The Philadelphia Eagles are loaded on offense and with such talent comes a boatload of expectations. Doug Pederson is safe as the Eagles head coach, but could offensive coordinator Mike Groh end up a casualty if the Birds offense gets off to a slow start?
ESPN.com believes so, placing the Eagles offensive coordinator in the top-5 of candidates on the hot seat this season for all 32 teams. Here’s what Tim McManus had to say on the subject:
5. Philadelphia Eagles
Who’s on the hot seat: Mike Groh, offensive coordinatorWhy his seat is warm: The Eagles dipped from second in the NFL in points per game in 2017 (28.6) to 18th in 2018 (22.9) under Groh, who took over as offensive coordinator last season when Frank Reich departed to become the Colts’ coach. There were several reasons for the offensive regression, including quarterback Carson Wentz not being himself as he returned from ACL/LCL surgery and dealt with a bad back. But that doesn’t fully explain why Philly consistently had difficulty scoring early in games. This year, there’s no reason why the offense shouldn’t take flight now that Wentz is healthy and surrounded by playmakers.
Howie Roseman totally retooled the Eagles offense, trading for Jordan Howard and drafting Miles Sanders at running back. Roseman then acquired DeSean Jackson and drafted JJ Arcega-Whiteside. It’s on Groh, along with Doug Pederson, to mesh some talented athletes and personalities into one dynamic offense.
Last season the Eagles offense finished middle of the pack in yards and total yards per game.
With Doug Pederson stressing the Eagles need to start fast in the first quarter this season, Groh could end up being the scapegoat if the Birds start slow out the gate.
