The Linc - Appreciating Doug Pederson

Oct 1, 2022 - 2:55 PM

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Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

An ode to Doug Pederson - PhillyVoice
Credit to Foles for going supernova for three weeks in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl. Credit to the way every player on the Eagles’ roster contributed during that championship season. Credit to Pederson though, the worst head coaching hire in decades allegedly, for taking the most counted out, underdog squad in the NFL in my lifetime to the promised land. Pederson unlocked something in Foles. It felt like the two were in perfect sync. For two nights in winter 2018, it was as if this was the next Bill Walsh-Joe Montana combo. Once Foles reappeared to save the day in the 2018 season, Pederson had him balling out yet again. Pederson had Foles throwing for 962 yards with a quarterback rating of 108.4 while going 3-0 to end that year before another upset playoff win. They were pure magic together. I hated this narrative that Pederson was some buffoon figurehead whose staff did all the heavy lifting turning Foles from an afterthought to a Super Bowl hero. “It was all Frank Reich! It was all John DeFilippo!” Kudos to Reich for helping bring the Lombardi Trophy to Philly, but that guy is on the hot seat in Indianapolis. Since Reich left as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator following the Super Bowl win, he has the same exact number of playoff wins as Pederson (one). Pederson’s new Jaguars team, by the way, crushed Reich’s Colts 24-0 in Week 2. DeFilippo was fired midway through his first season as the Vikings’ offensive coordinator in 2018 and is currently not coaching in the NFL.

Tanks for everything: Doug Pederson returns to face an Eagles team to which he gave much - Inquirer
Pederson’s initial lightheartedness was refreshing for an organization coming off drama-filled three seasons with Chip Kelly as coach. He was approachable, and players appreciated his openness.“One of Doug’s biggest strengths was making the players take ownership of this,” center Jason Kelce said. “I really think he did a good job of making players and staff largely feel like they had their hands on making the team.“First of all, he was a fun guy to be around. He asked for your opinion. He made me feel valued as an employee.”Jake Elliott recalled their chats before field goal periods when Pederson would focus on their shared passion for golf. He’d like to relate the kicker’s swing to how he booted a football, but he also knew a lot, Elliott said, about the intricacies of the discipline as a former holder. Pederson, a former reserve quarterback, often relied on his playing career as a means to connect with the locker room. His jocular personality made him relatable. He tried to keep it light, from ice cream treats to kicked trash cans, all the way to an improbable Super Bowl run in only his second season.But mostly it was his genuineness, even as the Eagles failed to sustain that level of success, that appealed to players. “If I had bad days, he would tell me the truth. If I had good days, he’d tell me the truth,” tackle Jordan Mailata said. “So he was always honest with me. There weren’t any secrets.”

Eagles-Jaguars Game Preview: 5 questions and answers with the Week 4 enemy - BGN
1 - Old friend Doug Pederson has the Jags off to a good start! What’s your impression of him so far? Likes and dislikes? [...] Honestly, I am personally becoming a big fan, thus far, and I think many Jaguars fans feel the same way. That is due in large part to Pederson’s efforts to try to change the losing culture in Jacksonville. It’s also thanks to the schemes and game plans Pederson and his staff have drawn up to maximize what this team does well. He is an aggressive play-caller, particularly on fourth down. He is also helping quarterback Trevor Lawrence unlock his full potential, which bodes really well for the trajectory of this team. There is still a lot to prove, obviously, and the Jaguars are still in rebuild mode (for like the 15th year in a row, outside of 2017), but it seems like Pederson has expedited that process. He has his players bought in, and although it’s a young team, it is a very confident group. As far as dislikes, obviously there are some things that need to be shored up, and there are maybe some players I would like to see get more opportunities (particularly Tyler Shatley on the interior of the offensive line on a more rotational basis, although the o-line has held up really well over the past two games), but nothing really major sticks out to me yet. As far as I know, he is still beloved by Eagles fans after bringing the city its first Super Bowl championship. It is easy to see why an entire fan base can get behind him.

Eye on the Enemy #109: Gus Logue joins to talk about Dougie P’s return + key matchups - BGN Radio
John Stolnis talked to Contributor for Big Cat Country, Gus Logue, about Dougie P’s return, whether the Jags are actually good and some key matchups. Also, John touches on the Tua concussion and the Dolphins’ handling of it, and previews top games around the league to watch this weekend.

Jaguars vs Eagles: Eye on the enemy - Big Cat Country
This is a revenge game for Pederson, who was ousted by the franchise after coaching it to its sole Super Bowl title. And defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell was on a Buccaneers staff that limited Jalen Hurts in two meetings last season. The Jaguars will need its coaching staff now more than ever, because the roster matchups in this game present problems. The Eagles’ run defense hasn’t been outstanding to start the season, but they boast serious firepower up front. Handling defensive tackles Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, and Jordan Davis will be a tall task for rookie center Luke Fortner and third-year left guard Ben Bartch. On the other side of the ball, Jacksonville is well aware of former Titan A.J. Brown’s abilities, and his running mate DeVonta Smith reminded the world of his talents last week.

NFL Betting 2022: 5 mispriced player props in Week 4 - PFF
Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles: Under 45.5 Receiving Yards vs. Jaguars (-121). Goedert is certifiably “a dude,” so there’s no disrespect here whatsoever. He’s just facing two dudes on the other side of the ball leaving the mismatches for Philadelphia elsewhere. Devin Lloyd and Foye Oluokun have combined to be the sixth-highest graded linebacker corps in the NFL so far. Lloyd has two picks and four pass breakups already while Oluokun has yielded all of 84 yards in coverage all season. Because of that, no tight end has gone over the 45.5-yard mark against the Jaguars yet this season. I’m betting on that not changing this weekend.

