Has Doug Pederson been placed in an impossible situation?
We should all do our best to be patient (even if we don’t want to be).
Exactly how long is Doug Pederson‘s leash? The former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback saw his career come full circle last season as he returned to the city he once played in and served as an assistant coach in with the hope he could resurrect a struggling franchise as its’ head coach.
Year one:
His first season saw high and low points but, ultimately, ended no better our worse than many of us predicted. After 16 games, we had learned nothing we didn’t already know. The Eagles had found their quarterback. They had some pieces in place. They had proven to themselves and their fans they can compete with anyone.
It’s just going to take a few more things to happen before close losses turn into wins.
The dark cloud following Pederson:
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What truly aggravated fans was mental mistakes, lackluster play at times and bad play calling. Those things always place a target, whether fair or unfair, on the head coach.
Following a three-game winning streak to start the season, Pederson was the toast of Philadelphia. For the majority of the rest of the season, especially following each of the team’s nine losses, he was normally criticized for what wasn’t happening.
Something needs to be realized quickly. There’s a very big chance that, if you’re one of the people who see the Eagles as having a shot at being playoff contenders in 2017, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment.
What’s even more frustrating for the Philadelphia sports fan is, in a city with a professional franchise in all of the major sports, none of the city’s teams are consistently showing their fans a reason to get excited.
The silver lining ( kind of):
When Pederson arrived, this team had what will soon be a career journeyman at quarterback. There were questions about seemingly every position outside of tight end. The coaching staff was shaky. The fan base was weary. In all of that, this team showed promise.
Moving into year two, it appears not much has changed. Every other team in the NFC East seems to be capable of beating the Eagles, and they all seem to be getting better every time we take a look up. The Eagles have many of the same holes they had a season ago. That had some believing they aren’t improving.
There’s a very big chance this team could go into 2017 asking three cornerbacks, who would collectively have one year of NFL experience, to be difference makers. If things go bad, a strong possibility, the impatience with Pederson will grow.
What the Eagles can’t do is become these other NFL teams who have no stability. You can’t change coaches and quarterbacks constantly and expect to be successful. You can’t panic after every loss or get to high after a win. Building a winner in Philadelphia will take time. Once Pederson has the tools, let’s re-visit this argument and re-assess him at that point.
Until then, we’ll try to be patient and enjoy the process.