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Philadelphia Eagles: Why Doug Pederson Shouldn’t Have Gone For Two

By Benjamin Solak

Nov 6, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson looks on during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Giants won 28-23. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 6, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson looks on during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Giants won 28-23. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports /
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Philadelphia Eagles
Dec 4, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Philadelphia Eagles middle linebacker Jordan Hicks (58) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 32-14. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

For the defense

How exasperated do you think S Malcolm Jenkins is? And MLB Jordan Hicks–how pissed off? Insulted, helpless, futile for defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan, and Brandon Graham? They played with great effort after weeks of criticism and questioning, fighting for a 5-8 team led by a rookie quarterback, a rookie head coach, and a general manager already focused on rebuilding for years to come.

They did their jobs, through sixty minutes. They made the plays necessary to take the game to overtime–make no mistake about it, that’s what they were fighting for on that final drive. The victory, certainly. But through overtime.

But Doug Pederson had more trust in the Eagles’ offense to win the game. Put that in perspective: Pederson trusted a running back stable with its 1st- and 5th-stringer healthy, an offensive line missing three starters, a rookie quarterback, and the Eagles’ core of wide receivers over his defense.

So how do you think the prideful veterans and big-contract playmakers of the Eagles’ defensive unit feel? Why should they fight for the game, if their head coach will gamble it all away on their effete offense? Oh, how it reeks of desperation. They didn’t deserve to lose the game on the sideline; they earned the right to fight for their victory–if the need even arose–in overtime.

Next: Philadelphia Eagles Fall To The Baltimore Ravens

At the end of the day, Doug Pederson made the call, and the Eagles left Baltimore with their second back-breaking loss. Instead of a sense of relief, a flash of fleeting joy, Philadelphia Eagle fans are left with only a burning question. Is Doug Pederson, the play caller who put a record level of passes on Wentz’s young arm, dialed up the questionable swing pass to RB Darren Sproles against Dallas and inexplicable jet sweep to Nelson Agholor on 4th down–the play caller who lost the game against the Ravens with his brazenness, the right man to coach the Philadelphia Eagles?

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