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Eagles talk: Are there 5 NFL coaches that are better than Doug Pederson?

By Geoffrey Knox

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: Head coach Doug Pederson of the Philadelphia Eagles raises the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: Head coach Doug Pederson of the Philadelphia Eagles raises the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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How many NFL coaches can you name that are better than the Eagles’ head man, Doug Pederson?

Maybe, one day, the rest of the NFL universe will figure it out. For Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson respect has been hard to come by, and that’s been the case regardless of what he’s done. Let’s take a look at some of what he’s accomplished in two seasons.

In his first campaign, he led Philly to a respectable 7-9 record with a roster that was depleted by his predecessor, Chip Kelly. In his second season, he won the Super Bowl. None of that completely tells the story however.

Let’s dig a little deeper.

Some of the loudest criticism of Coach Pederson came early in the 2017 season when Mike Lombardi blasted Philly’s head man publicly.

Here’s a quote:

"He might be less qualified to coach a team than anyone I’ve seen in my 30-plus years in the NFL. Pederson was barely a coordinator before he became a head coach!"

We’ll stop there. Coach Pederson responded briefly to Lombardi’s comments. Lombardi, rather than retracting his statement, defended his comments. There’s never been any official word about whether or not Lombardi served as some added motivation for Pederson. What we do know is Pederson battled injuries in key areas all season.

He also helped his franchise quarterback, Carson Wentz, make a major leap in his second season. He’d lose his MVP candidate, install Nick Foles and lead his team to home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. That led to the first-ever Super Bowl victory and Lombardi Trophy in Eagles history.

Then, the league saw fit to give the AP NFL Coach of the Year award to Sean McVay, a man who didn’t even win a playoff game.

The disrespect continues.

Recently, NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison ranked all 32 head coaches, and the winner of last year’s Super Bowl couldn’t even crack the top five.

Here’s Harrison’s explanation:

"Winning the most recent Super Bowl sure doesn’t hurt. Pederson managed what could have been a calamitous situation, MVP-in-waiting Carson Wentz going down late in the regular season and produced a winner with journeyman Nick Foles at the helm. Pederson’s trust in his players and the confidence he placed in Foles cannot be underestimated. He became the first head coach since Mike Tomlin in 2008 to win the Lombardi Trophy before his third year on the job."

Pederson cracked the list at number eight. Finishing ahead of him was his mentor, Andy Reid and Mike McCarthy. They finished at number seven and number six respectively. John Harbaugh, Mike Tomlin, Pete Carroll, Sean Payton and Bill Belichick round out the top five.

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What’s this guy going to have to do to get the proper credit? Harbaugh and Tomlin over Pederson? Seriously? The 2018 season is approaching, and the Eagles are gaining more bulletin board material as days go by. They’ll never admit to it, but it’s there if they choose to use this as some added motivation.

Pederson only needs to continue doing what he’s doing. The credit will come, maybe.

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