Eagles coach Doug Pederson was the most aggressive coach on fourth downs all season, and that didn’t change in the Super Bowl. Pederson says there’s a simple reason for that: It’s the way to win.
Pederson told Peter King after the game that if you want to play it safe all the time, that’s a great way to be at or near .500 all the time. If you want to win a championship, you need to try some high-risk, high-reward plays.
“You learn if you play passive, if you play conservative, if you call plays conservatively, you are going to be 8-8, 9-7 every year,” Pederson said. “Every year. Frank and I just having that collaborative spirit to talk about things and talk with our quarterbacks and just come up with ways of keeping this game fresh and fun and exciting for our players. And that’s really where it all stems from.”
Pederson was aggressive, and he won the Super Bowl. Other coaches should take note.