Doug Pederson’s first week as head coach of the Eagles was strikingly similar to his early days as a starting quarterback here, filled with skepticism and handled with a smile. He definitely does understand the passion of Philadelphia. He gets us.

In fact, when I talked to him one day after his hiring became official last week, he recalled with a chuckle the 1999 season, when he endured a 2-7 start and a vicious crowd at Veterans Stadium before losing his job to a talented young kid named Donovan McNabb.

“We played our games in the Vet, and it was difficult,” he said, “But I’ll tell you what – it toughened me up.”

Let’s hope so. The only job in Philadelphia more likely to bring out our negative side than quarterback of the Eagles is the head coach, and Pederson managed to energize the boo-birds all over again with two worrisome issues. They have familiar themes – time management and the starting quarterback.

The fact that Pederson’s mentor is Andy Reid, the most successful and most maddening Eagles coach in the past half-century, was lost on no one after Kansas City blew its chance for an upset over New England by butchering the final minutes of a 27-20 loss. This was an epic fail, along the lines of Super Bowl XXXIX.

No one is booing Doug Pederson yet. But he knows very well that it won’t take much to turn the crowd against him. It won’t take much at all.

At Pederson’s introductory news conference, he revealed that it was he, not Reid, calling the plays in the second half of that game, and he saw no problem with the clock management. The new Eagles coach actually said the Chiefs thought they had a better chance at executing an onside kick after scoring than stopping Tom Brady.

If Pederson were a Broadway play, he would have closed after his first performance. Eagles fans were so livid over that explanation that I did something I had never done in my 26 years on WIP radio. I begged Pederson to lie to us the next day, to distance himself from such a stupid rationale.

He found a solid middle ground when he appeared on my show, acknowledging that the strategy had failed and referring to it as a “learning experience.” Fans chose to blame the mess on Reid – who is still defending the strategy, by the way – and all they can do now is hope Pederson is a quicker thinker than his mentor.

Of course, given the current state of the Eagles roster, Pederson may not have to worry about close games in his rookie season as head coach. And that sobering thought leads to the top concern entering the off-season, the status of starting quarterback.

Pederson certainly kept the door open on a Sam Bradford return, even though the soon-to-be free-agent quarterback is reportedly asking for $25 million a year, and would cost over $20 million if the Eagles place the franchise tag on him. At one point, the new coach even said he was looking forward to working with Bradford “in the spring.”

However, Pederson also hired John DiFilippo, a Radnor, Pa. native who was a position coach for backup quarterback Mark Sanchez in Sanchez’ rookie season with the New York Jets. If Pederson is thinking about turning over the team to Sanchez, the coach will be inviting a reception far worse than 1999.

There is no single move that will alienate Pederson to the passionate fan base he knows so well more than bringing back a quarterback who guarantees failure, both on the field and in the seats. Sanchez is toxic in this town. He will suck all of the life out of the passion for the Eagles here. Take my word for it.

Despite these early concerns, Pederson navigated his first week as Eagles coach better than he did early in his tenure as the team’s starting quarterback. Seventeen years ago, he lost the first four games, inspiring the 700 Level to new levels of horrific behavior.

No one is booing Doug Pederson yet. But he knows very well that it won’t take much to turn the crowd against him. It won’t take much at all.

***

The basic assumption after Chip Kelly was fired three weeks ago was that former GM Howie Roseman had returned to power, the man nearest and dearest to Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie.

Now, suddenly, that perception is changing.

My colleague at WIP, Rhea Hughes, attended the news conference last week for new head coach Doug Pederson, and she came away with an entirely new theory on the inner workings of the Eagles front office. If anything, Roseman’s job may in more jeopardy than ever before.

According to Rhea, Roseman was hardly in a celebratory mood as he stood in the back of the auditorium before reporters demanded that he break a year-long silence that began when Kelly forced him out of his personnel job, and into an office on the other side of the NovaCare complex.

