Watch CBS News

Eagles Expecting Maximum Effort In Game Against Washington

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- No professional athlete ever likes having their effort questioned. Such was the case for several Eagles last Sunday.

After an uninspiring performance in a blowout loss to Cincinnati, fans were as upset as the mob in front of the Frankenstein Castle. The Eagles fell behind, 29-0, and fingers were being pointed at several players on different plays throughout the defeat. On Monday, head coach Doug Pederson admitted that not everybody may have given their maximum effort against the Bengals. Pederson addressed the issue with his team.

"They have been great," said Pederson. "The players are positive. The players know. They're players and they understand. I've been in that chair before and so I get it. I think that's the great thing about having played the game. You can relate to those guys and you know exactly what they're going through. We've had a great response and look forward to a great week."

The players do not believe there are any issues surrounding a lack of effort, but veteran tight end Brent Celek believes the effort can still be better in the final four weeks of the season.

"We're giving effort," Celek said. "But I think we can take it to another level. There's levels to that. You can go hard every single play. I think Doug's saying we can all do better. We gave give more effort. We can hustle a little bit harder."

One player who came under the microscope last week was Rodney McLeod. The safety was widely criticized on a play involving one of Cincinnati's touchdowns when he appeared to pull up as Jeremy Hill barreled into the end zone. McLeod defended his positioning on the play and said having your effort questioned can serve as motivation.

"You're a prideful guy," said McLeod. "You take that to heart. There are two things you can do. You can sulk about it or you can do something about it. I think we have guys that are doers and we'll do something about it."

The answers won't come until Sunday when the Eagles play host to Washington at the Linc. The Redskins are fighting for one of the wild card spots in the NFC with a 6-5-1 record. The Eagles appear to be all but mathematically eliminated as they sit at 5-7. Pederson is still trying to stir up post-season hopes for his team and is confident his players will be ready to go on Sunday.

"These guys are in a great frame of mind on game day," Pederson said. They're loose and they're energetic and they're ready to go. They're focused. You see it in pregame. It's been unfortunate, but it's something we've got to focus in on a little bit more. Obviously, this week, division opponent and you try to strike first."

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.