The Philadelphia Eagles have lost three games in a row and are now 3-7-1.
It’s worth mentioning that the Eagles still are in playoff contention given the abysmal NFC East performances this year.
Coach Pederson and the Eagles won the Super Bowl just 3 short years ago, but Pederson doesn’t know how long he will be coaching the Eagles.
Doug Pederson asked about his job status.
"I haven't been reassured one way or the other."
He says his relationship with owner Jeffrey Lurie "is good". They have weekly meetings. Pederson says Lurie hasn't given his opinion on QB changes.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) December 1, 2020
What Has Changed?
1. Carson Wentz
Some alarming stats on #Eagles QB Carson Wentz, via @NFLResearch… including having one of the biggest dropoffs in NFL history compared to his passer ratings from the previous 3 years pic.twitter.com/grIH7nZJ8G
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 1, 2020
During the 2017 season, QB Carson Wentz was a superstar.
Had he not gotten injured, he would have been in the running for NFL MVP.
When he went down, the Eagles were 11-2.
He was an accurate passer and a good runner.
In 13 games, Wentz completed 265 passes for 3,296 yards.
He threw 33 TD passes and only 7 INTs.
Since then, he hasn’t come close to 33 TD passes.
In 2019, he had 27 TDs in a full 16 game regular season.
Essentially Coach Pederson is working with a shadow of what Carson Wentz once was, and no one knows if there are cumulative or lingering injuries, or what is causing his change in play.
But Pederson himself is a former QB, so it would be reasonable to assume that he could help Wentz with whatever the issues are.
2. Frank Reich
Diehard Eagles fans will tell you that the Super Bowl victory is largely attributed to then offensive coordinator Frank Reich.
Many believe he designed better plays for Wentz (and ultimately Foles).
The argument makes sense because Reich left to become the head coach of the Colts right after the Super Bowl Championship.
3. Players Past Their Prime
The major players on the offense are now over 30 and have become injury-prone.
Jason Peters is 38 years old.
Zach Ertz was Wentz’s go-to guy in 2017, catching 8 TDs and accumulating 824 yards in the regular season.
He is now 30 years old and is hampered by injury.
Alshon Jeffrey is also 30 years old and hasn’t been the same either.
He arrived in Philly in 2017 and experienced a career resurgence with 9 regular season TD catches and 3 more in the postseason.
Lane Johnson is also 30.
The Eagles lack elite star players in their 20s.
4. No Brilliant Trades
In that 2017 season, the Eagles made what turned out to be a genius trade with the Dolphins to get RB Jay Ajayi.
Ajayi was brought in to pick up some of the slack because Darren Sproles suffered season-ending injuries in Week 3.
And Ajayi did a great job.
Where Are The Draft Picks To Help Fill The Holes?
Monday Night Football analyst (and former Philadelphia Eagles Director of Pro Personnel) Louis Riddick said:
“If this team ultimately doesn’t win, this isn’t just a Doug Pederson problem. Let’s just go back and look at the past 5-7 drafts. Tell me where the impact players are. Tell me where the Pro Bowlers are. Tell me where the guys are that are making the difference around Carson.”
Riddick is right.
In 2013, the Eagles drafted Lane Johnson and Zach Ertz.
Carson Wentz was drafted in 2016.
That’s the sum total of Pro Bowlers the Eagles have drafted in the past 8 years.
Ultimately, winning can cure all this season.
Pederson’s future could be secure if the Eagles start winning games and can get themselves into the playoffs.
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