Pederson pushing Birds to pump up the work ethic
PHILADELPHIA » When training camps were training camps, Rich Kotite interrupted an awful Eagles practice at West Chester University with a goal line drill so brutal that had it been attempted today, everybody would have been ejected or fined.
It was clear from the way players limped off the field that August day he’d gotten their attention.
Doug Pederson, his Eagles reeling from a threegame losing streak, tried the modern allowable version this week with a mere practice in shoulder pads.
While Pederson claimed the physical get-together was scheduled for a while you could tell from his explanation it was a now-ornever wakeup call for his
5-7 team, which has four games to prove at least part of its mettle.
“You get to see their reaction,” Pederson said before practice Saturday. “I stand up here and go, ‘Hey, guys, we’re going to be in pads today,’ and they’re like ‘uhhh,’ or they are like, ‘ahhh’ type of thing. Guys responded extremely well. I was really pleased and really happy with the way we practiced on Thursday. Energy level was high and that’s what see. That was exciting.”
The Eagles need to play like they’re wearing pads Monday night when they host the New York Giants
(2-10), who have lost eight straight games yet have nothing to lose.
It’s not as if the Eagles have had to prepare for a new quarterback.
Eli Manning, all 38 years of him, formally was named the starter Saturday as rookie first-round pick Daniel
Jones was listed as out on the official injury report.
The Giants also will be without tight ends Rhett Ellison (concussion) and Evan Engram (foot), safety Jabrill Peppers (back), linebacker Chris Peace (knee) and cornerback Corey Ballentine (concussion).
The Eagles will be without linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill (concussion), a vital contributor on special teams and will probably be without running back Jordan Howard (stinger), who hasn’t played since the week before the bye.
Additionally, wide receiver Nelson Agholor (knee) and defensive end Derek Barnett (shoulder) are questionable.
Pederson reiterated that he doesn’t think the absence of Howard has dreadfully impacted the running game. Armchair quarterbacks have noted the Eagles are 0-3 without Howard. They’re also 0-3 in games where the opposition has scored on them with trick plays.
If Barnett can’t go, that would be a problem because he’s done a good job of tracking Manning. Barnett has 4.5 sacks. Josh Sweat
(3 sacks) and Vinny Curry
(2) would get more snaps if Barnett is scratched. The Eagles also could roll in Genard Avery, Daeshon Hall and/or rookie Shareef Miller.
“We have guys that can fill that role, even fill the tackle spot as well,” Pederson said. “We have options there.”
As far as those rugged practices in pads, Pederson’s options are somewhat limited. He can hold just two more the rest of the regular season.
“I think you keep them your pocket for when you want to use them,” Pederson
said. “I do look at the schedule and I look at the last six and when are those breaks. If there is a Thursday game in there and we’re coming back for 10 days, I would use one the following week. This was one of those weeks Sunday to Monday when guys had some time off. Next week is a shorter week, obviously.
“So, I’m definitely not going to go in pads next week. You have to be smart with them, especially this time of the year. At the same time, you want to maintain that physicality, pad level, all those things that are fundamental to our game.”
Physicality, pad level or whatever it is, the Eagles need to bring it Monday night. They’re neck and neck with the NFC Eastleading Dallas Cowboys (67), who are in dire need of a practice in pads.
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NOTES » Eagles wide receivers have caught just
117 of 210 passes (55.7 percent), the third-lowest percentage in the league. The NFL average is 61.8 percent. Worse, the wide receivers are a league-low 25for-54 targets in the fourth quarter (46.3 percent). The good news is the Giants play almost no defense on wide receivers. … Speaking of pass catchers, the Eagles are 2-2 in games where a player gets 100-or more yards. DeSean Jackson and Zach Ertz hit the century mark in wins. Nelson Agholor and Alshon Jeffery both had 100-yard games in defeats. … Ertz leads all tight ends with 70 receptions. … The Giants average 19.2 points. They’re
2-25 (.074) when scoring less than 22 points since the start of the 2017 season . ... Eagles veteran Malcolm Jenkins has three interceptions, including a
34-yard pick-six, in his last three home games against the Giants. … Speaking of picks, the Giants are 0-23 in their last 23 games in which they haven’t intercepted a pass.