Eagles Head Coach Doug Pederson
Conference Call, September 20, 2017
Q: Does it concern you that the Giants have their backs against the wall coming to your place at 0-2? Is that something you think about?
A: Well, you know, anytime a team is looking to get on track, yeah, it could be a dangerous thing because there is obviously extra motivation there. I know our guys would be in the same situation. Obviously coming off of the Kansas City loss, it’s just something that can give you a little extra motivation to play well and it’s not like you have to do anything real special outside of just making a few more plays and just give yourself a chance.
Q: How big of a challenge is it x’s and o’s wise knowing that the Giants are going to make changes, but you’re not quite sure what those changes are?
A: Right, right. You know, it kind of goes back to Week 1 of the regular season where you really don’t know what a team is going to do or who’s going to play and it is a little bit of a challenge, but at the same time, my job is to get our guys ready to play, obviously, and just make sure we get back on track, too. So we wait, wait and prepare obviously during the week and get to Sunday and see what happens. But it can be a little bit of a challenge, for sure.
Q: What kind of a jump has Carson (Wentz) made in year two?
A: I’ll tell you the fact that the leadership quality that he has now embraced, now that he has obviously been a starter for a full season. You see him, the dialogue on and off the field with me even during games, conversations that he is having with players. You’re just seeing what you see in like an Eli Manning or a Brady or a Roethlisberger, where he is talking to his guys even during the game and making necessary adjustments and talking to myself or Frank Reich. And then just the way that he handles his business during the week. He prepares, he studies, he’s in here early with the quarterbacks and just an outstanding character and for a young guy to have that maturity, it’s pretty special in Carson.
Q: You look at the Giants offensive line and they have been struggling immensely, you look at your defensive line and they have been playing great. So how about that matchup coming up on Sunday?
A: Yeah, and our D-line, knock on wood if they can stay healthy, can be a dominant defensive line in the league. You know, Chris Wilson does a great job of rotating those guys and keeping them fresh and it’s something that’s part of the Jim Schwartz mentality. It’s coming off the ball and flying off the ball and getting up field and penetrating and they are playing good. They are getting to the quarterback, but at the same time, we also know that there are some disadvantages to that, too. So we just have to keep them going, keep them healthy and get them ready for Sunday.
Q: What would the disadvantages be that you just talked about?
A: Well, sometimes they can get too far up the field and maybe rush high of a quarterback. Guys that are athletic, I know last week even against Alex Smith, who is able to scramble and get out of harm’s way a couple of times, he ripped through a couple of tackles, and quarterbacks that are mobile or at least step up in the pocket have vision down the field and obviously Eli is one of those guys that can hang in there and move in the pocket and keep his eyes down the field and deliver the football and because the rush can go high of the quarterback. So they got to be disciplined in their rush lanes, obviously, get off on the snap count, all of that is vital in rushing the passer.
Q: Has anything happened in the first two weeks of the season that makes you look at the NFC East differently? Where do you see your team fitting into that mix?
A: First of all, I love the NFC East. I think it is very, very competitive. It’s a hard-nosed division and any one of the teams, it is still early in the season, obviously, but any one of the teams I feel have an advantage if they just take care of their business. Any one of us could really end up on top. But at the same time, I think each team, too, is just focusing on themselves and taking it one day at a time, one game at a time. Obviously, I know we pay attention to this, coaches and players, you pay attention to your division and you see where teams are and how teams are doing and, again, anybody can beat anybody. We’ve had some great matchups against the Giants in years past and this won’t be no different.
Q: Your offensive line has struggled as well. As a quarterback, how do you think that impacts a guy when there is not a lot of protection up front?
A: Yeah, I think over time it can definitely take a physical toll, but at the same time, I think, and this is one of the things about Carson you love so much about him is he goes to work with those guys. He encourages them. We try to as a game plan, we try to keep it simple for those guys and let them execute the scheme. We’ve just got to keep working and keep practicing and showing small increases each week. It’s a long season. It’s a marathon. We take it one at a time, but I think overall, we just got to show improvement and coaches talk about it, but I think it’s true, I think it starts with the trenches, and offensive line is a part of that.
Q: To help your young quarterback out, is there more of an emphasis to run the ball this week?
A: I think it’s any quarterback. If you have a successful run game, I think it helps any quarterback and we are no different. We’ve got some guys that can run the football obviously and it’s a little bit of a timing thing. We are working on it in practice and by no stretch are we where we want to be running the football, but at the same time, it’s definitely a quarterback’s friend if you can have success running the ball.
Q: Why do you think you guys have been so effective on third down?
A: Yeah, and if you look at it, too, we have completed some 3rd and 9’s, 10’s and 11’s. So, you definitely don’t want to be in those situations. But yeah, you know we’ve worked on it. I think it comes down to working on it in OTA’s and in training camp and even in practice when you script a practice. You’ll put your team in those situations, both offensively and defensively and then just play design and play call to try to help the quarterback with protection or even run the ball in some of those situations when teams are maybe playing the sticks, so to speak. So, it’s something we work, we’ve worked a ton on third downs all the way back to the spring and obviously been pleased with our third down efficiency.
Q: With the receivers that the Giants have, and your secondary decimated with injuries, what have you seen out of your secondary?
A: If I go back to Week 1 when (Ronald) Darby was there and we were at full strength, I felt real comfortable with our rotation. Patrick Robinson was moved in and playing the nickel spot and we are comfortable and then last week, we obviously lost two more in the game in Jalen (Mills) and Rodney (McLeod) and I’ll tell you, having a veteran player like Corey Graham to step in and fill those shoes is valuable back there at the safety position. Then, Rasul Douglass, who we drafted this year, third round, got a chance to play and did some good things in the game. He’s just going to get better with time and now he’s going to have an opportunity to work and work with the first unit and get himself prepared to possibly play again. So I’ve been pleased, but obviously with the injuries, it does weaken and make you a little thin back there, but at the same time, it’s always been the next man mentality and the next guy has to step up.
