The Philadelphia Eagles were overmatched from the start against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, and first-year head coach Doug Pederson feels that had more to do with effort level than talent.
After getting off to an impressive start to the season, the Eagles have lost three consecutive games and five of their last six. When asked on Monday if everyone on the roster is giving it their all, Pederson was surprisingly candid.
“Not everybody. Not everybody, and that’s the accountability that I talk about,” he said at his press conference, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “You know, I hold coaches accountable for that. I hold myself accountable for that because it all starts with me and I pride myself each week to make sure the guys are ready to go. But at the same time, it comes down to a mentality by each individual player.”
The Bengals were without two of their biggest playmakers in A.J. Green and Giovanni Bernard, yet they still managed to jump out to a 29-0 lead and cruise to an easy win.
It’s rare for coaches of even the worst teams in the NFL to admit their guys aren’t trying, so it would not be a surprise if there are certain players in particular that Pederson is irritated with. The Eagles had similar problems last year with a star player, but he has since moved on to another team. At 5-7 now and with a rookie quarterback at the helm, things are on the brink of spiraling out of control in Philly.
