{"id":48577,"date":"2018-09-03T20:01:18","date_gmt":"2018-09-04T00:01:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=48577"},"modified":"2021-03-14T16:26:08","modified_gmt":"2021-03-14T20:26:08","slug":"eagles-coach-doug-pederson-upset-obfuscating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2018\/09\/03\/eagles-coach-doug-pederson-upset-obfuscating\/","title":{"rendered":"Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Doug Pederson Either Upset or Obfuscating"},"content":{"rendered":"

As September dawned, the NFL Network\u2019s Ian Rapoport<\/strong> reported via Twitter \u201csources\u201d indicating Philadelphia Eagles<\/a> quarterback Carson Wentz,<\/a><\/strong> recovering from knee surgery, won\u2019t start the team\u2019s opener Thursday<\/a>. The following day coach Doug Pederson<\/a><\/strong> was expected to reveal whether or not that was true in a meeting with reporters. Instead, Pederson threw a moderate fit about reporters \u201cputtin\u2019 words in my mouth<\/a>,\u201d and refused to give up his big secret.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Doug Pederson Either Upset or Obfuscating<\/h2>\n

What\u2019s going on? Anybody\u2019s guess is as good as anybody else\u2019s at this point although Pederson did slip and reveal that Wentz isn\u2019t medically cleared yet, so…it really, really, really looks as though Nick Foles<\/a><\/strong> will start against the Atlanta Falcons<\/a>. But…maybe not.<\/p>\n

The little scene engineered by Pederson September 2 may have been the only way Pederson could actually obscure what he would do in a way that might convince Atlanta\u2019s coaching staff. It certainly threw the local press into a dizzying round of speculation and apparently published error. Philly.com\u2019s Marcus Hayes<\/strong> speculated that the Eagles might be embracing a new rallying cry: “It’s us vs. the Media!” The online version of his article about Pederson\u2019s fit featured a title suggesting the coach \u201cneeds a nap.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, older veteran writer Les Bowen<\/strong> went Hayes one better. He, and perhaps careless copy editors,\u00a0and perhaps the Eagles<\/em>\u00a0seemingly conspired to present contradictory statements about Wentz playing September 6. In the print edition of the Labor Day\u00a0Philadelphia Inquirer<\/em>, the very first sentence of his piece on Pederson read, \u201cCarson Wentz<\/a> is not cleared for contact and apparently will start Thursday\u2019s season opener for the Eagles.\u201d However, the online version of this sentence started the same way, but ended \u201cand apparently won’t<\/em> start Thursday’s season opener<\/a> [emphasis mine].\u201d<\/p>\n

Take that, Dan Quinn<\/strong>. You and the rest of the Atlanta Falcons coaches can now mull over whether or not there\u2019s a secret hidden in Bowen\u2019s print-version sentence, which is borderline Kafkaesque. Could it actually mean that Wentz isn\u2019t cleared at the moment, but will be?<\/p>\n

Maybe it isn\u2019t the Eagles versus the media. It might well be the Eagles and the media versus the rest of the league.<\/p>\n

The fact is, however, that while it certainly seems unlikely anybody but Foles will start for Philadelphia Thursday, the nonsense surrounding Pederson\u2019s apparent fit throws everything into doubt, and no one can now say…. Hold on, at about 11:45 a.m., Labor Day, it was reported Pederson has now said Foles will start “in the best interest of the 53<\/a>.” So what? Pederson said September 2, \u201cWe\u2019ve got a lot of days left.\u201d Atlanta knows nothing still.<\/p>\n

A question beyond that, which has drawn little comment, is: If Foles starts, is Wentz even dressed for the game? What if Foles falters? Wentz has looked pretty spry.<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>