Philadelphia Eagles: Doug Pederson Gets No Love In Coach Rankings

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 21: Head Coach Doug Pederson of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates a 38-7 win against the Minnesota Vikings after their NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 21, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 21: Head Coach Doug Pederson of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates a 38-7 win against the Minnesota Vikings after their NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 21, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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The Philadelphia Eagles were able to end one of the most frustrating and often humiliating title droughts in football history thanks to Doug Pederson.

Here’s a team that lost two Super Bowls in 1980 and 2004. They’d suffered a litany of other heartbreaks along the way including several conference championship defeats. People were starting to wonder if the organization would ever be able to get that monkey off their backs. At last in 2017, despite so many obstacles being thrown in their way, they completed the mission.

So much of that was due to Pederson’s confident and steady approach. He kept them focused on the big picture and found clever ways to motivate them. He allowed players to be themselves and in return, they rewarded him with their absolute best efforts every Sunday. The results are hard to argue:   a 13-3 record, dominating the Vikings in the NFC championship and knocking off the mighty Patriots in the Super Bowl.

One would think this would get Pederson proper recognition as one of the best coaches in the league going into 2018. It seems Elliot Harrison of NFL.com isn’t ready to make th

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at admission.

Remarkable run and title still only good for 8th place for Pederson

Harrison seemed to heavily favor the more established coaches in his rankings. Despite his championship brilliance, Pederson managed to only nab the #8 spot in the rankings. Bill Belichick was obviously #1. However, names like Pete Carroll, Mike Tomlin, and even John Harbaugh have ranked ahead of him. Yes, they all have rings too and more long-term stability but they also haven’t been in a Super Bowl for at least four years.

All three were even part of rumors that they may be released if they don’t do well in 2018. Harrison tried to explain his reasoning.

"“Winning the most recent Super Bowl sure doesn’t hurt. Pederson managed what could have been a calamitous situation — MVP-in-waiting Carson Wentz going down late in the regular season — and produced a winner with journeyman Nick Foles at the helm. Pederson’s trust in his players, and the confidence he placed in Foles, cannot be underestimated. He became the first head coach since Mike Tomlin in 2008 to win the Lombardi Trophy before his third year on the job.”"

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This merely proves at how unassuming a personality Pederson is. He was overshadowed all year by guys like Carson Wentz, Chris Long, Malcolm Jenkins and even his own quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo. People outside of Philadelphia still aren’t quite grasping how huge an impact he had on the organization and how much that championship, one many past coaches failed to win, belongs to him. They’ll learn soon enough.