No matter what they try to do, Eagles just cannot win

PHILADELPHIA — Coach Doug Pederson may not have lost his Philadelphia Eagles players after three games in this abomination of a season.

But it sure was obvious by the end of Sunday’s excruciating 23-23 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals that his players have lost him.

By the end of a haphazard contest that more closely resembled a game between startup middle-school programs, Pederson had lost all faith in quarterback Carson Wentz, his entire offense, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and maybe even himself.

His decisions at the end of regulation and overtime proved beyond any doubt that the tall, husky man with the visor and headset on the sideline of Sunday’s game was a completely different person than the one who pondered the suggestion of the “Philly Special” for only around 2 ½ seconds before calmly and confidently making the call that night in Minneapolis to cap the 2017-18 season.

That Doug Pederson no longer exists, having been replaced by a lookalike in body only.

This Doug Pederson didn’t have the courage to let Wentz punctuate an 11-play touchdown drive that the quarterback capped with a marvelous, 7-yard improvised scramble that cut Cincinnati’s lead to one point with 21 seconds remaining.

He went for one point there instead

of two, likely traumatized by having already watched Wentz throw six interceptions, including two in this game, and absorb 11 sacks in a season that wasn’t even three full games old.

Pederson claimed he felt better about the offense’s chances in overtime than he did in a winner-take-all play at that moment.

He was unconvincing.

“I did consider it [going for two],” Pederson said. “But I also felt like the way our offense was playing down the stretch, [having] battled to get ourselves back in position, [with] Carson in overtime [I] felt comfortable there to just kick the extra point.”

In truth, he was paralyzed with fear. And perhaps for good reason.

This Doug Pederson didn’t have conviction that his defense would prevent a loss after deep reserve guard Matt Pryor’s ghastly falsestart penalty with 19 seconds remaining in overtime pushed kicker Jake Elliott out of fieldgoal range.

So instead of having Elliott attempt a 64-yarder, which wouldn’t have been outrageous given Elliott’s leg strength and the calm weather conditions at Lincoln Financial Field, or instead of sending his offense back out to try for a first down on fourth-and-17, he sent the punt team out instead.

In other words, Pederson played not to lose, likely traumatized by witnessing the Bengals convert a thirdand-15 on their way to a killer fourth-quarter field goal and take advantage of blown coverage to score two easy touchdowns earlier.

“We didn’t want to give them the ball toward midfield or even [take] a chance to go for it on fourth down and long, incomplete pass, something like that,” Pederson said. “They get the ball, short field, they could kick a field goal and win the game.”

Call it Battered Coach Syndrome.

It’s a hopeless feeling that can take hold when nothing works anymore, which certainly is the case for the Eagles.

Nothing works. Not their depleted offense. Not their confused defense. Not even their normally reliable special teams.

No matter what the Eagles do or how hard they try or what players they use, it’s clear after just three weeks that they just can’t win.

And deep down, their coach knows it.

At 0-2-1, the Eagles already have played two of the worst teams in the league. And it will only get more difficult from here.

Not only did they lose wide receiver DeSean Jackson (hamstring), tight end Dallas Goedert (ankle) and cornerback Avonte Maddox (ankle) to game-ending injuries, but they failed to take advantage of numerous momentum advantages in overtime to put themselves (and the Bengals) out of their misery.

As a result, they are forced to carry their emptiness across the country next week to face the defending conference champion San Francisco 49ers. Then they visit the Pittsburgh Steelers before hosting the Baltimore Ravens. Can you say “0-5-1?”

For a team that just can’t win, it’s more than a reasonable thought.