Press Pass: Doug Pederson

he's already in the in the film room. So, um, that's just the type of person. That's the type of quarterback that we have. That's the type of guy that we knew we we have. And Carson Wentz and the way he uh led the huddle on Monday at practice, and and you know, just just what he's done in the last couple of days just getting himself ready to go. It just shows you the type of leader and and um,

the type of person that he is. Excuse me, well, um again, you know a situation where where you know, well, first of all, let me just start by saying that that that I appreciate everything Eric Eric has done for this organization UM. And then and then with the guys that we have UM and then bringing back CJ. Smith

and different things. It was another good opportunity for our organization to UM, you know, to to to make some moves and and and to to further his career UM as you know, uh, you know, he he would he'd like for us possibly the the fourth corner, fifth corner right now going into the season. And this gives him an opportunity to play. And then that's that's what you want from your players in the National Football League, is to play. And and uh, this gives him an opportunity.

Not right away, no, not right away, not right now. We haven't filled it, UM, not in a hurry to fill it just yet. And and you know that's where that's just where we're at right now. Well, you know, I think that that in his case, I mean, you know, Jalen Mills was having a good camp. You bring in uh Leo, you bring in Ron Brooks, you bring in

you know, Nolan's back healthy. UM, there was a lot of competition at that position, and and it's what we wanted way back in the spring and going into training camp and and it's just again it's an opportunity that that that you know, players have to embrace and and you know, he did put himself in a position to to compete and and uh, you know, be a part of the Eagles, and and it was just we just felt at this time, this is not only a great opportunity for him, but for some of our young players

that were playing well during camp to make this roster as well. Maybe you invest four time and yeah, you know, and I think there's some there's some validity to that. I think too. You you got to look at where you currently are and where that player is currently and you got to address the whole, the whole, the big

picture of everything. And this is such a you know, um can you win now mentality and you're always constantly shifting and moving your roster around that that that this definitely gives him an opportunity to go play and and and potentially be a starter there and and compete and and and uh and do some good things. But you know, um as as a big picture, you definitely, um, you definitely got to take a look at that, you know

going forward. You know there there there that's a great question too, because uh, you know, I just I go off of the belief and this is what I've done. And you know, you've been coaching nine Kansas City did the same thing. Where you want to go in with the plays you've been repping all offseason and training camp. You know, there's no need to to to reinvent the wheel now. UM, So Carson's been exposed to everything in our game plan that we put in today, what we'll

put in tomorrow and on Friday. Um, you want to and it's not so much just for the quarterback position, but but we also have some other positions. DGB is still learning the system. We got some young receivers. UM. You know, defensively, how Jim Jim attacks, it's very it's very simple and basic to the extent of guys can play fast and that's what you want. You want guys to be able to not do a lot of thinking

on the football field, just go react and play. UM. And obviously the quarterback position is key to that because he's communicating place to the entire offense. But this game plan, UM, you know, utilizing carson strength. You know, obviously his ability to run, I mean we know him over Sam. I mean there's the ability to run and and it may open up a run or two there that that we can utilize. But again, we got to be smart with that and and uh and just protect him early and

and keep him from uh. You know, I just know having been in the position that that when quarterbacks get hit early, it affects you the rest of the game. And so again, protecting him early, keeping him upright, h is the key to to notly hit success and longevity, but to our success as a team. That no, you know, even even with Carson and his mentality, I don't I don't want to again, Um, I don't want to. I

don't want to harness that aggression. UM. I don't want to harness that uh, that ability to throw the ball down the field, you know. Um again, I think I think we were capable of doing that. He's good at doing that. Um. And so I just you know, you want to obviously get into the flow of the game and see how defensively, how they're gonna you know, scheme him and scheme us, and then and then you let

your game plan sort of unfold from there. The contact, which is something that he did a lot of in North Dakota and did a little bit of in the Tampa game when he got hurt. We kind of talked to him about that. Well, he understands, you know that that um you know, um, in this day and age of the football game, and especially with the run pass options that teams are doing, that that that defenses are attacking the quarterback in that manner. I mean, that's just

the style that you're seeing. So we we've communicated that to him myself, Frank John M. D Filippo that said, hey, look, you gotta protect yourself at all costs, whether it's a run or a pass, and and and whether you're outside the pocket or not. You know, sometimes it's out of your control. But at the same time, knowing where you are on the field, Um, I don't need that extra yard. You know, we're not playing for the NFC Championship game. This Sunday is Game one. I don't need necessarily that

extra yard. Somewhere in the season. Well I need the yard. Yeah, I'm gonna need the yard, But protect yourself, get out of bound, slide, get down, um, you know, and really just having one conversation with him, you know, um, he's very aware of that. You know, this is a team, it's kind of gone through some changes, personnel changes, Uh you know, obviously both sides of the ball, and then uh offensively speaking with with r G three, we've we

obviously we know who he is. We played against him in the past, you know when he's with the Redskins, and and know the type of talent that he is and and he he is shown to be able to throw the ball down the field at times and complete

some balls and have some some success there. Um. You know, I've coached against Ray Horton before, Um when he you know, was at Tennessee, when he was at Cleveland before and now back in Cleveland, and and and he's a he's a guy that that that'll uh give you some multiple looks. So he's he's a three four type guy that that can mix the under, the over and then straight thirty four. So we have to be sharp upfront what we're seeing.

