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As we do every month during the regular season, this week we’re starting another series of approval polls to gauge Eagles fans’ takes on the people in charge of the franchise.
This morning we’re going to ask you what you think about the job Doug Pederson has done as the team’s head coach.
The last time we checked in on your thoughts on Pederson, in early November, he barely had support from half our readers.
Now, his future is very much in question, even if it shouldn’t be.
It’s been a contentious week for Doug Pederson. His team has lost six of its last eight games, and with the squad in full-on regression mode, fans and media types alike have been arguing over whether the first-year head coach deserves a second year.
On one hand, Pederson has been handed a loaded deck. He lost numerous starting offensive linemen, he had to get cut of one of very few viable offensive weapons, and his defense, once an advantage, has turned into one of the least effective units in the league over the past few weeks.
He’s also had to figure out how to turn a rookie into a quarterback strong enough in his first 12 games as a professional to lead a team to the playoffs. After a stunningly strong start, Carson Wentz has returned to Earth and is playing like a rookie. Which is, you know, how rookies are supposed to play.
However, there remains the reality that the Eagles have seemed to not be giving optimal effort the last few weeks. Against a Bengals team lacking its best player, they were absolutely shredded. They barely looked like a competitive NFL team. The offense is placid, the defense is reeling, and even the special teams isn’t what it was during the first half of the season.
Has Pederson lost the locker room? It’s near impossible to gauge such a subjective and vague question. It’s fair to ask whether he’s been as effective as he needs to be over the past few weeks. If the Eagles lose out to finish the season, his effectiveness as a head coach should be evaluated in a very real way.
But the Eagles as a franchise have never fired a coach after one season. I doubt they start now.
Do you approve of the job Doug Pederson is doing as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles? Vote now in the poll below and leave your thoughts in the comments.