I really want to like new Eagles head coach Doug Pederson. I really do.

However, after his introductory press conference on Tuesday, he got on my bad list by offering a ridiculous excuse regarding Kansas City’s “Gone with the Wind” drive late in the fourth quarter against the Patriots last Saturday in the AFC Divisional playoffs.

Pederson fielded two questions about last Saturday’s mind-numbing drive that eventually led to Kansas City’s 27-20 loss to the Patriots.

Q. How much responsibility did you have for the Chiefs final drive in the playoff game against New England?

DOUG PEDERSON: I’ll tell you — I’ll even go back a little bit further. I was able to call plays [this season] really since the Pittsburgh game on, if you follow the Kansas City Chiefs. Coach Reid and I had a great understanding and a great feel for the game. He allowed me to call the second half of every football game from that Steeler game on. The second half of our playoff game the other night, I had the second half. I did have the second half and so I called the entire second half at that point.

Interesting. So, Reid allowed Pederson to call plays in the second half of games starting with their win over Pittsburgh (the first of 11 in a row before Saturday’s loss). Of course, that would mean Pederson was at the playcaller wheel for Saturday’s Drive of Doom. Credit the Philadelphia media, who were all over it:

Q. Why did that drive take so long?

DOUG PEDERSON: It took us time because No. 1, we did not want to give [Patriots QB] Tom Brady the ball back. We knew we were going to score. We knew we had timeouts and time. We were also limited with the number of receivers; we had [Chiefs WR] Jeremy Maclin out of the game at the time. We were down numbers. We felt like at that point, not to give the ball back to Tom Brady. We still had timeouts and time, even with the onside kick, to put ourselves in a position to tie the football game.

That’s an awful excuse. They didn’t want to give the ball back to Tom Brady.

Let me repeat. They didn’t want to give the ball back to Tom Brady.

Were the Chiefs aware they were trailing by 14?

The only way that excuse makes any sense is if the Chiefs are trying to tie the game, tied, or leading. That’s it.

YOU’RE DOWN BY 14. YOU’RE IN NO POSITION OF POWER.

Also, another hole in that logic deals with the timeout situation. If you have all three timeouts, you’re at least fully cognizant of the fact that you WILL/MAY have to give the ball back to Brady.

That’s terrible. If you’re down by two scores, try to make the game longer. Don’t shorten it and say, ‘aww, to hell with it, we can’t stop Brady. Let’s take nearly six minutes of game time to score.’

ISN’T THAT WHY YOU’RE IN THE PLAYOFFS?!!??! SO THAT YOU CAN STOP TOM BRADY!?!??!?!?

Oh my heavens.

Hopefully, Coach Pederson exhibits far more football sense when next summer and fall roll around.