The quarterback's got to be on point. Um. He likes to bring pressure and key situations and and um, you

know he's a band don't break type of guy. And and he's he's gone through some personnel changes, as I've said on defense, he's he's gotten a little bit younger back there, and and I'm assuming that he's going to just let these kids play and play fast and for him too, I think, you know, by keeping it simple and keeping it to where they can do the things that they've worked on in OTAs and training camp will allow those guys to you know, to play fast on

Sunday preparing for the Browns since I took the job and the schedule came out. Um, but just on the field, we we spent some yeah, we spent we spend a day sort of just looking at them in the spring. Um, you know, we spend a day in training camp looking at them. But but really until you get to this week and you know who they're going to be and from a personnel standpoint, uh, is when you really get

into your game plan uh specific stuff. So you know, even though we peaked at them, uh, you know throughout the summer, this is really the first time that we've we've really detailed it. I mean, they're they're in the same kind of situation because you guys are new, but when you have a new the Browns are all new, new head coach and new coordinators, so you really can't watch what they did last year because you watch old

like what Hugh Jackson did in Cincinnati or Ray Horton didn't. Yeah, I mean you have to and and it just goes back to the history of and I'm sure they're going to go back and look at all our Kansas City film, you know, from an offensive perspective, and and go back and look at Jim's Buffalo days and ten Detroit days and and things like that. So, um, you know, yeah,

we're gonna go back and look. I mean it would it would be who was not to and and just just go back and just see if if what we're seeing today matches up with where they've been in the past, and and you know, put your plan together from there. So you know, you see some plays on tape that that kind of say, hey he is he is back. You know he's in that position. Um, you know they they're going to continue to run the zone read game

with him and utilize his strengths. I mean there's there's a couple I believe it was against the Atlanta game. I mean, he had a nice run off of a off of his own read. He's been able to throw the ball down the field and he's elusive. The other you're seeing is he's protecting himself now you're seeing him get out of bounds, you're seeing him slide, You're seeing him do the things that that you know, quarterback of

the National Football League needs to do. So you can see the maturity there, um, And that's something that that that showing up on tape raining a mountain. Carson's reps are have been limited, especially with the ones. How much can you accelerate that just and he said he was in year five forty five. How much can you kind of make up for that in the film room? And how much is just kind of unknown? Yeah, you know,

I mean there's gonna be a little unknown. But but the fact is that he took all the reps Monday, He'll take all the reps the rest of the rest of the week and then and then we just have to be smart with how we you know, how how he's studying tape. Is he seeing the right things? Is is what he's what we're putting together as a game plan.

Is he matching that up to what the film says, um, and what we're seeing you know, also as coaches and and uh, we just detail detail at that, you know it fine kind of a kind of a all the fine points and the detail points that that your game play and possesses and and um, you know, just trying to match up everything with what we're doing to what he's seeing. He's seeing or is he seeing the right things and if so, then putting our game plan into

play that way. About this moment his entire license, he said, I believe he's that he was in second grade. Has a former quarterback who's played in this league as his coach. Do you need to try to keep help keep his emotions and check? Will you talk to him leading up to game time? Where is he a guy that you know what you know, that can handle this moment and not get you know, too excited either way? Yeah, I mean I think there's a there's a little bit of

a fine line there. He's been in some big games in college and in his past, and um, so he's used to that. But at the same time, this is this is a different animal. Uh, this is the National Football League. It's day one, home crowd, home game. Um, all eyes are on you, so you know, I can I can talk to him, Frank can talk to him. But it's just human nature. I mean, my butterflies will be going to you know what I mean, It's my

first game as well. So butterflies will be flowing. But you get into the course of the game, you get past that, you know, one, two, three plays into the game and it settles in and and and it's football from there. Um. But but you know, he's such a mature guy that that that I don't anticipate anything being too big for him, you know, going into this first game,

you know what, not necessarily in practice. But um, one of the things that we do every week is is we go through and we look at all the challenges throughout the National Football League from the previous week and see if we'd have done the same thing in those situations. And and a lot of times too, you're getting a lot of information from your coaches in the press box, and you know, as far as challenges goes, do we have enough information to make the to make the challenge? Um?

And so there's a lot of communication that goes goes into play. And but but looking at the previous week and seeing all the challenge flags that were thrown, you know, and then making those decisions, would we have done that at that time? Those are all things that I can do and and and uh and and take a look at those situations to prepare myself for you know, this regular season coming up. Yeah too, just like the players.

I mean, one, we're glad that the training camps over and and you know we're into a normal routine now and normal schedule and and and so from that standpoint, you know, and plus we now we get to game

plan a little bit. So um, you know, that's that's the fun part, and that's the that's the beauty of why we're in this business to be able to take a game plan and teach it to your players and then go watch them not only practice, but play on Sunday and and so I'm excited for that, you know, and and just looking forward to to getting out there this weekend and and just watching our guys performing giving the most into the offense. And how do you think

he played during the preseason. I think Brandon's really you know, um, he's really come on here lately. I mean, he's such a powerful guy, you know, Um, he he's he's he's an experienced veteran player that that has worked well with you know, whether it's Lane to his right, Kelsey at center, or Alan Barberie was right Kelsey. Mean, he's really worked well in there, and um, he does he does a

nice things. He's a sort of a you know, the he's kind of a silent leader up there, but at the same time, he's he's he's getting the job done and he's getting he's made himself better since he's come back from that injury he had early in camp, and you know, he's he's really uh playing, playing well going into the regular season. Guys that you picked up over the weekend far enough along that they could be active

for this game. Um no, you know, special teams, Um Brooks is a guy that could make some special teams uh potentially, you know, offensively, defensively. It's it's it's hard because you're trying to throw everything at him. They got to learn. But special teams is one area that that that will need a few of these guys to to make an impact this this week. Okay, thanks guys. Zero