How Doug Pederson went from questionable hire to Super Bowl champion

When Doug Pederson was hired as the Philadelphia Eagles' head coach, he faced his fair share of critics.

The final hire of the 2016 offseason, Pederson's qualifications were questioned throughout league circles. The Ringer's Michael Lombardi even called the former Chiefs offensive coordinator "the least qualified to coach a team than anyone I've ever seen in my 30-plus years in the NFL."

Luckily for the Eagles, football games are won on the field and not the internet. Here's a look at how the seven coaches hired in 2016 fared with their teams:

Despite his critics, Pederson captured Super Bowl LII in just his second season at the helm. But how did the little-known coach achieve this level of early-career success?

Friends in high places

The Eagles head coach deserves a ton of credit for his team's accomplishments, but management provided the pieces to work with.

Executive vice-president of football operations Howie Roseman and VP of player personnel Joe Douglas made a number of key summer moves. Their hits include signing Alshon Jeffery, Brandon Brooks, and Patrick Robinson, and trading for Jay Ajayi.

The front office provided both the ammunition to execute his game plan and depth to overcome various injuries. These were two key factors for the eventual champions.

Coaching without fear

Pederson has already developed a reputation as a risk-taker. Philadelphia led the league with 29 fourth-down attempts in 2017-18, converting 20. This was the third-best rate in the NFL.

The Coach of the Year candidate took his fearless mentality to new heights during Super Bowl LII. Pederson made a number of impressive (yet risky) play-calls en route to victory, including a fourth-and-1 completion to Zach Ertz from his own territory, down by one point with 5:40 remaining.

His second-quarter call, the 'Philly Special,' has achieved legendary status. With 32 seconds left in the half and fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, most coaches would have taken the field goal - especially against Tom Brady's Patriots. Not this one.

"Our coach has got some guts, huh?" tight end Trey Burton told reporters after the game. "Here we are. Philly's never won a Super Bowl. We're fourth-and-1 on the goal line and he calls a trick-play pass to the quarterback? Come on, man."

Master of adjustments

When Carson Wentz went down after tearing his ACL in December, Philadelphia was given little chance to compete for the Lombardi trophy.

Pederson, however, adjusted masterfully with Nick Foles under center, tailoring his offense to fit the backup's strengths. It began with the running game. The Eagles ran a variety of concepts within their zone-reads. One select plays, offensive linemen have split responsibilities (some pass block, some run block). This opens up the popular Run-Pass Option. With so many layers, the offense became a nightmare for defenders.

Without his star quarterback, Philadelphia's head coach actually opened up his playbook. With a combination of vertical concepts and quick passes, defenses were forced to defend every blade of grass on the field. The Eagles ran a number of three-tight-end sets, often executing opposite crossing routes (called a "mesh") with the third running a stick (curl) in between. Whether a defense plays zone or man coverage, one of these players is usually open.

For the most part though, simplicity was crucial. Sixty-four percent of Wentz's passing yards came through the air, compared to just 51 percent from Foles after taking over. Deep passes are key, but they cannot open up without an effective short passing game.

Against the Patriots, the Eagles used a multitude of deceptive elements - simple play-action, pre-snap motions, RPOs - to help their QB. Rub concepts and double moves also freed up Ertz.

Finally, Pederson stayed aggressive rather than playing keep-away to beat New England, focusing on mismatches. When a safety or linebacker lined up opposite a slot receiver, he was often the first read. Nelson Agholor had six receptions for 73 yards in such matchups. Running back Corey Clement also exposed Patriots linebackers and strong safeties, catching four passes for 100 yards against their coverage.

After all was said and done, Pederson had the last laugh on his early detractors and proved that he truly belongs.