2020-21 NFL Season

[HutchwasClutch]

So the NFL world is going apoplectic for a Qb with a 25.4 rating tonight being pulled? What he was ready to get on a roll?

[MUBurrow]

I wonder if Pederson did that on his own, or if it was an organizational decision from Lurie.

I'd also be curious if there were fans in the stands, if the Eagles go the route they did (so blatantly).

That was all so odd and on the heels of the Wentz stuff today, Pederson comes off looking strange.  I get seeing what you have in young guys in meaningless games, but Sudfeld is a 27 year old from Indiana with a ceiling as a game manager.  Its not like they were working out some raw 23 year old with crazy physical skills. If Sudfeld had been the backup all year, pulling him to give Hurts some run in this game makes sense.  The other way around makes no sense.

[CreightonWarrior]

Pederson may have lost the locker room tonight. Wouldn't be surprised to see him go.

[Dish]

Pederson may have lost the locker room tonight. Wouldn't be surprised to see him go.

That's one possibility, he got informed before the game, and he didn't give an eff what happened. There's ways to do what the Eagles probably were aiming for without it coming across as odd and blatant as it did.

[MU82]

So the NFL world is going apoplectic for a Qb with a 25.4 rating tonight being pulled? What he was ready to get on a roll?

Hurts absolutely gave the Eagles the best -- really the only -- chance to win that game. He already had scored two TDs. His running skills alone made him dangerous.

And as other Scoopers have said, it would be one thing if he were being pulled to let some kid with potential play, kind of an audition for next season -- in other words, somebody like Hurts. Pederson threw a nobody with no future out there, and simply handed Washington a playoff spot.

I'm not "apoplectic." And I don't think the Giants really have a complaint, because all they had to do was win 7 games all season they'd be in. But IMHO Pederson "disrespected the game."

You're free to disagree. It's more or less a free country.

[The Sultan]

"Disrespected the game?" 

Did they "disrespect the game" when they held out a bunch of marginally injured players who likely would have played had the game meant something to them?  Did they "disrespect the game" when they sat their healthy back up QB?

The Eagles are under no obligation to do anything that doesn't benefit the Eagles.  Whether or not they put him in to give him some reps to see what they have, or because they tried to improve their draft status, it doesn't matter.

Again, there is a very easy way of getting rid of tanking.  Don't tie draft order to previous year results.  Otherwise teams are going to do what is in their best interests.

[MU82]

"Disrespected the game?" 

Did they "disrespect the game" when they held out a bunch of marginally injured players who likely would have played had the game meant something to them?  Did they "disrespect the game" when they sat their healthy back up QB?

The Eagles are under no obligation to do anything that doesn't benefit the Eagles.  Whether or not they put him in to give him some reps to see what they have, or because they tried to improve their draft status, it doesn't matter.

Again, there is a very easy way of getting rid of tanking.  Don't tie draft order to previous year results.  Otherwise teams are going to do what is in their best interests.

I agree with most of this.

I still think playing that stiff was appalling.

[The Sultan]

Sports writers gonna hyperbole even when they are no longer sports writers I guess.

[CreightonWarrior]

"Disrespected the game?" 

Did they "disrespect the game" when they held out a bunch of marginally injured players who likely would have played had the game meant something to them?  Did they "disrespect the game" when they sat their healthy back up QB?

The Eagles are under no obligation to do anything that doesn't benefit the Eagles.  Whether or not they put him in to give him some reps to see what they have, or because they tried to improve their draft status, it doesn't matter.

Again, there is a very easy way of getting rid of tanking.  Don't tie draft order to previous year results.  Otherwise teams are going to do what is in their best interests.

What about the dudes on the field who were busting their a$$es all game and kept it close only to get slapped in the face by their own coach putting that dude in. You could tell the entire bench just deflated after Sudfeld went in.

[MU82]

nm

[The Sultan]

What about the dudes on the field who were busting their a$$es all game and kept it close only to get slapped in the face by their own coach putting that dude in. You could tell the entire bench just deflated after Sudfeld went in.

What about them?  They're getting paid.  The coach makes the personnel decisions.

The idea that he is going to "lose the locker room" in a meaningless game on the last day of the season is absurd. 

[cheebs09]

This was pretty funny. Kind of shows media just looking to make headlines.

https://twitter.com/bleedinggreen/status/1345972541173755904?s=21

People were shaking their heads and making fun of the Jets for winning. I mean people chuckled about the Jets doing an all-out blitz to lose to the Raiders. Williams got fired, but that was happening anyways.

[The Sultan]

This was pretty funny. Kind of shows media just looking to make headlines.

https://twitter.com/bleedinggreen/status/1345972541173755904?s=21

People were shaking their heads and making fun of the Jets for winning. I mean people chuckled about the Jets doing an all-out blitz to lose to the Raiders. Williams got fired, but that was happening anyways.

Yep.  Fire up the ole outrage machine. 

Yet the Steelers sit a couple of starters in a game that was meaningful for teams making the playoffs and....crickets....  I guess that wasn't an appalling example of a team disrespecting the game.

[hairy worthen]

Teams should play to win in my opinion. The only exception would be resting players if a playoff spot is clinched. I think building a winning culture is more important than getting a higher draft pick. A coach losing his players is real, doesn't matter what game of the year.

[cheebs09]

I guess Pederson said earlier in the week they planned to go to Sudfied at some point. If Hurts tears an ACL in a meaningless game, he'd get questioned the other way I'm sure.

