Philadelphia Eagles versus Washington: 5 Matchups to watch in Week 1
54. . . . Doug Pederson vs Ron Rivera. 4. player
Two friends match wits as the Philadelphia Eagles meet Washington in Week 1.
While both are disciples of the great Andy Reid, Ron Rivera’s coaching experience exceeds that of Doug Pederson’s. When these two shared the sideline as Eagles, it was 21 years ago in 1999. Doug was actually still in his playing days, and Coach Rivera was Philly’s linebackers coach.
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As head coaches, they’ve locked horns twice with Doug Pederson’s Eagles taking the measure of Ron Rivera’s Carolina Panthers on a Thursday night contest in 2017 and Rivera’s squad returning the favor in come-from-behind fashion one year later.
One is the defensive-minded head coach. The other is the mad scientist on offense. It’s strength versus strength in this one, and being that neither coach has had the benefit of seeing his team test itself versus real competition from another roster, parts of this one might look like a preseason game.
It may sound relatively cliche, but this one might come down to coaching. Don’t be surprised if this one unfolds like a chess match with a call or two being the deciding factor. We know that both of these brilliant head coaches love to gamble.