Philadelphia Eagles: Doug Pederson has ‘no issues’ with Isaac Seumalo
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson doesn’t have any issues with left guard, Isaac Seumalo. Not yet, at least.
The Philadelphia Eagles had a rough game against the Atlanta Falcons last week. There was plenty of blame to go around. Many pointed out their frustrations towards cornerback, Ronald Darby. Others were losing their minds over Nelson Agholor’s worst drop to date.
As expected, many were blaming quarterback Carson Wentz because he was trying to play too much hero ball. But how do you not play hero ball when your left guard is performing like the worst offensive lineman in football?
That’s right, Eagles’ left guard Isaac Seumalo literally graded out as the worst blocker in all of football last week, according to Pro Football Focus. Many noticed his struggles while the game was playing, but when you go back and re-watch, it’s much worse than you would expect.
We can’t say we’re surprised. After all, Seumalo got benched for the same issues just two years ago. Although he’s looked better in a handful of games, Seumalo is still wildly inconsistent. And when he’s bad, he’s not just bad — he’s absolutely atrocious.
After seeing what Seumalo has put on display last week, many believe that a benching could be in order sooner than later. However, Doug Pederson doesn’t seem like he’s there yet with the left guard. Earlier in the week, Coach Pederson instilled confidence in Seumalo’s progress over the years and believes that he will turn it around.
What happens next?
“I have the utmost trust in him,” Pederson said according to Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski. “He’ll make the corrections from the other night, he’ll move on. He’s a pro about it. He’s a professional at practice, and he’ll correct it, and I have no issues with him.”
At this point, you have to wonder — how short is Seumalo’s leash? Two years ago, he was benched right after Week 2, when he put on a similar performance against the Kansas City Chiefs. This time around though, there’s not really a replacement immediately available.
Back in 2017, Stefen Wisniewski took over for Seumalo and did a fine job. However, some strange mystery went down behind the scenes, which caused Wisniewski to fall out of favor for the left guard job the following year. Therefore, he was tried out at center this offseason. As we know, Wisniewski did a lousy job in the preseason and wouldn’t survive final cuts.
Next. Eagles must trade for Jalen Ramsey at all costs. dark
Wiz is one call away, but the Eagles likely won’t bring him back to play beside Jason Peters again. Halapoulivaati Vaitai tried out at guard this year but hasn’t had the opportunity to play on the left side at all. That means that Seumalo will surely receive a second chance.
However, he must be on a short leash. As Carson Wentz already has his hands full with fewer weapons in the passing game, the least the offense could do is keep him protected for the most part. Seumalo needs to get it together quickly. Or else the Eagles need to find a replacement.