Name: Doug Pederson's Eagles Tank Job Wasn't Worth Losing the Locker Room
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Doug Pederson's Eagles Tank Job Wasn't Worth Losing the Locker Room

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XEveryone in and around the stood dumbfounded as the blatantly did what no team is supposed to do: They tanked during their final contest against the to improve their draft slot by three.In doing so, the franchise ran the risk of losing its locker room and causing a further descent into mediocrity with the disgraceful tactic.&nbsp;Few things unite social media. This was one of those instances. No one quite understood at the time why head coach Doug Pederson swapped quarterback for backup Nate Sudfeld while trailing late in a one-score contest with plenty on the line for others involved—including the NFC East title.Sudfeld threw an interception during his first series and finished 5-of-12 passing for 32 yards in&nbsp;.&nbsp;Publicly, Pederson explained he was "coaching to win."&nbsp;"Nate has been here for four years, and I felt he deserved an opportunity to get some snaps," Pederson &nbsp;after his team fell to 4-11-1.Everyone knows better, though.&nbsp;Sudfeld wasn't set up for success. He wouldn't have received the majority of snaps during the practice week even if Pederson planned to play the fifth-year veteran a little, and he clearly wasn't the best option to win the game, especially when the organization was still supposedly evaluating its 2020 second-round draft pick, Hurts, who shined in previous weeks.&nbsp;Sure, Hurts might not have been efficient in this contest, but his playmaking ability extends beyond the passing game. The quarterback scored the team's only two touchdowns. He's a creator even when everything isn't clicking.&nbsp;Yet, somehow, Sudfeld gave the team a better chance to win? C'mon now. Those on the outside watching aren't stupid. Neither are the players on the sideline still trying to win the contest.&nbsp;Two weeks before the Eagles' latest "effort," center and veteran leader Jason Kelce addressed the media about why winning is always important:&nbsp;Field Yates Take 2 minutes to watch Eagles C Jason Kelce describe why winning should always be the priority in the NFL (over draft standings, etc.). Incredible perspective about the ultimate team sport.(🎥: @Tim_McManus) https://t.co/SmpTmN0v1rTwo specific points seem extremely poignant after the fact.&nbsp;"You see a lot of losing teams sustain losses for numerous years when they have bad cultures where you don't try to win every week," Kelce stated.&nbsp;The lens through which everyone views professional football evolves daily. In today's NFL, more information is available at a person's fingertips than ever. The depth at which the game can be assessed and interpreted via quantitative measures is wonderful.&nbsp;But football is still played by individuals, not commodities. They're not just numbers. They react to situations. They have their own interpretations of what occurs on the field. Situations matter, a lot.&nbsp;As fun as it is to break down teams and what direction they should go from a macro perspective, it still comes down to the individuals on the field to execute. Performing at a high level at all times isn't easy to do when the belief spreads that an organization isn't committed to winning.&nbsp;"The moment the team feels like you as an organization aren't doing your job for me to go out there and win, all of a sudden you've shown who you are. You don't care about me or this team," Kelce continued. "You care about the future. ... That's not what the focus is here; that's not what the focus is within any winning organization."The 33-year-old veteran thought he knew what the Eagles were about, but he was clearly wrong regarding his final point.&nbsp;Philadelphia sits on a tipping point. Plenty of roster changes are expected during the offseason. After all, the Eagles are a projected $74.1 million over next year's projected $175 million salary cap, per .&nbsp;Certain influential veterans such as Jason Peters and Vinny Curry are free agents. The organization could move on from others like Kelce, Zach Ertz, Alshon Jeffery, and Carson Wentz.&nbsp;But the problem won't just disappear.&nbsp;According to the Philadelphia Inquirer's , "OK, a flip response to the Eagles' improved draft slot probably isn't warranted, because there is merit when looking at the situation in a vacuum, as NBC Sports' Thor Nystrom detailed:&nbsp;Thor Nystrom I went ahead and added it upPer the Jimmy Johnson trade chart, the difference in points between 6th slot and 9th slot in all 7 rounds is 309 pointsThat’s roughly equivalent to the 58th overall pick https://t.co/f0G8UtzXA5While the increased valuation of assets is welcome, a callback to Mr. Frank Shirley from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is necessary (even though we're past the holiday season): "Sometimes things look good on paper, but lose their luster when you see how it affects real folks."&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;🚨 SPORTS NEWS ➡️ YOUR INBOXThe latest in the sports world, emailed daily.Maybe later

XEveryone in and around the stood dumbfounded as the blatantly did what no team is supposed to do: They tanked during their final contest against the to improve their draft slot by three.In doing so, the franchise ran the risk of losing its locker room and causing a further descent into mediocrity with the disgraceful tactic.&nbsp;Few things unite social media. This was one of those instances. No one quite understood at the time why head coach Doug Pederson swapped quarterback for backup Nate Sudfeld while trailing late in a one-score contest with plenty on the line for others...

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Brent Sobleski

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Doug Pederson's Eagles Tank Job Wasn't Worth Losing the Locker Room

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