Philadelphia Eagles: Here’s where Kelly and Reid edge Pederson

Andy and Chip’s Philadelphia Eagles did something Doug’s didn’t.

If you find yourself in a conversation about the last ten years of Philadelphia Eagles football, and the subject of running backs or rushing yards comes up, you might be surprised about the direction the story goes in. Don’t be surprised however if you find yourselves talking about coaching regimes and which one was the most productive in that aspect.

Think about it. Can you guess which of the Eagles head coaches posted the most yards from 2010 to 2019? Well, if we look from a numbers standpoint, it was Doug Pederson. If you’re looking at averages, Andy Reid stands alone.

Truthfully, Chip Kelly shot himself in the foot by trading one of the best running backs of a generation and in the franchise’s history before trading for one that was past his prime and using him in areas that didn’t exactly play to his skill set.

Another look at the numbers tells you that, over the past ten NFL seasons, Doug Pederson is the only Eagles coach during that time that didn’t field a 1000-yard rusher. Andy Reid and Chip Kelly both had two seasons where they had someone accomplish that feat twice.

The NFL might be known now a “passing league” but the rushing game is an integral part of the offense as it takes the pressure off the quarterback, makes the offense more balanced, and adds another way of moving the ball down the field, chewing the clock, and keeping defenses honest.

Let’s take a lot look at three rushing attacks under three head coaches over the last ten seasons of pro football and answer a question. Can Doug Pederson finally field a 1000-yard rusher?