Doug Pederson said he has "a lot of trust and faith" in offensive coordinator Mike Groh, who has come under scrutiny as the Eagles' offense has struggled this season.
Groh spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons as the Eagles' wide receivers coach and then became offensive coordinator after the Super Bowl run when Frank Reich became the Colts' head coach.
The Eagles averaged 23.2 points and 352 yards per game on offense in two years under Reich and have averaged 22.6 points per game and 355 yards per game under Groh.
Pederson said he didn't know Groh before he came to Philly with him before the 2016 season but said their relationship has really blossomed.
"It's gotten a lot better," Pederson said. "I didn't really have a relationship with Mike prior to hiring him a couple years ago as a receivers coach and then really liked what I saw in that role and what he did with Frank on third downs. He was a part of the third-down menu and things like that, and now being coordinator where he and I are in dialogue all the time, during the day, on the practice field, during the games, our relationship has just gotten stronger."
Pederson said long-time offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland essentially puts together the running game and Pederson and Groh handle the passing game, and then the coaches meet later in the week to put everything together.
Stoutland, who originally came here in 2013 under Chip Kelly, now has the title offensive line/run game coordinator.
This is Groh's first coordinator job and Reich's first head coaching job.
The Colts' offense is actually averaging only one yard more per game this year than the Eagles (339 to 338) and 0.2 more points per game (22.2 to 22.0).
The Colts are 6-5 and the Eagles are 5-5.
Pederson spoke Friday about his working relationship during the week and on game days with Groh.
"Very similar to what Frank and I did," he said. "There's aspects of the gameplan where we study the whole thing, there are times when you get in the heat of the moment like those two-minute situations, where he's constantly feeding me the plays, where I don't have to look down at the sheet. He can look at the sheet, I can talk to the quarterback, where we're constantly having that conversation back and forth."
The way Pederson speaks about Groh, it sure doesn't sound like he's disappointed in his performance.
"I've got a lot of trust and faith in him," Pederson said. "As we construct these game plans together — with the run game — (there's) a lot of confidence there. It's been good."
So if you're counting on Groh getting fired after the season?
You never know. Stranger things have happened. But it sure doesn't sound like it.
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