Eagles head coach Doug Pederson talks about preseason opener. Photo by Jesse Garber

In case you weren’t sure, NFL coaches Do not game plan for preseason games. When someone asked a verson of that question on Tuesday after practice, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson couldn’t resist.

“We play the Steelers. Kickoff is, I believe, at 7:00 o’clock,” said Pederson, getting a chuckle out of the heat-soaked media. “We’re going to try to get everybody in this football game. It’s one of those games where we try to play everybody. We’re still evaluating, so it’s great to get everybody in this game. Our starters, offensively and defensively, the ones that are healthy and going to play, are going to get some good work. I want to make sure that they get a little bit of work in this game. And I want to see all the young guys perform, and they’ll get some great opportunities.”

Foles sat out of practice once again and the coach was as vague as ever.

“He’s had a little upper body issue that we’re just monitoring day to day and just giving him some rest,” said Pederson who was asked a few follow up questions, the first was of course if he was playing against the Steelers. “We’re going to monitor it again today and tomorrow and see where he’s at.”

Translation: No.

Fourth string quarterback Joe Callahan said at his locker Tuesday that the coaches told him and third string quarterback Nate Sudfeld that the two of them were going to split duties for the entire preseason.

So there you go….here is the rest of the press conference.

Q. You’ve got a chance to see the team the first two weeks of camp here. Is this team better than the one last year?
DOUG PEDERSON: It’s hard to say. We haven’t played any games yet. What I’m seeing out on the practice field though, the effort, the hard work. What I love about this team is they can — we can have a scuffle, we can have a little — some words back and forth, but they come together at the end and they embrace it and move on. That’s what I’d like to see from this team. Two weeks in, it’s been hot these last couple days, and they’ve really embraced it, and, again, until we start playing games, it’s hard to say.

Q. Besides the obvious of a win in a football game, what would make Thursday’s game against the Steelers a success for you?
DOUG PEDERSON: Well, number one, no major injuries, coming out of the game healthy. Number two, execution, all three phases. Sometimes when you play a lot of guys, things are going to happen in football games like this. But just overall execution. We’ve got a lot of young guys that are fighting for roster spots and giving us depth at a lot of positions, and it will be great for them to go out and perform well. And those are things that we want to see.

Q. Can you comment on your contract extension and what it means that the team invested in you? DOUG PEDERSON: I really wish nobody would have brought it up, but I’m definitely honored to be recognized that way. Listen, I feel truly, bottom of my heart, everything’s year to year. I’m going to coach my tail off this season, and I’m just thankful to [Chairman and Chief Executive Officer] Mr. [Jeffrey] Lurie and the Eagle organization for believing in me and trusting in me and giving me the extension. Just excited to go to work every single day.

Q. How important is it that you and Eagles Executive Vice President of Football Operations Howie Roseman both have contracts that are concurrent?
DOUG PEDERSON: Well, I think it’s important. I think what you’re seeing around the league is GM, head coach kind of have the same amount of years left. It really helps in sort of solidifying your plan, not only current plan but future plan. When you have the same amount of time remaining, you can collaborate that way and prepare that way.

Q. Vice President of Player Personnel Joe Douglas, you talk to him a lot too. Would you like to see him stay part of that whole thing?
DOUG PEDERSON: Yeah, Joe’s been a big part of everything we’ve done these last few years. He’s a big part of the process. The more people we can keep, love to have everybody. I know with another, hopefully another good season, that will happen.

Q. What do you expect the atmosphere to be like Thursday night in the first game as Super Bowl champs?
DOUG PEDERSON: I would expect it to be very similar to this past weekend, Sunday night. I mean, it was exciting. It was electric. Had a great show of fans out there, and I think it’s going to be that same – but hopefully more people, for our first game come out and support the team. Sort of pick up where we left off with the NFC Championship game last fall.

Q. Is there any difference on game day? Is this a test for you to change from former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich and former Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFillipo as opposed to Mike Groh as the offensive coordinator and Press Taylor as the quarterback’s coach?
DOUG PEDERSON: That’s a great question. Because you’re used to those two guys for the last two seasons. For them to take bigger roles, Press obviously with the quarterbacks and how he’s worked with them, and his involvement now on game day. Mike on the sideline still and being more of a voice in my ear that Frank was, and sometimes the voice of reason. It will be a great working environment. These are all reasons for these games, obviously, now with a couple new coaches in positions to work these things out.

Q. Are you starting to get a sense of getting the patience that you showed with some of the young guys last year? Like with WR Shelton Gibson and RB Donnel Pumphrey, is it starting to pay off here?
DOUG PEDERSON: Yeah, I do see that. These guys are working extremely hard. Obviously, Shelton’s coming back and Pump’s been working hard this training camp. You’re just seeing the growth in these guys. Of course, Shelton played a little bit last fall as a special teamer. I just think that confidence has shown in both those players.
That’s what it’s about when you draft young players, investing time. It’s going to take a couple years. Two, three, maybe four years to really fully see their talent and how they grow with the offense. Excited for these games and really looking for some big things out of both of those players.

