Doug Pederson, Eagles Offense Deserve Credit For Executing Great Gameplan In Super Bowl LII
Much was written ahead of Super Bowl LII about Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and whether he’d match Bill Belichick in terms of game planning, execution, and situational awareness. It turns out that he certainly did, on offense anyway. And that’s ultimately what won the Eagles the game.
It’s clear in retrospect that the Eagles offense against the Patriots defense was the biggest personnel mismatch of the Super Bowl, and not just because of Malcolm Butler. Pederson said during Super Bowl week that he knew he needed to be aggressive and execute well for a full 60 minutes in order to beat Belichick’s Patriots. He sure lived up to his word, and his offensive weapons did not disappoint.
“Coach kept telling all of us – the staff, he kept telling the team, ‘We’re going. This is all out for 60 minutes. We’re staying aggressive,'” said Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich after the game. “That was repeated all week long.”
“They Couldn’t Stop Us”
Corey Clement of the Philadelphia Eagles makes a catch against Jordan Richards of the New England Patriots in the second quarter of Super Bowl LII. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
It became readily apparent from early in the game that the Patriots would have trouble stopping the Eagles offense. Especially without Butler. And the Eagles sensed it, doing the opposite of what so many other hapless Patriots opponents do. They never stopped. They never slowed down.
“We knew that on offense they couldn’t stop us tonight,” said Eagles running back Jay Ajayi. “Whatever we were going to do, we were going to execute, we were going to keep our foot on the gas and we weren’t going to let up until the clock says zero, and we did that throughout the game.”
Not only did the Eagles stay aggressive, they did it smartly. Pederson rarely got too cute with his play calls. For most of the night, he and Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles identified favorable matchups and attacked them repeatedly. Especially on third downs, an area where the Eagles were dominant on offense, he called simple plays that got the Eagles where they needed to be. Nothing too crazy.
Third-and-7? Over the middle to Zach Ertz right at the line to gain, as he’s “covered” by Jordan Richards. Third-and-3? A relatively short wheel route to Corey Clement, who blows by Richards and takes it for 55 yards. Third-and-6? Short pass to Nelson Agholor as he’s on Johnson Bademosi, who can’t make the tackle as the receiver goes for 17.
Malcolm Butler probably would have made that tackle, by the way:
https://twitter.com/mattdolloff/status/960894772419485696
These are just a few examples of many times where the Eagles just found areas of weakness and took what the defense gave to them. Sort of like what Brady and the Patriots have done to doomed opponents for years. And in the end it won the Eagles a Super Bowl.
Foles acknowledged after the game that Pederson’s relatively simple play-calling helped him execute without over-thinking matters.
“I didn’t switch my mindset,” said Foles. “I wasn’t worrying about the scoreboard. I wasn’t worried about the time. I was just playing ball. I think sometimes you start worrying about that so much, and it starts creeping into your brain. I was just playing. Whatever play Doug called, I was just going to go out there and rip it, and that was sort of our mindset going into this.”
But between all of the simple plays, Pederson wasn’t afraid to get complex either.
It’s Called “Philly Special”
Nick Foles of the Philadelphia Eagles catches a touchdown reception from teammate Trey Burton (not pictured) against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Anyone who bet on Eagles tight end Trey Burton having the best passer rating in the Super Bowl made a lot of cash on Sunday night. But that’s what ended up happening, as Burton’s lone pass attempt turned out to be one of the Eagles’ biggest plays of the game, and one of the ballsiest. But like nearly their entire offensive game plan, the late-second quarter trick play that gave Foles a touchdown reception was also perfectly executed.
“Coach got some guts, huh,” said a stunned Burton after the game. “It shows you the confidence that he has in the team. Low key, the last couple of games we’ve been in the red zone and I let him know we still had that play. I can’t believe he called it.”
That play earned Burton a 118.7 passer rating, in case you were wondering. Just barely better than Tom Brady’s 115.4.
Reich was equally floored by Pederson’s decision to call the trick play, which came on fourth-and-1 at the goal line with the Eagles up just 15-12 at the time.
“I’ll tell you what, for a coach to call that play in that situation – are you kidding me?” said Reich. “That’s just the aggressive play caller that he is. It couldn’t have been at a better time.”
As for Pederson himself, he certainly sounded satisfied with the play when a reporter asked him what it’s called.
“You really want to know what we call it? ‘Philly special’,” said Pederson, laughing. “Philly special.”
Whether or not Pederson was joking about the play’s name, it certainly was a special call. One that you rarely see called against Belichick and the Patriots, let alone executed perfectly and done on fourth down on the biggest possible stage.
“Just Had To Get A Touchdown”
Zach Ertz of the Philadelphia Eagles scores an 11-yard touchdown past Devin McCourty of the New England Patriots in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LII. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Pederson stressed repeatedly during his Super Bowl media availability that the Eagles would need to stay aggressive, and that meant going for the end zone. And he knew it during the game, too – especially in the fourth quarter with the Eagles down 33-32. Unlike so many head coaches who wilt at the sight of Belichick and settle for field goals while praying that Tom Brady doesn’t come back and burn them, Pederson understood that the Eagles needed at least six on their pivotal fourth-quarter drive. And he went for it.
“I knew that we were going to have to score a touchdown in that situation,” said Pederson. “A field goal wasn’t going to be good enough, not against Brady and the Patriots, so we stayed aggressive. Nick [Foles] made some outstanding throws, guys made some plays for him – Nelson [Agholor], Ertz on the touchdown.
“Play after play, guys really stepped up [on Sunday], and just had to get a touchdown in that situation.”
Finally, a head coach who knew what it took to beat Belichick and Brady, and had the fearlessness to actually practice what he preached. To keep pushing the Patriots defense and attack them where he could. Everyone’s talking about Belichick’s Malcolm Butler decision, as they should – but it’s obvious now that the Patriots’ defensive problems go deeper than one player.
Pederson and the Eagles were the ones to finally expose them. And they did it in the biggest of moments, over and over again. They accomplished what dozens of teams and coaches have not, and they deserve the highest of marks for that.
— By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.
