The Philadelphia Eagles are now officially Doug Pederson’s team

The Philadelphia Eagles are one win away from the Super Bowl thanks, in large part, to head coach Doug Pederson.

The Philadelphia Eagles have endured a season mired by injuries but built stronger through faith. When the team lost key players such as Jason Peters, Darren Sproles or Carson Wentz, they didn’t quit; instead they rallied. Last night, when the Atlanta Falcons looked like they were going to take over the momentum, the Eagles found their way. Head coach Doug Pederson was the teacher all along.

One of the most common complaints during the Andy Reid era was always the lack of adjustments. That simply was not the case last night. Whether it was Nelson Agholor‘s 21-yard rush on third down and three or how the Eagles rediscovered Alshon Jeffery at the end of the first half, the team made plays based on excellent play calling. Rookie kicker Jake Elliott made a 53-yard field goal that brought the Eagles to within a one point deficit entering halftime. This was after the rookie kicker missed a crucial extra point miss. Once again, quitting was not in the Eagles vocabulary.

The Eagles weren’t to be denied.

As the second half began, the fans inside of Lincoln Financial Field realized this was a different Eagles team than the first half. The defense didn’t allow a point in the second half. Most importantly, completions and Nick Foles became synonymous again. Fundamentals took the place of mental errors. Most importantly, the critics and the haters, of which there are many, were silent.

All week leading up to last night’s game, the focus of conversation was Foles. The 21 other starters on the Eagles and irrelevancy were interlinked. No one in the national media wanted to talk about the Eagles third down defense (the Falcons were held to 4-for-13 on third downs). The Eagles boasted the best run defense in the NFL, but no one wanted to discuss that (the Falcons rushed for only 86 yards). No one wanted to give the Eagles running backs credit, but the Eagles ran for seven key first downs.

Philadelphia Eagles

Perhaps most importantly, the Eagles found yet another way to win without franchise quarterback Carson Wentz. Heading into the game against the Los Angeles Rams, the Eagles were Wentz’s team. The shunned MVP candidate was the highlight of Philadelphia. It’s time to acknowledge that this isn’t Wentz’s team. This is Pederson’s team. It always has been.

The leagues most unqualified coach gets a win.

Pederson made the adjustments necessary for a win. He challenged a critical catch and won. Pederson decided to kick a field goal when his offense was facing a fourth down and goal inside the two yard line. This decision seems straight forward if you ignore the entirety of the Eagles season. While each decision in the postseason carries increased scrutiny and importance, Pederson handled it like a chiseled veteran.

Now it’s on to the NFC Championship game. The Eagles will most certainly go into that game as an underdog, so Lane Johnson and Chris Long will get their money’s worth out of their masks. However, the Eagles, regardless of how Las Vegas views them, go into the NFC Championship game confident. Their head coach has fought for them every step of the way. He’s done everything we, as fans, have ever wanted from the head coach. Regardless of how next Sunday’s game turns out, this team is set up for the future, not because of Wentz, but because of Pederson. It’s deservedly his team, and Eagles fans should be ecstatic about that.