Philadelphia Head Coach Doug Pederson
Conference Call, December 13, 2017
Q: How do you move forward with Carson Wentz out and Nick Foles as your quarterback?
A: Yeah, you know, it’s tough. Thing is – we’ve sort of been dealt this hand all season. You lose Jason Peters, Darren Sproles, Jordan Hicks, Chris Maragos. You lose guys like that to IR for the year. Caleb Sturgis, our kicker, early on in the season and the biggest thing is obviously your quarterback and the one that touches the ball all the time, but I was here on staff when we drafted Nick Foles and he played a little bit then and, of course, since then he’s played a lot of football and I’m excited. I’m thrilled for him. Obviously, it’s a good opportunity to continue to lead the football team and it’s my job as the head coach to make sure that we move forward. Still got three games remaining in this season and that’s our focus.
Q: Are you thankful in hindsight that you guys invested the money in a guy like Nick Foles as opposed to a lot of teams who would have an unproven guy behind the starter?
A: Yeah. Yeah, I am. I’m very thankful for that. It was part of the conversations we had in the offseason before OTAs was making sure that we had a veteran guy. I just think it’s important in today’s game that your starter, whether it’s due to injury or whatever, may not make the whole season, may not make the 16-game schedule, and you need that competent backup guy who has at least played some games and then, in our case, the familiarity with Nick having drafted him and worked with him before, having coached him before, gives you a little more piece of mind knowing that he’s a veteran guy and he’s played.
Q: Do you have any greater insight on what it takes to get a backup ready since you played most of your career as a backup?
A: Well, I’ll tell you, yeah. I can remember my days in Green Bay and you’re in the meeting rooms with the starter. You’re watching the same film as the starter. You’re preparing the same way. You’re getting yourself ready just like the starter would and you’re in your quarterback meetings with your position coach and diving into the game plan and then the film study. The film study on your own. Time with the other guys and just preparing and you never know when your opportunity is going to come and you’ve just got to be prepared. You just have to be prepared, so that’s always been the mindset that I’ve had, obviously, with the second or third quarterback and obviously now it’s no different in Nick’s (Foles) case.
Q: Has it at any point become a psychological thing for you to make sure that this team rallies around Nick Foles and doesn’t think that it’s all fallen by the wayside if Carson Wentz isn’t out there?
A: Yeah, you know, and again, part of my messaging to the team is just that is that one man, one man can definitely make a difference on your football team, but the fact is we’re still a team and as a group of men, we’re playing well as a team and that’s what we can’t lose sight of. It’s a lot of great individual efforts, obviously, and yes, one guy can make a difference. But, at the end of the day, it’s about team and it’s my job to make sure that everybody understands that and as coaches and players, too, we just got to make sure this time of year that nothing gets overlooked. We’re crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ and we’re prepared each week to take on another set of challenges. We’re still playing for potential home field and that’s the exciting part about it is it’s still in our control and, yet, it’s a team sport. So, you just got to make sure that all three phases of our team are ready to go on Sundays.
Q: What can you say about the two different paths each team has taken since you last played in Week Three?
A: Yeah, it’s definitely two different paths since then, but listen, you put on the tape and you watch. Listen, guys aren’t quitting, guys aren’t shutting it down, guys are still playing hard and still trying to win. I think obviously now with Spags [New York Interim Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo] leading the team, I think guys are going to respond, they’re going to rally, which they should. It’s an opportunity to continue to play and play a game that we all love and coach and make the most of our opportunities. So, in our case, we’ve got to be able to take care of business and handle our business properly because like I was saying earlier, we still have some things to play for. And those are the things that keep the fire lit right now, this time of year. Can’t look past, obviously, this weekend. It’s a division opponent, on the road, it’s our third road game in a row, coming off a west coast swing. So, got to get our guys ready to play.
Q: With Wentz, do you try to tell a player that is that important not to take to many chances with his body, or can you not coach a player like that?
A: Yeah, it’s hard, it’s a fine line. You don’t ever want to take the aggression away from a guy, especially a quarterback, and yet, we continue to have conversations and had conversations, just protecting yourself. I get it, having played the position and watching some of the best quarterbacks in this league do exactly what Carson’s been doing. I mean, I played with Brett Favre, who was probably the most risk taker of a quarterback that I’ve seen and yet, he put himself in those situations and yet, bounced back and was fine. But at the end of the day, you’re like, man, you’ve got to slide, you’ve got to protect yourself. It’s a fine line. It’s tough, it’s a tough thing to do because that’s been bred in him, in Carson, from an early age and that’s part of his game that we love and yet, at the same time, it can put us in this situation. But we’ll continue to have conversation when he’s healthy and we’ll go from there.
Q: What has Quarterbacks Coach John DeFilippo meant to Wentz and your quarterback room in general?
A: Yeah, he’s a great teacher, number one. He understands the offense, he knows what we’re trying to get across. He’s a great teacher, not only in the classroom, but the drill work and what he puts the quarterbacks through. It’s all game-specific drill work and really does a nice job preparing the guys, the quarterbacks, during the week and very exhaustive in the film study and is showing them every look, every blitz and for the entire season. Plus, it’s just the way he prepares these guys and he’s done a great job with them. Great communicator. But at the end of the day, he’s a good teacher and those are the guys that I like having on staff.
Q: Do you think DeFilippo is a guy that may be a head coach in this league one day?
A: I do, I do. I think he’s got the demeanor, I think he’s got the mindset for that. He’s been a coordinator in this league and he knows. He has obviously a great football background, with his dad and everything, being around athletics. He’s seen it all, so I think he’d be a good candidate if he gets the opportunity.
