Philadelphia Eagles: Doug Pederson is making his team put some OT in

It looks like the Philadelphia Eagles are putting in a little overtime.

Welcome to the worst week of any NFL season, one where the Philadelphia Eagles don’t have a game to play. Then again, if you’re like most ‘Birds’ fans, you’re probably in agreement with what’s becoming a very familiar mindset. Everyone knows that missing an Eagles game is out of the question, but these days, watching this team play feels more like torture than a release. Maybe we all need a break.

Two straight gut-wrenching wins are in the books. Week 9 means Philly has a bye scheduled, but it appears that the ‘Birds’ are going to be working a little overtime. Head coach Doug Pederson spoke with the Philly media on the Monday following Week 8’s win. Here’s a quote:

"I will give players and coaches some time at the end of the week to relax and sort of get away and spend time with their families like we normally do. We’re going to bring the players in on Wednesday. Want to work with the players, and we’ve got to get better. This is the time where we can look at the first eight games and really self-scout and evaluate and find ways to improve all three areas of our team. It’s also a chance to get some guys healthy and prepare."

Coach went on to say that the team would meet on Wednesday as the first Tuesday of November was Election Day (as you all know). Coaches worked from home as players like Rodney McLeod were among several Philadelphia Eagles who were on the frontline around the community encouraging people to vote and make their voices heard.

So for now, it appears that week off for the Eagles means a few trips will have to be scheduled for later on in the week or during the upcoming weekend. Here’s more from Coach.

"The season, it’s a marathon. It’s long, right? It’s not a sprint. You don’t sprint to the finish. Are we where we want to be? Yeah, we’re (in) first place in the NFC East, but at 3-4-1, it could easily be the other way, right? It could be 4-3-1 or 5-3 or whatever it could be, but there’s a lot of positive that we see as coaches on the inside that give us the encouragement and the opportunity to get better as a team."

That’s all fine, but for the Philadelphia Eagles, more is required.

What seems to be forgotten in all of that is this. Let’s hope some adjustments are made in terms of scheme as well. If you haven’t noticed, there isn’t a ton that’s being done on either side of the ball that is leading to consistent production, other than throwing one deep and hoping for a pass-interference call.

To be frank, no one knows what Rich Scangarello or Marty Mornhinweg do to help this team in terms of preparation or planning, but whatever they do, it’s time for results. All of these extra film or practice sessions won’t mean anything if this team keeps lining up with five wide receivers on fourth down when the worst-ranked rushing defense is on the other side of the ball. No, you weren’t the only person who noticed that.