Eagles can’t blame all of their problems on Doug Pederson

The Philadelphia Eagles faithful have screamed to the heavens for Doug Pederson to relinquish play-calling duties. As it turns out, he’s already done that.

The Eagles have been an incredibly dreadful team, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. The wide receiver depth is minimal and quarterback Carson Wentz has been playing without any semblance of confidence.

Many Eagles fans — the passionate base that they are — have called for Pederson to relinquish play-calling duties. But according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Pederson has already given into some of those demands. So, what’s the catch?

Pederson surrendering calls in hopes of wins

McLane reports that passing game coordinator Press Taylor called some plays in recent performances, and is in line to have an extended look in this weekend’s game against the Green Bay Packers. To make matters even more interesting, McLane notes that senior offensive assistant Rich Scangarello has called plays in two-minute situations since the start of the year.

Pederson, like any head coach, is hesitant to surrender all of his play calling. It’s what got the Eagles to the Super Bowl in 2018. However, as the Eagles rank 28th in total offense (322.8 yards/game) and 25th in points per game (21.5), it’s time to at least consider a total change.

The Eagles find themselves in rare territory. They sit well below .500, but they’re still in the thick of the NFC East race, as they narrowly sit behind the New York Giants and Washington Football Team for first-place. However, the Eagles could still fall to the bottom of the standings, as they hold a half-game lead over the Dallas Cowboys

Teams in the division are doing whatever it takes to win the “hot potato” title. Whether it’s alternating offensive lineman like the Giants, calling trick plays on special teams like the Cowboys or going for two for the win instead of a tie like the Football Team, they’re at least making an effort to give themselves an advantage over their rivals.

Perhaps its time for Pederson to surrender the majority of offensive play-calling duties before it’s too late and the NFC East crown becomes entirely out of reach.