PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The season is ending, so let the speculation begin.
The Eagles will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016 after being eliminated on Sunday from the NFC East race. The Eagles only won four games this season — they’re 4-10-1 — a record that is usually cause for speculation.
There will be many questions as to who will be returning to the organization next year, and the speculation extends beyond the players.
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Head coach Doug Pederson is confident he will return and is equally confident he is the right man to get the Eagles back on track.
“My confidence lies in myself,” he said Monday. “I know exactly how to get things fixed. We’ve won a lot of games around here, been in the post-season three out of the five years I’ve been here, and a championship and all that. I’ve seen it, I’ve done it.”
While Pederson believes things will be better in 2021, he admitted it has been a difficult year. The team’s poor performance on the field along with issues off the field have made this a challenging season.
“This season has been tough for myself personally as the head coach here,” Pederson added. “Dealing with the pandemic and just everything that’s really hit us through injury and not playing well, it’s very disheartening.”
Pederson also hears the fans’ frustration. He has spent much of his football career in Philadelphia as a player and a coach. The stadium was empty most of the season, but the booing was likely heard throughout the Delaware Valley on game days.
Pederson wants fans to know he understands their level of disappointment.
“I just sit here today and just have to apologize to the fans,” he admitted. “This is not what we expected. It’s not what I expected back in training camp and the early part of the season, but I know in my heart that this is a great place to play, a great place to coach. We do have the best fans. When we win, it’s unbelievable. It’s exciting. I know we can get back to that level.”
The Eagles’ 2018 Super Bowl victory seems like an eternity ago. The past two seasons, the Eagles fought to the end of the regular season to make the playoffs, only to fall short of another Super Bowl appearance.
Pederson believes a return trip to the Super Bowl is still possible in the near future.
“I know what that looks like,” Pederson continued. “I know what it takes. Me personally, I’ve been in three Super Bowls, been on three Super Bowl teams, and I’ve seen exactly how it can be done. We’ve got to get that back.”