Getty Eagles tight end Zach Ertz dropped two big passes Sunday versus Miami, including a possible touchdown catch.
Blow it up. That seems to be the purveying wisdom as it pertains to fixing the Philadelphia Eagles.
Look, there’s no denying the fact the team is broken. Is it irreparable? Maybe not. According to their head coach, the changes will start with the veteran leadership in the locker room. He has no intention of firing anybody right now.
“I think everything that is … it’s all self-inflicted,” Doug Pederson said. “Even the plays that they made, our players were in a position to make those plays; we just didn’t. They executed; we didn’t. So that to me doesn’t deserve any kind of shake-up.”
Meanwhile, there have been reports from outside the organization that major changes to both personnel and coaching could be on the horizon. Pederson doesn’t want to hear it. He intends to stay the course.
“We’re not throwing in the towel. We have a lot of football left. We have a great opportunity,” Pederson told reporters. “From my standpoint leading the football team and then challenging the leaders of the team to really embrace this time and to really challenge the guys and say, ‘Hey, we have four games left, a month of this season.'”
Who is on the hot seat? Expect “significant changes” to #Eagles staff barring any kind of lengthy and miraculous playoff run, per @mortreport
Eagles Need Veterans to Lead the Team
One of the overarching messages coming out of South Philadelphia on Monday centered around the Eagles’ ability to “control their own destiny.”
It may sound cliche, but it’s oddly true. All they have to do is run the table: win four games and punch their playoff ticket. There hasn’t been a lot of finger-pointing during their current three-game losing streak and there can’t be any moving forward. A locker room divided against itself cannot stand.
“This team needs to continue to work every single day and come to work with the right frame of mind, check egos at the door,” head coach Doug Pederson said. “Let’s come to work, get ready for the New York Giants. We have another great opportunity this week.”
It’s seemingly the opposite of what has transpired in Dallas. After the Cowboys lost to the Bills on Thanksgiving, there were reports of a crazed locker room where players were yelling and shouting at each other. That has never been in the Eagles’ DNA.
“I think everybody handles it, controversy, a little bit different,” Pederson said. “So I can say certain things here in front of you all, and then when I address the team it’s a different tone.”
Head Coach Leaves Door Open for Personnel Changes
There won’t be any wholesale changes to the coaching staff before the end of the year. At least, that is the bill of goods Doug Pederson has been selling the media. But, the head coach didn’t rule out the possibility of making personnel tweaks.
There really aren’t many moves to make, other than benching ineffective players (for example, Nigel Bradham or Ronald Darby) or reaching for wasted talent on the waiver wire (for example, Kevin White or Antonio Brown). Remember, Pederson was critical of struggling cornerback Sidney Jones earlier in the year and eventually made him a healthy scratch.
Doug Pederson Presser Recap:
– This is the biggest challenge for the #Eagles leadership this week
– No major coaching, personnel shake-ups to send message
– Focus problem, not effort problem
– Confident that this team will continue to push forward w/ playoff chance
Are there any immediate changes he could make on the personnel side of things?
“We have time to deal with that, so obviously we’ll take a look,” Pederson told reporters. “But as of right now, today, no.”
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