NFL: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson faces a big test this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

(Ed Mulholland | USA TODAY)

Although it was Phillies legend Mike Schmidt that said the following quote, it sure reads like one the Eagles' current head coach could relate to.

"Philadelphia is the only city," Schmidt once said, "where you can experience the thrill of victory and the agony of reading about it the next day."

Welcome to the life of Doug Pederson, who --putting it lightly -- has had a tough road since becoming head coach of the Eagles.

Last offseason, no other team besides the Eagles gave Pederson an interview. Although they would never admit it publicly, Pederson was not even the Eagles' first choice for the job. His hiring was not met with positive reviews, and was mocked by both the media and the fan base. Some -- ok, just someone -- feel he is the least qualified head coach history in the NFL.

In training camp last year, there was a running joke among media members that Pederson might end up with fewer wins than he had career touchdowns (12).

Yet despite all the jokes, doubters, critics and skepticism, it might soon be the time to admit that when it comes to Pederson, the perception is simply not the reality.

The perception of Pederson since he got to Philadelphia has been that he is a goofy, unqualified, clueless push-over who lives on thin ice.

The reality, however, might actually be very different -- especially if he can lead the Eagles to a win this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

Pederson enters this Sunday's contest 17 games deep into his NFL coaching career, and he currently holds a 8-9 record. That isn't a record that is going to blow anyone away, but maybe it should considering how Pederson got there.

Last season, his first as a head coach, the schedule Pederson ended up coaching against was an extremely tough one, with 10 of the Eagles' 16 games against teams that qualified for the playoffs. Only three of the Eagles' games ended up being against teams that picked in the top 15 of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Pederson took on that schedule with a rookie quarterback, Carson Wentz, who missed all of training camp and was coming from North Dakota State. His best offensive linemen, Lane Johnson, was suspended for 10 games and his second best offensive linemen, Brandon Brooks, was ruled inactive for two games just hours before kickoff. His defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, couldn't get a job the year before.

The group of skill position players Pederson was given to work with were also abysmal. In fact, two of the Eagles' top four receivers, their starting running back and their No. 1 cornerback from last season are not only off the team, they are completely out of the league.

Facing an uphill battle with a roster that very few would win with, Pederson actually did a fairly impressive.

He got the Eagles to seven wins, and their nine losses were by an average of just six points. Two of the Eagles' losses were by just one point, and they won more games by 10-or-more points (5) than they lost (3) by 10-or-more.

The Eagles' offense ended up 16th in the NFL in points-per-game last season, a fairly impressive accomplishment when you consider the players on the offensive side of the ball.

This isn't to say that Pederson should have been in the running for coach of the year last season, and that he is going to be a successful coach for the Eagles for years to come. Pederson has certainly made some mistakes of his own since taking the job, and he continues to make some puzzling in-game decisions. Things still seem confusing and chaotic with Pederson at times.

Despite the perception and how things look, however, the argument can be made that 17 games into his coaching career, Pederson has helped the Eagles win a lot more games than the one (at Dallas last year) he has lost them with poor decisions.

Still, there is no denying the public perception of Pederson remains a negative one. That certainly isn't the case in his own locker room, as evident by the Gatorade bath the players gave Pederson last Sunday after a week of seeing their coach's name dragged through the mud.

Things could change quickly, however, if Pederson can go into Kansas City this Sunday, beat the red-hot Chiefs and out coach his mentor, Andy Reid.

If Pederson can do that, it might finally be time to move past the perception and focus on the reality that we all might have been wrong about Pederson.

And maybe, for the first time since taking over as head coach, Pederson will be able to enjoy reading about his latest victory the next day.

Eliot Shorr-Parks may be reached at eshorrpa@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @EliotShorrParks. Find NJ.com Eagles on Facebook.