Pederson flunks Spartacus moment
Sanders speaks out against head coach’s decision to play Sudfeld
The hits just keep on coming for the Eagles, who look phonier each day they try to live with the stunt they pulled in the fourth quarter of their seasonending loss to the Washington Football Team.
Eagles running back Miles Sanders, who was scratched from the game, told Sports Radio WIP that “nobody liked the decision” to replace Jalen Hurts, who along with the defense had kept the Eagles within three points of Washington.
Hurts watched while thirdstringer Nate Sudfeld played the fourth quarter. Two quick giveaways later the Eagles had all but assured themselves of a loss and the sixth pick in the draft instead of the ninth.
More significantly, Washington clinched the NFC East while the New York Giants, who would have been champs had the Birds won, and the “you play to win the game” people assailed Doug Pederson for his weak explanation that he had planned to play Sudfeld so just leave him alone.
Critics have called for an investigation. A bit strong considering it’s the prerogative of playoffs teams to rest starters in the final game. This game, however, had playoff ramifications in addition to a point spread. That’s serious stuff.
Nobody who has followed the Eagles for multiple years thinks Pederson performed the switch without the blessing of owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman, the latter of whom attends practices.
Sudfeld at least practiced during the week to confirm Pederson’s assertion that he would play at some point.
With the game winnable entering the final frame, and a rookie quarterback who believed in him, Pederson easily could have changed his mind about
playing Sudfeld. Now it’s become an after-the-fact moral dilemma.
1. Should Pederson have done what he did, played Sudfeld, lost and said he still was going for the win, and then taken the, “if you don’t like it give me a lie detector test” stance?
2. Should Pederson have kept Hurts in and gone for the win, just as he’d told his players during the week?
3. Should Pederson have called time, assembled his players, and drawn inspiration from the late Burt Reynolds in The Longest Yard, asking his guys if they thought it was worth going for the victory rather than tanking, and maybe losing their jobs just to get the better draft pick?
The answer is No. 3. Two works, too.
Think about it. What would past Eagles head coaches have done?
Andy Reid went for wins when the Eagles were comically bad in his first season. He won his last two in 2000, dropping the Eagles a couple spots in the draft to No. 6 (Corey Simon, defensive tackle, Florida State).
Then rookie quarterback Donovan McNabb used those Ws as a springboard to the best overall career of any Philly passer.
Dick Vermeil wouldn’t have tanked.
Ray Rhodes didn’t tank. He almost won with Koy Detmer down the stretch in 1998.
Buddy Ryan, tank? LOL!
Pat Shurmur, the interim coach when Chip Kelly was fired with a game to go in the 2015 season, didn’t tank. He beat the Giants in the finale.
No matter what Pederson does, short of asking for forgiveness (does anybody see that happening?), this episode will hang over him like a storm cloud. Can he coach? He sure helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl. Can he lead? Not this group of players.
Sanders’ remarks were damning. What he told WIP rattled the NovaCare Complex.
“If I’m being honest, nobody liked the decision,” Sanders said. “Nobody. And that’s all I can say. I don’t know who was the main person behind that decision. All I know is there’s a lot of people on the team confused.”
Among those players was Hurts, the ultimate competitor. Pederson’s relationship with Carson Wentz, who will be shopped around the league, already is “fractured beyond repair” according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, who is tuned into Eagles upper management.
Now Hurts has to be wondering how independent Pederson is.
In New York, Giants head coach Joe Judge strengthened the bond with his team, much like Buddy Ryan did back in the day.
“To disrespect the game by going out there and not competing for 60 minutes to doing everything you can to help those players win — we will never do that as long as I’m the head coach of the New York Giants,” Judge said.
Pederson, on the other hand, is a lame duck coach that players will be keeping an eye on as management rebuilds. Hearing Sanders, there’s already a trust issue. Maybe Pederson can apologize privately to players and ask them to move on.
From here it looks like Pederson was more concerned with keeping his job than following his instincts.
It was a Spartacus moment that Pederson f lat-out was unprepared for.
“This is what the greatest thing about sports is. You play to win the game. Hello? You play to win the game. You don’t play it just to play it. … You play to win.”
Jets head coach Herman Edwards, Oct. 30, 2002