Eagles bought into Pederson’s process
Second-year coach has earned respect of players, Belichick
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — One reason New England is favored over Philadelphia in Super Bowl LII is because of the mismatch at coaching: Bill Belichick vs. Doug Pederson.
Belichick had won three Super Bowls as the Patriots’ coach when Pederson began his coaching career in 2005 at Calvary Baptist Academy, a private high school in Shreveport.
Pederson retired as a player after 14 seasons, mostly as a backup quarterback, and returned to Louisiana, where he played at Northeast Louisiana, to coach.
Like Belichick, Pederson learned football at an early age from his father, the late Gordy Pederson, who coached in a kids’ league for 20 years.
‘A tough-love mentality’
Belichick learned from his father, Steve Belichick, a longtime assistant coach at Navy.
“It was a tough-love mentality,” Pederson said about playing football for his father, who died in 2016. “He had high expectations for me and my brothers, and I imagine he coached us different than he did the team.
“Having the relationship my dad and I had, it was positive and uplifting, but at the same time, he wanted to make sure we were doing things the right way.
“If we weren’t, we’d hear about it. He’d come right into my room after practice or a game and let me hear about it, good or bad. That’s the way I try to do things today.”
Pederson has earned Belichick’s respect. In his second season as the Eagles’ coach, they finished 13-3 and beat Atlanta and Minnesota in the playoffs.
“He’s done a great job,” Belichick said. “They’re well-coached. He does a great job calling plays. He’s very aggressive, well-balanced. They use a lot of personnel, and he gives you a lot to defend.
“They’re very aggressive getting the ball down the field. They run the ball well. They pass it outside and get it inside. They’re solid in every area. They’re tough, and they don’t beat themselves. They’ve been a dominant team all year, and they’re very impressive.”
Pederson, 50, is an Andy Reid protégé who grew up in Washington state and calls plays for his offense. As a backup quarterback to Brett Favre at Green Bay, Pederson won a ring when the Packers beat New England in Super Bowl XXXI. On Saturday, Pederson is having Favre address his players.
“Brett and I are great friends, and we stay in touch,” Pederson said. “I figured since he was going to be in town, I’d ask him to talk to our players.”
Quarterback Nick Foles has resurrected his career under Pederson since he replaced the injured Carson Wentz in the 14th game of the season. Foles likes the idea of Favre speaking to the team and is eager to hear his message.
“He’s one of the greatest to ever play the game,” Foles said. “He’s a true gunslinger — rocket arm, could throw it anywhere he wanted from any different angle. His style of play and his toughness. He won a ton of games, including a Super Bowl.
“Anytime you have an opportunity to hear someone like him speak, it’s huge. I can’t wait to hear what wisdom and knowledge he gives us. I know everyone on our team will be excited to hear him speak.”
The players were also impressed this week when Pederson stopped practice and delayed it longer than usual because of the extended halftime show Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
“I love playing for him,” Foles said.
Foles’ teammates feel the same way. They’ve responded well to Pederson’s coaching, and they’re on the brink of winning the Eagles’ first championship since 1960.
“I appreciate that coming from them,” Pederson said about praise from his players. “Standing in front of them as their head coach every day — that was the challenge I had two years ago when I was hired … to get them to buy into what I was preaching and selling.”
A players’ coach
Pederson loves coaching quarterbacks since that’s the position he played, but he stays on top of his defense and special teams. He listens to players and tries to be fair.
“My relationship with the players and having been in dressing rooms for 14 years and being on a couple of Super Bowl teams myself I can relate to them,” he said. “There’s a fine line, though.
“You have to maintain head coach status and make sure the guys are doing what you ask them to do, and they have. I can appreciate the effort they’ve put in the last two seasons and the way they’ve committed to each other. They’ve trusted the process, bought in, and here we are.”