pederson’s first season as a Head Coach and the timeline of events that unfolded before the team had even taken their first snap against the Cleveland Browns.
Sam Bradford understandably took offence to the decision to trade up for Carson Wentz and as a result decided to make his statement by missing OTA’s. Shortly after OTA’s finished, Nelson Agholor would receive an allegation of sexual abuse, before Nigel Bradham had his own troubles with the law; first getting into an altercation about an umbrella, and then being stopped in an airport later in the season for possession of a firearm.
When the dust settled and Training Camp rolled around, the battle had only just begun. Pederson inherited a locker room of mixed acquisitions and remnants of the Chip Kelly era and the unrest was evident. Fletcher Cox and Darren Sproles held out for very different reasons. With a lack of starting talent at skill positions and a complete transition on both offense and defense, teething problems were bound to surface. But it seemed as if Doug Pederson was a substitute teacher, with his pupils all pushing the limits to see what they could get away with.
A physical Training Camp was taken up a notch under Pederson, as he attempted to re-instill methods of practice last seen under Andy Reid. The 10/10/10 format returned and live tackling was bought back into the fray. An element that resulted in an injury for Jordan Matthews, while Malcolm Jenkins, Marcus Smith, Marcus Johnson, Wendell Smallwood, and Nolan Carroll all missed time due to injuries sustained during the period. Heading into preseason, where Wentz would then pick up an injury against the Bucs, it felt as if every step forward that the team needed to take was met with an additional hurdle to overcome. Every question answered resulted in two more being asked.
Nelson Agholor and Brandon Brooks were to players who had mental hurdles of their own to overcome…hurdles that when made known to the team and the public, allowed Pederson to take appropriate action to provide every support option possible. This alone was a big turning point for the team. That emotional connection that Lurie spoke so importantly of at the start of the season began to shine through…further adding direction and a sense of family to a locker room that craved it.
“One of my favorite things about Doug is one of his biggest mottos, “let your personality show.” Trey Burton told me last year. “You don’t hear coaches say that very often. They don’t want crazy things to happen. Doug used to say that all the time and every time he would say that, to me personally it gave me peace. It would calm me down and let me be who I am, instead of being like a robot and trying to impress a coach who likes a tighter ship.”
Over the course of the next 12 months, Pederson and Howie Roseman would build a culture that every player would either buy into or be expelled from (Cc: Dorial Green-Beckham) and sign players to prove-it contracts who could inject leadership and a winning mentality to a young and hungry group. Alshon Jeffery, Chris Long and LeGarrette Blount are just three of the names signed who could come into the locker room with a sense of hunger and drive that when partnered with Pederson’s physical style of practicing, would bring the best out in everybody.
That culture rejuvenation continued throughout debatably the most undulating Eagles season of all time. With all the cards stacked against them, the team continued to find ways to win and do so in impressive style. We all know the narrative by now, but to overcome those odds again and again isn’t just coincidental and it takes a lot more than just on-field talent.
The character of every player inside that locker room was identical, the mindset the same. From a new wide receiver’s coach who ran the unit rugged through practices, to almost a reform in maturity, there were NO off-the-field controversies in the team’s Super Bowl winning campaign. Not one.
The last few years have been so filled with drama and distractions, that building a playoff competitor often took a backseat because stabilizing the roster was far more important. But here we are, with an Eagles team that’s went under the radar all year, going quietly about their business, not drawing headlines, not going out and getting in trouble, but are instead going out to Fargo and getting in some work with their quarterback.
But even during the midst of that incredible season, just look at the celebrations after every touchdown. The players were enjoying themselves. They weren’t pressured or feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders, they were playing for one another and that camaraderie transposed into celebration after celebration, warming the hearts of fans everywhere.
This entire shift can be personified with one sighing; Michael Bennett. One of the league’s biggest symbols for work in the community and charity contributions, word out of Seattle was that Bennett was a locker room cancer. But as opposed to alienating him for his belief in a justified world, Philadelphia is a team that carries personalities like Malcolm Jenkins and Chris Long. Players who can help that belief flourish into a positive influence, rather than a somehow negative one.
The Eagles aren’t just looking at talent when it comes to players. It comes down to heart, character, maturity, leadership. Things a wonderlic test or a combine cannot put a number on. The Patriot way of being Belichick drones is dying. The Philadelphia way of having fun, being yourself and letting your personality show? That’s just beginning.
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
