His future as a head coach is in peril. Almost certain losses loom in Green Bay on Sunday, then when the Saints visit a week later. So, Doug Pederson has settled on his scapegoat:
A re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-reconstitutued offensive line.
With unusual candor, Pederson blamed his feeble front five after Monday night's toothless loss to the Seahawks. He did it again in Tuesday morning's afterglow.
"You know me. I'm not going to sit here and throw people under the bus," Pederson said Tuesday, right before he started the bus's engine, closed the bus's door, then steered the bus over left tackle Jordan Mailata, right tackle Matt Pryor, and 38-year-old, first-time right guard Jason Peters.
"We've got a lot of moving parts, a lot of moving pieces, particularly in the offensive line," Pederson said. "We've got a left tackle that this is — basically football is new to him. He's just learning how to play this game. A right tackle that doesn't have a ton of experience. He's learning how to play the game. Gosh, we took an All-Pro left tackle, and he has given of himself, to play right guard."
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Pederson isn't wrong. His line is awful. It's why the screen game stinks; screens require precise timing. It's why the run gets stuffed. It's the main reason why quarterback Caron Wentz has been sacked 46 times, almost 25% more than the No. 2 turf-eater, Russell Wilson. It's even a reason why Pederson is reluctant to move the pocket and roll Wentz out to the right; defenses expect that, Wentz said, and load up their left edge to squash it.
We call it a re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-reconstitutued offensive line because, on Monday night, Pederson used a 10th combination of linemen in 11 games, the most combinations in the NFL this season. It looks like they'll use an 11th version in their 12th game Sunday evening, as fourth-round rookie Jack Driscoll saw practice time at right tackle Wednesday.
Coincidentally, Packers coach Mike McCarthy used in 11 combinations in 2017. Not coincidentally, McCarthy was fired after that season.
If the same fate awaits Pederson, whose team was favored to win the NFC East but stands at 3-7-1, he's got his reasons all lined up.
"I think it just comes down to, offensively, we've battled with a lot of injury, a lot of different moving parts up front with the offensive line," Pederson said. "Guys in and out. It's just we haven't had the consistency and continuity you would like week-in and week-out."
That is true. That is also, to a degree, Pederson's fault.
