It’s time to face a reality that no one knew would come so soon. There’s no way to avoid what seems to be inevitable at this point. Let’s face it, the Eagles haven’t been the same team since the big Super Bowl win and there are very clear reasons as to why.
The quarterback play was phenomenal. It was so good that the team didn’t have to rely on the defense for anything except for keeping the lead but even then, the offense still managed to run up the score. The culture was contagious, it was a buyers market and everyone wanted in on it. Many believed that the presence of Frank Reich and John DeFilippo had a huge impact on that – they were right.
The season after the big win, the duo took promotions elsewhere and the void left behind was a big one. Pederson was fully on his own with a young QB who was on the cusp of greatness.
It doesn’t matter how long Pederson has been the head coach, the fact of the matter is that a new era was kickstarted after that iconic win. The new norm was born and fans were besotted with whatever that meant. Since then, Doug Pederson’s record as a head coach is 21-19-1. That record though has been covered up by the Eagles’ ability to make the playoffs each year, but they haven’t made much noise when getting to the dance.
Of course, the record could also depend on the quarterback play but quarterback play is also very dependent on many things such as play-calling, playmakers, and discipline. Carson Wentz has only one of those three which is already handicapping him each week. Now, this isn’t a get out jail free card for the Eagles franchise QB, but a realization that Doug Pederson and Carson Wentz need a change.
The Eagles can’t move on from Wentz and I doubt one bad year is going to convince them to do so but they can move on from their head coach and it may be heading in that direction. The biggest hint may be the fact that Lurie strong-armed Doug into firing Groh last season one day after he said he’ll be returning. Lurie was definitely the brains behind hiring this offensive panel as well that hasn’t panned out either.
The Eagles are in a tough position right now because everything that’s wrong with Wentz is fixable but everything that’s wrong with Doug can’t be fixed unless the Eagles head coach does the fixing himself. Doug has shown an incredible amount of attitude and sass towards the media this season and at times it’s for good reasons but a majority of the time it’s just childish. Pederson also threw his QB under the bus early on instead of laying out a plan to fix things. I understand that no head coach wants to reveal any information to the media but the information being revealed isn’t helping the cause.
Recently a report came out about Wentz’s poor practice habits and while that’s a tell on Wentz it’s more of a tell on the culture that’s been lost due to the stubbornness of the head coach. Doug hasn’t been the same since last season and it’s very evident, but how much more of this can the Eagles allow being seen?
The Eagles have the 2nd most expensive roster in the NFL and their numbers don’t support what they’ve invested. Howie Roseman has made plenty of bonehead splashes in the offseason that haven’t panned out at all. DeSean Jackson is once again injured, Malik Jackson is injured, Will Parks isn’t playing much, and Javon Hargrave is a role player. His drafting has been even more questionable and if the Eagles aren’t careful, Jalen Reagor could be a repeat of Nelson Agholor. A player who was misused and destroyed by the media with a change of scenery being the only saving grace.
The next couple of matchups will reveal what the brain trust of the Eagles is thinking. If they let Pederson go, they have several options for a new head coach that are young and innovative. They can fit well and bring Carson back from the grave he’s been buried in. If they don’t move on from Doug Pederson then Eagles fans may have to face the reality that’s being presented to them: the new norm was a spur of the moment idea that had no real foundation behind it.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