If this wasn't SNF, it is not a big deal. Also, the Giants could have won more than 6 games.

[Jockey]

I guess Pederson said earlier in the week they planned to go to Sudfied at some point. If Hurts tears an ACL in a meaningless game, he'd get questioned the other way I'm sure.

If this wasn't SNF, it is not a big deal. Also, the Giants could have won more than 6 games.

You're right. Pederson has no obligation to the Giants. But, why play Sudfield at all? He is NOT part of the future in Philly. If Doug wanted to find out if Sudfield was good enough to play, he should be a fan - not a coach. Every coach was know that Sudfield has as much chance to be a successful NFL QB as Tayler Bray. Zero percent.

If Hurts is gonna be a part of the QB competition next year, than last night is exactly the game where you leave him in for experience. A one possession game in the 4th quarter.

If Pederson makes it through the off-season, I think there is a very good chance he lost the team last night. We'll see. But if he gets fired this week, it will be because the players no longer want him as coach.

[MUBurrow]

You're right. Pederson has no obligation to the Giants. But, why play Sudfield at all?

+1.  You get what you pay for when you need an eliminated team to win, so it isn't a "think of the children" thing. That the game mattered is interesting because that made it 100% foreseeable that Pederson would catch shi!t, and I don't see why you'd bench your raw but promising 22 year old QB prospect with 4 starts to his name.  You'd think they would want to get him as many meaningful reps as possible. Especially because there is no "seeing what we have" in Nate Sudfeld.  He's a 27 year old that was drafted in a class with Cody Kessler and Jeff Driskel.  These guys are what they are, and that is bottom tier backups. The Eagles are either going to pay for an experienced backup to Hurts or draft a mid-late round flier, and either way, letting Sudfeld huck it a dozen times at the end of the game yesterday wasn't going to have any bearing.

The fact that the team's franchise QB/former MVP candidate turned reclamation project intimated earlier in the day that he was willing to give back money to get outta dodge has to be relevant here. I just can't figure out the angle.

[Billy Hoyle]

Teams should play to win in my opinion. The only exception would be resting players if a playoff spot is clinched. I think building a winning culture is more important than getting a higher draft pick. A coach losing his players is real, doesn't matter what game of the year.

a few weeks ago the media and fans were mocking the Jets for winning games and hurting their draft position. Now the media and fans are mocking the Eagles for losing and improving their draft position by three positions. Perhaps a QB at#6 is where they're looking and by losing they moved in front of the Lions, who are likely in the market for a QB. 

[hairy worthen]

a few weeks ago the media and fans were mocking the Jets for winning games and hurting their draft position. Now the media and fans are mocking the Eagles for losing and improving their draft position by three positions. Perhaps a QB at#6 is where they're looking and by losing they moved in front of the Lions, who are likely in the market for a QB.

Yeah I get it, but good teams don't do that.  Media and fans are idiots, 1a and 1b it doesn't matter what they say or think.

[Jockey]

Yeah I get it, but good teams don't do that.  Media and fans are idiots, 1a and 1b it doesn't matter what they say or think.

That's the point. They're not good teams. And pulling a move like Pederson did is part of the reason why.

Why should players value winning if the coach doesn't value winning. If you coach to lose, you teach your players that a paycheck is all that matters.

[GooooMarquette]

This discussion about the Eagles tanking (and the Jets having the audacity to win a couple) is one reason I prefer college sports to pro. In college, teams won't gain some benefit next season by tanking. So football teams fight like hell even to win meaningless games like the Potato Bowl and the Cheez-It Bowl, and basketball teams battle even if they're doing it in the NIT. Ditto for meaningless late-season games between teams that won't have a post-season.

[hairy worthen]

That's the point. They're not good teams. And pulling a move like Pederson did is part of the reason why.

Why should players value winning if the coach doesn't value winning. If you coach to lose, you teach your players that a paycheck is all that matters.

Agree, that's exactly what I said above.

[Jockey]

The idea that he is going to "lose the locker room" in a meaningless game on the last day of the season is absurd.

Two defensive players had to be held back from approaching Pederson. Center Jason Kelce and another offensive starter went to the coach to ask him why he had pulled the starting quarterback with the Eagles trailing by only three.

Hurts was distraught, as well. Even though he had been told Wednesday that there was a chance Sudfeld could play, he couldn't understand why Pederson would make the switch, sources close to the situation said.


I assume you haven't played competitive sports. Once the coach loses respect, he has lost the team.

[cheebs09]

Two defensive players had to be held back from approaching Pederson. Center Jason Kelce and another offensive starter went to the coach to ask him why he had pulled the starting quarterback with the Eagles trailing by only three.

Hurts was distraught, as well. Even though he had been told Wednesday that there was a chance Sudfeld could play, he couldn't understand why Pederson would make the switch, sources close to the situation said.


I assume you haven't played competitive sports. Once the coach loses respect, he has lost the team.

I don't know. I feel when pre-season rolls around, this will all be in the past. People will be excited about their new draft pick that will hopefully give them the best chance to win in 2021.

First and foremost, it's a business. We hear that all the time. The best business decision was for Philly to lose that game.

A lot of these reactions were heat of the moment. I think he's more likely to lose the locker room for being 4-11-1 than how he coached in Week 17.

[jesmu84]

I think it would be important to know if pederson made the decision or if it came from GM or owner