The 2020 Philadelphia Eagles have been an absolute disaster from top to bottom. Every move the Front Office has made has ended up imploding, the coaching staff has been unable to scheme up a winning formula, and the player’s execution has been downright terrible. But would firing Doug Pederson really solve anything?
With the stench of failure seeping deep through the roster, the thought of the Eagles moving on from their current coaching staff and front office is becoming more of a reality by the week.
Changes need to be made.
While moving on from Eagles GM, Howie Roseman may very well give the Eagles some much-needed help in the draft and free agent process, I believe firing Doug Pederson (and Jim Schwartz for that matter) will be a grave mistake.
Here are five reasons why Doug Pederson needs to remain Head Coach after this nightmare of the 2020 season is over.
1. He hasn’t lost the locker room
We can argue all we want about how lifeless the Eagles offense has looked over the course of the 2020 season. Brandon Graham’s comments after the teams 23-17 loss to the Seahawks on Monday Night are evidence that Doug Pederson, nor Jim Schwartz have lost the trust of their players.
Eagles fans should know when players have quit on a Head Coach. It happened five years ago:
2. Doug’s Power is Overrated
In 1996, then-Patriots Head Coach, Bill Parcells resigned after his team made the Super Bowl and gave his reasoning with a very popular quote:
“If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries.”
Pederson does not have final say on drafted players like his mentor, Andy Reid. He doesn’t make the decision on who to pick up in free agency.
That power rests solely on Howie Roseman.
And Roseman’s track record with draft picks has been absymal:
We can blame Doug Pederson and Jim Schwartz for the development of players, but at some point it has to start with the head honcho. Doug doesn’t make roster decisions – Howie does. A prime example was with Rasul Douglas and Sidney Jones.
The Eagles needed corners after two straight years of injuries in the secondary. Roseman cut both players even though Jones showed signs of life in 2019. They are now thriving in Carolina and Jacksonville. That’s not a Doug Pederson decision – that’s a Howie Roseman decision.
Blame the coaches all you want, they aren’t the main issue here in Philadelphia.
3. Giving up Play-calling is now on the table
Honestly, if Doug Pederson didn’t give up play-calling and kept his head in the sand that his play-calling had become stale this article wouldn’t be written today.
The fact that Pederson is willing to give up play-calling means that he understands what his mentor has done before: giving people other opportunities to call plays may jump-start the offense.
It may not even work to save the 2020 season. But it shows that Pederson is willing to change, and if he’s willing to change, he should be given another year to right the ship.
It also needs to point #4….
4. HIRE AN ACTUAL OC FOR CHRIST SAKES
Hey, remember when the Eagles had a legit offensive coordinator who helped Doug create gameplans for an offense that was one of the most unstoppable in the league in 2017? Man do I miss Frank Reich.
Ultimately the idea that surrounding Doug & Carson Wentz with 15 different offensive assistants only complicated the offense further and it’s lead to an indecisive QB, and an offense stuck in the mud.
With Doug willing to give up play-calling now, the chance to hire a legit offensive mind can do wonders for this offense. With Doug willing to share the wealth, a college coach like Graham Harrell would be more inclined to come in and fix this offense.
5. Giving up on him now is stupid
It’s not like the Eagles have missed the playoffs the last three years since they won a Super Bowl Doug Pederson and the team won a playoff game the next year, and made it back to the postseason in 2019. These years unfortunately happen. The team has been decimated by injuries for two years now, and he has a GM trying to get him to do whatever he wants. There are reports like this out:
And this:
People forget history way too often. Sean Payton made the playoffs three straight years after winning a Super Bowl in 2009. What happened next?
Three straight 7-9 seasons.
Let’s stop overreacting to this miserable season. Changes need to be made, but moving on from Doug Pederson, will spell disaster for this organization for years to come.
(Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
