Pederson taking it on the chin as Birds prep for the Cowboys
PHILADELPHIA » What a week it’s been for Doug Pederson.
Just days after walking back remarks that the Eagles would beat the Dallas Cowboys, he looked like a sleep-deprived wreck taking questions about the starting linebacker the organization put on the streets.
Dr. Phil couldn’t find a better guest to use on his show right now.
Explaining the coldhearted decision to release Zach Brown is the part of the job that Pederson can do without. But there the coach was Wednesday, taking one for the team because management no longer wanted Brown’s bravado around the locker room, according to sources.
Brown didn’t help himself calling quarterback Kirk Cousins the “weak link” in the Vikings offense. Cousins threw for 333 yards and four touchdowns to lead his team to a 38-20 romp over the Eagles.
The remarks absolutely factored into Brown’s release, per sources, although Pederson shook his head and murmured “no.”
“Obviously, we’re based on performance,” Pederson said. “I’m not going to get into a lot of whys as to why we did it. But we need more production there and that’s why we made the change.”
Eagles teammates viewed Brown in a different light. It was like something was ripped away from them.
“It’s tough,” said veteran Brandon Graham, who leads the Eagles with four sacks. “I sent him a message right away. I wasn’t surprised. I’ve been here 10 years. I know things happen. I was just like there’s got to be something to it. So, I never question it. Things just don’t work out sometimes. I wished him well. I told him ‘you never know what the future holds. We might be able to play again together but go out and kill it.’ And I know he will.”
Pederson also tried to spin the release as a case of the Eagles wanting to see more of their young linebackers like T.J. Edwards and Duke Riley. He downplayed the importance of numbers at the position, explaining that the Eagles use two linebackers much of the time.
That said linebacker Nigel Bradham (ankle) is dayto-day. And the Cowboys, who entertain the Eagles Sunday evening, are about to find the going a little less tough because Brown is a run-stopper.
It’s not a coincidence that with Brown in the lineup, the Eagles have allowed just 3.4 yards per carry and 73.5 rushing yards per game, figures that rank second in the league.
For all of Brown’s coverage liabilities, no Eagles linebacker did a better job of taking on blocks leading to tackles for loss. The Eagles have dropped opposing ballcarriers for a loss on 26 of 128 rushing attempts. The 20.3 percent success rate for the very disruptive stat leads the league.
This doesn’t seem to be a great time to get rid of the man in that the Cowboys are 4-0 against the Eagles in games played by running back Zeke Elliott, who has rushed for 100 or more yards in three of them. That’s the hand dealt to Pederson.
Then there’s the locker room, where the impact of Brown’s termination still was ringing Wednesday.
“I was bummed because Zach’s one of my good buddies,” said linebacker Nate Gerry, who leads the Eagles with two interceptions. “I thought he was a good teammate. He helped me out a lot. He’s obviously a different style player but I learned a lot from him. Any time a good buddy and teammate gets cut it’s sad. But the week goes on. I don’t know why the decision was made. It’s above my pay grade. All I know is he was a great teammate and I wish him nothing but the best.”
It would surprise no one if Pederson felt remorse for Brown. After all, Pederson is the one who spouted out on the WIP Morning Show how the Eagles were “going down to Dallas and our guys are going to be ready to play, and we’re going to win that football game, and when we do, we’re in first place in the NFC East.
“We control our own destiny. We’re right where we need to be.”
Pederson will be happy to know his players are with him on all of those counts.
“I like it,” offensive tackle Lane Johnson said. “Everybody needs to be behind him, back him and go play. That’s how everybody’s mind set should be.”
Said Graham, “I understood what he was saying.
“We go out there each and every Sunday and we want to make our coach look good as well as ourselves,” Graham said. “You’ve got to have that confidence. He’s got confidence in us. I know he does because we go for a lot of stuff (on fourth down) and we stay aggressive. We’ve just got to make sure we have his back. And I know we will.”
Add it all together and you’ve got a gut check for both the Eagles and the Cowboys, a pair of struggling 3-3 teams battling for the NFC East lead.
The Cowboys, losers of three straight games, somehow are three-point favorites while the Eagles are second-guessing their own professionalism.
“Nobody’s safe, man,” Graham said. “Don’t ever get comfortable because there’s always somebody out there wanting your spot. You’ve got to make sure you stay hungry and make sure you treat people right and just be you. Don’t let this job stress you.”
The same goes for the head coach.