Dave Uram
Dave Uram is a contributor for Philly Influencer.
A serving of crow is cooking in the background. I was very wrong about Eagles head coach Doug Pederson.
Back in January, I considered the Eagles head coaching search to be one of the worst in sports history. I sat at the microphone at 94WIP one overnight and predicted the Eagles would hire Pederson and doom the franchise.
The one-time laughing stock of an Eagles quarterback wasn’t a favorite for the job, but I had a gut feeling Jeffrey Lurie was looking to return to “The Andy Reid Era” and Howie Roseman wanted a “Yes Man.”
Pederson probably wasn’t their first choice, but I guessed correctly and thus maintained low expectations.
I was hoping for the experienced Tom Coughlin, who could be a nice bridge coach during a rebuilding stage. But, there’s no way the 70-year-old would start a rookie quarterback. I was entertained by the introductory press conference Hue Jackson gave in Cleveland. I’m sorry, who’s his quarterback?
I’ll admit, the guy who was a high school coach eight years ago is a pleasant surprise. It’s hidden in the shadows of Wentz-a-mania.
Wentz’s rookie success is almost unprecedented, but his talent was never questioned. By all accounts Pederson did very little in Kansas City, then gave that head scratching explanation about why he mismanaged the clock against the Patriots in the playoffs last year. Trailing by two scores, he wanted to keep the ball out of Tom Brady’s hands. Immediately alarms went off as Pederson appeared to be Reid 2.0.
But Pederson’s 2-0 start included guiding a rookie quarterback with little preseason action to success, making aggressive and unpredictable play calls, making adjustments, listening to people and handling the clock beautifully. The Eagles lead the NFL in average time of possession. Yes, it matters, Chip.
Off the field, Pederson handled the Sam Bradford mini-holdout, Nelson Agholor and Nigel Bradham situations very well. There’s no rumors about behind the scenes issues as there was with Chip Kelly. The players constantly praise Pederson for his ability to relate.
Have there been moments where Pederson says one thing and Wentz or his coordinators say another? Sure.
Does Pederson sometimes seem confused at his press conferences with what I like to call a “Pederson Pregnant Pause?” Absolutely, but less and less.
Minor flaws are easy to forget with wins and Eagles football being fun again. Pederson is likable and easy to root for. Kelly, albeit more interesting, was unlikable and too egotistic for his own good.
I guess it pays off to learn from guys named Shula, Holmgren and Reid, as well as Marino, Favre and McNabb.
In fairness, did Pederson’s two wins come against the Browns and Bears? Yes. But, I predicted Eagle losses in those games, even against Cleveland.
And even with this early season success, the Eagles will lose Sunday to the Steelers 27-17. Pittsburgh’s offense is too talented and I still believe the Eagles skilled positions around Wentz aren’t good enough. Sooner or later, those drops by Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor will come back to bite.
Let’s hope I’m wrong again.
Now, excuse me while I bite into this plate of crow. Keep the servings coming, Doug.