Philadelphia Eagles News

Doug Pederson: 'We're Going To Stay Committed'

Nov 18, 2018 at 09:23 PM

Graham Foley

When Head coach Doug Pederson met with the media following the Eagles' 48-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, he was disappointed in the lopsided result. But he was not disappointed in the Eagles' effort throughout the loss.

"It's hard. It was tough when things kind of started to spiral," Pederson said. "I will tell you this, the guys continued to battle, continued to fight, a lot of resiliency in this group. Even to battle through some of the injuries, some of the lost players today. But the mistakes that were made, against good football teams, you just can't do."

Injuries were a defining part of the tough loss. Center Jason Kelce (elbow), cornerback Sidney Jones (hamstring), safety Avonte Maddox (knee), linebacker Jordan Hicks (calf), cornerback Rasul Douglas (knee), and long snapper Rick Lovato (head) all left the game early and did not return.

"I guess what's a little surprising is the number of injuries that keep popping up," Pederson said. "And that's something that's just hard each week to overcome."

The Eagles were outgained on offense 546 yards to 196 yards. Carson Wentz was 19-of-33 passing for 156 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions. It was his first multi-interception game since 2016 and his 31.9 passer rating was the worst of his career. No wide receiver had more than 50 yards and only one rusher gained more than 11 yards.

After a demoralizing loss, Pederson was asked where the Eagles go from here.

"We come to work Tuesday and we roll up our sleeves and go to work," Pederson said. "And I'm excited for these next few games that we have coming up.

"Listen, we can only control what we can control," he continued. "We're going to come to work on Tuesday, we're going to prepare, we have the Giants coming to town on Sunday, and we're excited for that opportunity."

The Saints controlled the ball for 37:46 as Drew Brees completed 22 of 30 passes for 363 yards and four touchdowns. Running backs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara had a combined 29 rushes for 147 yards and two touchdowns.

Brees is a leading MVP candidate for the now 9-1 Saints. Pederson was impressed by Brees and the Saints' overall performance.

"They're explosive. They're dynamic. They're playing with a lot of continuity right now and they're in sync. And, obviously, it starts with Drew and the way he handles the team and the offense," Pederson said. "As a person that played the position and obviously is passionate about the sport, it's pretty special to watch someone like that from afar."

The Eagles are now 4-6 with the loss and trail Washington by two games and the Dallas Cowboys by one game. It's not where the Eagles expected to be at this point, especially after being thoroughly dominated in a loss. Pederson shouldered responsibility for the state of the team.

"We've put ourselves in this position," Pederson said. "It's a one-game season each week and I trust every coach every player, front office, that we're going to get this fixed and it starts with me and we've got to do it in a hurry."

Pederson went to every player in the locker room and told them to keep their heads high. He said a loss is one loss, no matter the score and the Eagles still have a chance to win the division with crucial NFC East games coming in the next three weeks against the Giants, Redskins, and Cowboys. He said he wants to lead to the way.

"I told them that we're going to come to work this week, we've got a great opportunity in front of us, we're going to stay committed," Pederson said. "I told them I'm going to lead this football team and follow me. … We're going to look at the tape, fix the mistakes, and get ready for New York."