The ex-GM spoke mostly about what he had learned during his exile, stressing the need for better people skills after his relationships with many co-workers had soured over the years. Lurie wouldn’t even describe Roseman’s role in the revamped hierarchy, which still lacks a new personnel guru.

Rhea’s theory is that Lurie, who said he talked to dozens of inside-football people during the coaching search, finally learned the truth about Roseman’s negative reputation around the league. Before Reid encouraged Pederson’s move here, the ex-Eagles coach may have finally told Lurie what he really thought of Roseman.

The latest guess here, based on Rhea’s impeccable instincts, is that the new personnel guy will actually become Roseman’s next boss, assuming the role of a respected voice in the front office that has been lacking for decades. Instead of returning to power, it is possible Roseman will have to change his ways just to save his job.

Wouldn’t that be the strangest twist in this Chip Kelly saga? And wouldn’t it be the best thing to happen to the Eagles in a very long time?

***

Chip Kelly may have had a change in coasts, but he definitely hasn’t had a change in attitude.

At his introductory new conference in San Francisco, the ex-Eagles coach made it clear he didn’t feel responsible for the abrupt and premature end of his tenure in Philadelphia. His first losing season as a head coach has altered nothing, it appears.

As usual, Kelly separated his beloved “football guys” from the rest of the world, chirped about how he had no interest in public opinion and continued to scoff at the notion that his hurry-up offense was compromising his defense. Through all of it, he fired off one quip after another, sparring with a whole new cast of reporters.

Unlike his debut here, however, most of the jokes fell flat, and the unbridled optimism of 2013 turned into a healthy skepticism this time around. Kelly is damaged goods now, having squandered a chance for NFL success because of a terrible year as Eagles GM and because of a serious lack of people skills.

Oh, he made it clear he didn’t want control over personnel – as if any team would give it to him after the past season – and he didn’t exactly jump at the opportunity to bring back inept defensive coordinator Billy Davis. So, he did acknowledge a couple of his most obvious mistakes.

But in the end, the story he is selling, and the 49ers are buying, is that he was a victim of a flawed Eagles organization run by an owner who prioritizes Christmas parties over winning football games. That argument happens to be true, but it is hardly the only reason for Kelly’s stunning fall from grace.

Chip Kelly still has a great deal to offer as a head coach, but first he’s needs to understand a few things he obviously didn’t learn in Philadelphia: The fans are important; they need a frequent dialogue with the coach. The people in any organization must be treated with respect, even if that just means saying hello in the hallway. And the defense needs less time on the field.

Will Kelly make these changes? It sure didn’t look that way at his first news conference in San Francisco.

And finally ...

     • Sam Bradford continues to defy logic. The Eagles quarterback (for now) reportedly is demanding $25 million per year in a long-term deal with the Eagles. Is he basing this overly generous opinion of himself on the last half of the 2015 season? Well, what about the first half, or his two ACL injuries, or his mediocre 81.0 career passer rating? The man is delusional.

    • Mike Trout should be playing in Philadelphia, not Los Angeles. The best baseball player in the world reported live over the weekend on The Weather Channel, describing the blizzard in his beloved hometown of Millville, N.J. He could have been sunning himself on the West Coast, but not him. He’s one of us. He belongs here.

     • Remember all the drama involving guard Evan Mathis after the Eagles coach Chip Kelly cut him last spring? Well, now Mathis is getting ready to play in the Super Bowl, while Kelly didn’t even make it through the season in Philadelphia. I’m guessing Mathis is pretty happy the way things worked out, aren’t you?

     • The first personnel move since Doug Pederson took over as Eagles head coach was a good one, the signing today of tight end Zach Ertz to a five-year contract extension worth $42.5 million ($20 million guaranteed). Now just one question: Who in the front office has the power right now to make this decision?

     • Larry Brown remains one of the most compelling people in sports. After losing to Temple Sunday, his SMU team is still 18-1 but ineligible to go to the tournament because of a series of NCAA infractions. Meanwhile, he remains a public guardian of the interests of the Sixers, and he still is relevant to kids who could be his grandchildren. Did I mention the man is 75?