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Philadelphia’s 24-0 shutout victory over the Washington Redskins in Week 17 was Doug Pederson’s 51st game as Eagles head coach.
Why is that relevant? Ask Mike Lombardi.
“My beloved 76ers once hired a guy by the name of Roy Rubin from Long Island University. Poor Roy. He finished 4-47 before the Sixers canned him. 4-47! Years later, Fred Carter said ‘Letting Rubin coach was like letting a teenager run a big corporation.’
Hey Fred, meet the Eagles’ head coach, Doug Pederson! Now, everybody knows Pederson isn’t a head coach. He might be less qualified to coach a team than anyone I’ve ever seen in my 30-plus years in the NFL.
Pederson was barely a coordinator before he became head coach. Can you imagined if we elected a United States president who didn’t have any real training? Sorry, don’t answer that.
Look, the Eagles looked increasingly sloppy and unprepared as the 2016 season limped along. That ain’t changing in ’17.
Only Carson Wentz can save Pederson’s job, and Wentz actually got worse during his rookie year, not better.
When will the Eagles admit their mistake? Will they throw away 2017 by stubbornly sticking to the Pederson Principle?
The immortal Roy Rubin lasted 51 games. I bet Doug Pederson lasts way less than that.”
In fairness to Lombardi, he personally apologized to Pederson earlier this year. But it’s still worth pointing out that Pederson made it to 51. Sunday’s wild card game against the Bears in Chicago will make it 52.
Since being hired by the Eagles in January 2016, Pederson is 32-19 with the Eagles (including playoffs). He became the first head coach to bring a Super Bowl to Philly in just his second year with the team.
And now Pederson has his guys ready to attempt another run in 2019.
One must consider: the Eagles easily could’ve folded earlier this season. After getting blown out 48 to 7 in New Orleans, a 4-6 Philadelphia team found themselves down 19 to 3 at home to the Giants. Feeling sleepy from a Super Bowl hangover, the Eagles could’ve quit.
But they didn’t.
Instead, the Eagles went 5-1 down the stretch and made the playoffs, becoming the first NFC East team to go to the postseason in back-to-back years since Andy Reid’s Eagles last did so in 2010.
Doug Pederson’s guys play hard for him. Why? Because he’s a good coach.