These are the two things I too out of yesterday's press conference at which Doug Pederson was introduced as the 23rd head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Pederson made one thing perfectly clear: He's not Andy Reid.
That's a good thing.
But he also said he was calling the plays in the second half of that Chiefs' debacle in the 4th quarter of their loss vs. the Patriots as they squandered five minutes driving the length of the field.
That one had Andy Reid stamped all over it. Let's hope Pederson left that in Kansas City. We've seen it here once. We don't need to experience it again.
Overall, I'd give Pederson decent marks for his debut. He went out of his way to embrace the passion of the city.
"I get it," he said. He should. He heard lots of it when he started nine games at quarterback for Andy Reid in Donovan McNabb's first season. It wasn't pretty.
"I understand the culture and the passion of Philadelphia," Pederson added. That on its own puts him in a better position than departed head coach Chip Kelly, who once tried to downplay a Cowboys game as just another game on the schedule.
Oddly enough, the other important thing to come out of yesterday's press event has more to do with owner Jeff Lurie than his new head coach.
The boss announced the team would be hiring a person to run personnel. But he left open just who would report to whom and whether or not that means Howie Roseman is control of things down at the NovaCare Center. For his part, Roseman talked for the first time since he was deposed when Lurie granted Kelly control over personnel 13 months ago.
Lurie dodged several attempts to clarify the Birds' front office situation, saying he didn't want to divulge any more information while the hunt for a new personnel guru is still in progress.
But he promised that he would once that process is complete.
We'll see about that.
For now, Pederson looked more than ready to fulfill what he sees as the No. 1 requirement of an NFL coach.
"You've got to be comfortable in your own skin," he said.
That would be Doug Pederson's, not Andy Reid's.
Now all he has to do is win.
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