The ugly loss on Monday night ended after 11 p.m. ET, and a late night would soon be even later. When the season plummeted following a loss to the Seattle Seahawks, several Eagles leaders hung out to meet.
Sources said captains and team leaders like quarterback Carson Wentz, defenseman Brandon Graham and center Jason Kelce stayed for an impromptu meeting, among others. Head coach Doug Pederson was also present. They preached accountability and took responsibility for their actions, how urgent the situation had become, and how necessary it was to turn it around.
Can the Eagles do this against the Green Bay Packers? Everything is here:
Despite winning a Super Bowl three years ago with a backup QB, advancing to the division round the following year, and winning the division last year, Pederson is in the hot seat with his future, according to sources. There’s no guarantee he’ll return in 2021 despite his records, and Wentz’s struggles – and lack of answers – would be part of it.
The public has begun to speculate about Pederson’s future, and some in the building have done the same for fear that Pederson’s job is at stake. You can feel the tension, the frustration, the disgust and the search for a solution.
Pederson said this week that he has received no assurances about his future from owner Jeffrey Lurie, who is also frustrated and far less this year than in previous years (which could also be related to the COVID-19 logs). Lurie also didn’t participate in the Cleveland week 11 defeat, a rarity, though a team spokesperson said it was because he was being cautious about health as he planned to see his mother for Thanksgiving.
Among the changes the coaches made to solve the problem: Pederson has given up some game manager duties, the team leaders organized a player-only meeting on Wednesday to find answers, and the training week, especially Friday, was described as competitive and spirited.
It’s as opposed to a few weeks ago when Lurie left training early after watching a 7v7 pedestrian exercise to attend to other business.
Pederson is in the hot seat but is not alone.
Three coaches have been fired this season and two GMs have also been fired. When the Lions of Coach Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn switched, it was another indication of how active this off-season will be in the coaching world.
And while nothing has been decided, Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Marrone and New York Jets coach Adam Gase – with a win between them – also face an uphill battle to keep their jobs.
The case of Chargers trainer Anthony Lynn is stranger. In the Los Angeles building, Lynn is widely recognized as a leader and very good coach. Lynn played 21-11 for the first two seasons, winning a street playoff game after setting the AFC best two years ago at 12-4.
However, the last two seasons have had problems as several situations in the game were not up to his usual standard and lost four losses by three points or less. It did not work.
It is fair to say that his status is also in doubt.
The organization has not fired a mid-season coach since 1998 when it moved from Kevin Gilbride. And the Chargers continue to work to help Lynn in hopes of beating the New England Patriots today.
However, last week’s problems – two games in progress on the goal line with no timeout while the clock is running – could play a big role. There are many other factors that come into play late in the games, but ultimately it’s up to the head coach.
Could the chargers make a change if there were more issues in the game? Possibly. The hope of everyone involved is that it doesn’t come to that.
The coaching carousel only takes shape with one month left in the season.
