By Patrick Del Gaone, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
Many Philadelphia Eagles fans have been critical of the decision to give backup quarterback Chase Daniel $21-million over three years, a sentiment that gained momentum after multiple subpar performances in the preseason.
But through three games, starting quarterback Carson Wentz has been unflappable, leading the offense to 30 points per game without committing a turnover. Today, Pederson attributed a portion of that success to Daniel, an additional assistant coach wearing shoulder pads at the NovaCare complex.
“I do [view him as an additional coach] on the football field,” Pederson said. “Especially when I can’t be over there, when they’re huddled up during periods of practice, they’re constantly dialoguing. Chase has a lot of good insight, and a lot of good thought. He’s also sort of a calming presence for Carson, on the football field and in games. I just know from being a player, and being Brett [Favre’s] backup, he and I would talk a lot more on game day than us going to our coach. You’re the guys playing, so you get a lot more dialogue that way, and that’s what I’m seeing from Carson and Chase on Sunday’s.”
Daniel was a backup in Kansas City for three years while Pederson served as offensive coordinator under Andy Reid, so it’s very possible that Pederson, a former NFL quarterback himself, knew the type of insight and presence that the former Missouri Tiger could provide for Wentz in the City of Brotherly Love.
“It’s been very valuable to Carson obviously,” Pederson said. “Chase has been through this with Alex Smith for three years, he was with Drew Brees in New Orleans. The one thing that Chase really prides himself on is understanding our opponent. He does it through film study, and this is what I’ve seen these first few weeks with Carson. To have a backup quarterback, and obviously I know the role very well, to prepare as a starter, but yet at the same time, you’re there to assist the starter, and be another set of eyes for him on the field is beneficial. And that’s what chase has done, besides teaching him how to study, what to study and what to look for.”
Much has been made of Daniel and Wentz arriving before sunrise to consume as much film study as possible before practice. With the wins piling up, that relentless work ethic is bleeding over to other positional groups, including the young receivers, who are led by the determination of Vanderbilt product Jordan Matthews.
“Probably one of the hardest working players that we have,” Pederson said. “He’s in here extremely for a wide receiver. He’s constantly on the jugs machine, he’s constantly talking to his quarterback. He’s just making himself better every single day. It’s paying off, because it’s spilling over to the other guys in his room, in the wide receiver room. That’s the type of player you’ve gotta have, at all positions, but for him at the receiver position, when you’ve got a young group, it’s great to see someone like Jordan take charge.”
While Philadelphia is expecting starters Leodis McKelvin and Zach Ertz to return to action against the Lions, defensive tackle Bennie Logan left Thursday’s practice with a right calf strain and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game.
You can watch the full press conference from Pederson below.
