Jeannie Pederson is as tuned into what Eagles fans are thinking as anyone. In talking with reporters today, Doug Pederson was asked why he's had so much success when coaching on Thursday Night Football in his career.
"I make light of it," Pederson said. "But my wife tells me all the time that, you know, you can put a game plan together in a day and go win a game on Thursday night. Why can't you do that for a Sunday game?"
Pederson is 5-0 on Thursday Night Football since he joined the Eagles as head coach in 2016. That includes two wins over the New York Giants, who the Birds will square off with this Thursday, which came in 2016 and 2018.
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There's merit to what Pederson's wife told him. Throughout his tenure in Philadelphia, it feels as if Pederson has found his greatest successes when taking a simplified approach.
During the team's run to the Super Bowl in 2017, the Eagles' offense implemented a more straightforward plan of attack. With Nick Foles taking over for an injured Carson Wentz, Pederson and his coaching staff chose to run more manageable RPO looks, a formula that brought the city a parade on Broad Street. The Eagles replicated that again in 2018 when Foles once again replaced Wentz after another season-ending injury.
The Eagles are coming off back-to-back agonizing losses. The silver lining there remains that the offense scored at least 28 points in both games against two of the premier defenses in the NFL in the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. With the team in dire need of a win, there may be no better recipe for the Eagles getting back on track than a Thursday night contest against one of the few teams in the league worse than them.