Q. We haven’t heard anything about QB Carson Wentz being cleared for contact. Is it safe to assume he’s not going to play this week?
DOUG PEDERSON: You know what assume means, right?

Q. Is Carson going to play this week?
DOUG PEDERSON: He obviously hasn’t taken 11-on-11. We’re still watching his progress and monitoring that. If he’s not in practice, you can figure it out.

Q. Do you expect anything different in your guys’ plan for Wentz next week?
DOUG PEDERSON: Probably not. Probably keep going the way we’re going. He’s progressing extremely well. He’s getting stronger every single day. The 7-on-7 reps that he’s getting are valuable reps. It’s all part of the process.

Q. Eagles Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Lurie spoke very highly about the collaborative nature between you, Howie and other decision makers in the organization. How would you assess your relationship with Howie Roseman over the past couple years?
DOUG PEDERSON: We’ve gotten extremely close, more so than a business relationship obviously. He is a friend of mine. In this business we spend a lot of time together, coaches, players and personnel staff. For he and I to be attached like we are, we’ve got to figure out how to get along. And it’s been a real, real treat for me to get to know he and his family and [his wife] Mindy and the kids. I’m excited to work with him now the next few years. I know he’s excited as well.
Listen, as long as we continue to collaborate, stay in our lanes and keep doing our jobs, I think good things are going to happen.

Q. In the preseason last year you took a little different approach. The starters didn’t play as many reps as they did the year before and you sat some veteran players. Is that the plan this year as well?
DOUG PEDERSON: Did I do that just in the third game?

Q. Overall, if you looked at the total amount of snaps…
DOUG PEDERSON: Probably the third game, because we scrimmaged against Miami up here last year. That took a little bit of the reps away from the starters.
Honestly, if I can get a game full of snaps 65, 70 plays within three games or so, that’s good work. That’s good solid work with the starters. Still got to maintain an edge, obviously. It’s harder though. It’s harder in a preseason game because they know they’re only going to play ‘X’-amount of plays and then they’re coming out, so it is not a full game yet. We have to try and maintain that edge into the Atlanta game.

Q. The big emphasis last year was about Week 1. Throughout the preseason you kept mentioning Week 1 and you did the same thing to them. Are you doing that this year?
DOUG PEDERSON: I think you have to. I think you have to maintain. It’s part of the edge. Our week one rolls pretty fast. We’re playing a game on Thursday, preseason, a home game; opening day seven days later. I’ve got to keep talking to them as if we’re preparing this week for that game and that’s all part of their mindset.

Q. You didn’t have, obviously, QB Nate Sudfeld all preseason last year and QB Joe Callahan is pretty new. For those guys on Thursday night, how valuable will it be considering those guys will probably get most, if not all, of the snaps on Thursday?
DOUG PEDERSON: Yeah, it’s extremely valuable. We saw Nate in the Dallas game at the end of the year and thought he played well there. Those are things that you hope he can carry over into the preseason this year. I’ve been in that role before as a back-up where this is really our regular season. This is where we get to play and shine and perform. I encourage both those guys to embrace the opportunity for however long they’re in there. It really will go to show exactly where they are with this team, what they know with the offense and just the whole growth process of just learning everything that we’re about.

Q. You didn’t hit this week. Is that a change in your schedule? Did you ease off a little bit?
DOUG PEDERSON: I was going to go pads today, but the weather has been in the 90s. It’s been hot and these guys have been working extremely hard. We’re a little over 48 hours, obviously, to game time. So just wanted to pull back a little bit these last couple days. We had a hard workout in the stadium and just good work these last couple days. Getting them as fresh as I can for Thursday.

Q. Carson’s arm looks pretty alive and accurate despite the fact he’s getting yanked on and off the field. What have you been telling him? What have you been doing with him to keep his mind and body fresh?
DOUG PEDERSON: It’s a little bit of a challenge, and I say that because he’s engaged for about seven, eight, nine, 10 plays and then he doesn’t get the 11-on-11 work. So for us, it’s about attacking each period that he’s in, whether it’s the individual work or the 7-on-7s. Just detailing the work. He has to approach it like it’s game week. I just keep talking to him that way.

[Eagles quarterback coach] Press Taylor keeps talking to him that way. Mike Groh keeps talking to him that way. We’re not going to let anything slide; from his decision making to accuracy of throws, feeling the pocket, even though it’s 7-on-7s, timing, rhythm, all of that is part of the game. We just keep talking to him and putting him in those situations.

Q. How much sliding have you seen in his decision making or has that been the same?
DOUG PEDERSON: None. He’s really a guy that really challenges himself. He’s hard on himself. 7-on-7, obviously, is not full team rep so it’s a little more controlled. Yet at the same time, I want to make sure he’s a hundred percent accurate, a hundred percent with his decision making and that’s what he’s shown so far.