Predicting NFL Week 4 upsets, plus weekly buzz, notes - ESPN+
What’s your top upset pick for Week 4? Graziano: Jaguars (+6.5) over Eagles. Look, I don’t understand in what universe the 49ers should be favored over the Rams on Monday Night Football, but assuming that obvious error corrects itself by the time that game kicks off, I’m going to roll with Trevor Lawrence in the Doug Pederson revenge game in Philly. I like everything about what the Eagles are doing and the way Jalen Hurts is playing, but they’re obviously not going undefeated, and the Jaguars come in hot. Lawrence is playing well, the Jags have a defensive front that could give Hurts and the Philly offense some trouble, and I say they keep it rolling Sunday.

In Roob’s Observations: A new way for Hurts to win football games - NBCSP
1. The Eagles on Sunday did something they hadn’t done in four years. Something Jalen Hurts had never done. They won a football game without running the ball. The Eagles never got untracked on the ground in Washington, finishing with 30 carries for just 72 yards and a 2.4 average – lowest of the Nick Siriani Era. The Commanders crowded the line of scrimmage, daring Hurts to beat them with his arm. And he did, throwing for 340 yards and three touchdowns. It was the first game the Eagles won with fewer than 75 rushing yards since the 2018 playoff game in Chicago and the first time they’ve won with a rushing average that low since a game against the Panthers in 2014. That’s huge for Hurts and huge for this team because it shows Hurts can win a game throwing the ball when a defense forces the Eagles to be one-dimensional. Hurts has won a lot of games since the middle of last season working the passing game off an explosive ground attack. But for him to go out there and win a game – a division game on the road on a short week – without the benefit of an effective running game is another sign of growth for the 24-year-old QB.

Unscripted: Inside the 2022 Season | Episode 3 - PE.com
Get an exclusive look inside the Eagles’ 3-0 start, featuring Jason Kelce’s elbow rehab plus one-on-one interviews with Jalen Hurts and Darius Slay.

NFL Week 4 bold predictions: Lamar Jackson shreds Bills; Devin Lloyd for Defensive Rookie of the Year! - NFL.com
Jacksonville linebacker Devin Lloyd is making an early case for Defensive Rookie of the Year. After nabbing an interception in back-to-back games, the first-round pick takes it to the next level on Sunday against the Eagles. In picking off Jalen Hurts, Lloyd joins my former teammates — cornerbacks Brian Williams (2007) and Rashean Mathis (2006) — as the only players in Jaguars franchise history with an interception in three consecutive games. DUUUUUVAL!

NFC East Week 4 preview: Cowboys hope to keep pace with Eagles - Blogging The Boys
However, there’s also potential fools gold in the Eagles’ record. None of the Lions, Vikings, or Commanders are currently viewed as NFL elite. And while Philadelphia’s big victory margins the last two weeks speak well for them, they arguably haven’t faced a major test yet.

Will Ron Rivera Get to See Out His “Five-Year Plan”? - Hogs Haven
And the secondary - you know, the one that was gashed last year by chunk plays? YEAH, we’ll draft a safety in the fourth, a corner in the seventh, re-sign Bobby McCain and call it a day! How bout that offensive line - yes, the same one that Pro Football Focus has been touting since last year? Well, we let the first 1st Team All Pro lineman we’ve had in decades leave via free agency. Fans seemed fine with this because Scherff was WAY too expensive and never plays a full season due to injury. The problem was what we did to try and replace him. Of course, in the name of comfortability, the great GM Ron Rivera brought in another has-been former Panther in Trai Turner, who looks like he spent the entire offseason eating anything he could get his hands on while trying to boost his overall rating on Xbox, On the left side of the interior offensive line, we yet again parted ways with a productive player in former tackle-turned-guard Ereck Flowers. How did Ron choose to replace him...? I’ll take bargain basement bin shopping for $500 Alex (a tribute to the great Trebek). Yep, you guessed it - another former Panther has-been in Andrew Norwell! Let’s not forget we let free agent Tim Settle walk for peanuts and cut the productive (yet injury-prone) Matt Ioannidis. All preseason, I tried to remain optimistic about these moves, but my fandom can only go so far when the early returns haven’t looked promising.

Giants-Bears final injury report: Aaron Robinson to return, Leonard Williams out again - Big Blue View
After playing in 114 straight games over 7+ NFL seasons, New York Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams (sprained MCL) will miss a second straight game on Sunday. Williams headlines the list of five Giants who have been ruled out of Sunday’s Week 4 game against the Chicago Bears. Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (knee) will miss a third straight game, and wide receiver Kadarius Toney will miss a second straight game. With Sterling Shepard having been placed on IR, the Giants currently have only four healthy wide receivers. Cornerback Cor’Dale Flott (calf) will miss Sunday’s game. Fortunately for the Giants, cornerback Aaron Robinson will return to action after missing two games following an appendectomy.

The Dolphins have more questions to answer about Tua Tagovailoa’s head injury - SB Nation
Early in the second quarter of Thursday night’s game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Miami Dolphins, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa dropped into the pocket to throw. Cincinnati defensive tackle Josh Tupou burst through the Miami defensive line and got to the quarterback, spinning him to the turf for the sack. In the process, Tagovailoa’s helmet bounced off the turf at Paycor Stadium, and it was immediately apparent that the quarterback had suffered an injury. Tagovailoa’s hands drew close to his face, and the passer stayed on the turf as his teammates and later medical personnel rushed to his aid. Tagovailoa was taken off the field on a stretcher, and the Dolphins announced he was being transported to a nearby hospital for further evaluation. The team’s social media account noted that he was conscious, with full movement in his extremities.

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