High-flying Philly:
Pederson’s aggressive style won game for Eagles
The Eagles were aggressive to the end behind coach Doug Pederson’s calls in claiming their first Super Bowl title.
MINNEAPOLIS – All week, the Philadelphia Eagles had this air about them.
They weren’t foolishly cocky. They definitely respected the opponent that awaited them. They in no way said or did anything to take away from the greatness of the New England Patriots.
But they knew that they, too, had something special deep within them and that they had no reason to doubt their capabilities as they prepared for one of the league’s greatest dynasties.
So when they found themselves down to the Patriots with mere minutes left in the fourth quarter and facing fourth down around midfield, the Eagles did what they always do. They didn’t flinch. They converted — as they had at a league-leading rate all season long, and they marched downfield and scored.
When their defense faced the tall task of stopping legendary Tom Brady with two minutes remaining, the Eagles again delivered: strip-sack, fumble recovery deep in Patriots territory.
And charged once more with stopping Brady with 65 seconds left while holding a 41-33 lead, the defense again overwhelmed the future Hall of Fame quarterback to secure the win.
And when the clock ticked to zero and Philadelphia secured a huge Super Bowl upset, the Eagles players exuded elation as they sprinted onto the field and embraced with confetti raining down, but not an ounce of surprise.
Underdogs throughout the postseason after weathering the loss of a franchise quarterback, all-pro left tackle, starting running back and middle linebacker, the Eagles refused to wilt.
They remained resilient. They remained confident. They remained aggressive.
Call it a trickledown from the top.
Doug Pederson didn’t care that he was going up against Bill Belichick, the greatest coach and master of in-game adjustments of all time. He didn’t let the pressure overwhelm him or force him to go out of character as many Eagles opponents have.
Instead, Pederson remained just as aggressive as ever.
“That’s who he is,” tight end Zach Ertz said. “Coach Pederson has been aggressive since the moment we started the season, and he’s always going to be aggressive. That’s why I love playing for him.”
Players say Pederson still carries himself with the swagger of a pro quarterback. That swagger is reflected in his play calling.
He has developed a reputation for aggressive and unconventional approaches, his gambles on four downs, and his use of college concepts into the pro game. Some would describe Pederson as a gambler or risk-taker. But he disagrees. He doesn’t just throw stuff out there, rolling the dice. His mind-set: You stay ahead of the defense by executing the unexpected, and you prepare for those situations rather than relying on luck.
Even after he masterfully orchestrated a script that rendered the league-leading Min-
nesota Vikings defense toothless in the NFC Championship Game, Pederson’s game-planning skills remained underrated.
But no one will ever overlook him in this department again, not after he continually remained just one step ahead of Belichick to lead for three-plus quarters and then overcame a deficit to secure the Lombardi Trophy.
Pederson went on the attack from the start. He immediately helped his quarterback and supporting cast settle into a rhythm with a diverse attack that featured quick-hitter passes, a healthy dose of the run, misdirection plays and carefully planned deep shots downfield.
The Eagles during the first half boasted an impressive 5for-8 showing on third downs while compiling 107 rushing yards and 215 passing yards.
Pederson showed his aggressive tendencies as he went for two on the Eagles’ second touchdown of the game, disregarding the conventional school of thought that the first quarter is too early to go for two. The attempt failed, but Pederson didn’t let that diminish his aggression, as a later Trey Burtonto-Nick Foles touchdown showed.
But Pederson’s true test came in the second half. It’s not unheard of for Patriots foes to experience early success. Even the Jacksonville Jaguars and their limited quarterback Blake Bortles did so in the AFC Championship Game. But Belichick’s squad routinely comes out after halftime — opponents’ weaknesses and tendencies pinpointed, adjustments made — and flip the script.
Conversely, Patriots opponents tend to get conservative when holding second-half leads, and that proves costly.
But that wasn’t the case for Pederson.
“He told us all week, ‘I’m going to be aggressive, you know, and do everything that I can to make sure we keep our foot on the pedal,’ ” wide receiver Nelson Agholor said.
The Patriots did make key adjustments at halftime. At one point in the second half Brady was 12-for-15 for 181 yards and three touchdowns, and those heroics gave the Patriots a 33-32 lead (their first of the game) with half a quarter left, which signaled the usual breaking point for New England opponents.
But because Pederson is always aggressive, the Eagles players didn’t feel any desperation.
Facing fourth-and-1, down 33-32 with 5:39 left to play, Pederson went for it, of course. Others might have punted and asked their defense for a stop and the ball. But that’s not Pederson’s style. During the regular season, the Eagles went for it on fourth down 26 times (second most in the NFL), and they converted on 17 times — tops in the league.
So when the Patriots stopped Torey Smith for no gain on third-and-1, Foles and his offensive teammates didn’t even take a step toward the sideline.
Foles went to trusty Ertz for 2 yards and the first down, and just like that, the Eagles had their mojo back. Three plays later, Foles threaded the needle to Agholor for an 18-yard gain that put the ball in New England territory.
A short time later, with just more than two minutes left on the clock, rather than try to milk more time, facing third down from the 11, Pederson went for the score — and the lead — rather than a first down. Foles connected with Ertz, who dived into the end zone.
“He kept his foot on the pedal,” defensive end Chris Long said of Pederson’s play calling. “We learned from last year, watching — well, I was a part of it — but people getting conservative and not knowing when to run it, not knowing when to be aggressive. But not Doug. Our offense carried us in the second half. It was a bit of a bumpy road for us. But eventually we knew we could get a stop when they had to push it downfield.”
Two defensive stands and a field goal later, Pederson & Co. completed their mission, delivering to their championshipstarved city the most unlikely of happy endings. But was it unlikely? The Eagles and their coach will say of course not.