Pederson defends pulling Hurts: 'I was coaching to win'
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson shocked the football-watching community when he pulled quarterback Jalen Hurts with 12 minutes left in a tight, primetime game.
The Eagles trailed the Washington Football Team 17-14 and Hurts had scored Philly's only two touchdowns. Nonetheless, Hurts was replaced by Nate Sudfeld for the remainder of the game.
After the game, Pederson defended the decision.
"Yes I was coaching to win, yes that was my decision solely," Pederson said. "Nate has been here for four years and I felt that he deserved an opportunity to get some snaps."
Washington needed to win the game to clinch the division and a playoff spot and the New York Giants were counting on an Eagles victory to claim the final postseason position in the NFC.
Washington's victory was all but secured when Sudfeld entered the game. He threw an interception on his second pass and the Eagles wouldn't come close to scoring again.
"If there's anything out there that thinks that I was not trying to win the game, (tight end Zach) Ertz is out there, (defensive lineman) Brandon Graham's out there, (cornerback) Darius Slay's out there, our top guys are still on the field at the game. So we were going to win the game," Pederson insisted.
With the loss, the Eagles finished the year 4-11-1 and will pick sixth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.