Chip Kelly Update: The Quarterback Whisperer?

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Mark Sanchez started his first game in two years Monday night, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a 45-21 win that was far more dominating than the score suggests. This is the same Mark Sanchez who was run out of New York as a failure, who went from leading the Jets to the AFC Championship Game in his first two seasons …

Chip Kelly Update: Quarterback Resistant

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Philadelphia Eagles won again, beating Houston 31-21, and have the second best record in the NFL at 6-2.  They also lost three more key starters to injury and continue to play poorly in many respects, leading to lots of crazy statistics. For example, the Eagles have the second lowest red zone efficiency in the league, yet they are the …

Chip Kelly Update: Brutal

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Philadelphia Eagles suffered a brutal loss to the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, 24-20. But it was the good kind of brutal. It was brutal because they nearly knocked off the team with the NFL’s best record (tied with Denver), the team that leads both the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers by two games. They nearly beat them in …

Chip Kelly Update: Bird on Bird Violence

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

After a bye week, perfect for the many injured Eagles to heal up, Philadelphia faces the surging Arizona Cardinals on Sunday in a battle between two of the four remaining one-loss teams. This game may well decide who gets a bye during the wild card round of playoffs. Every Eagle practiced this week except WR 4/special teamer Brad Smith, though …

Chip Kelly Update: Culture Beats Scheme, 27-0

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

It’s been an interesting week for Chip Kelly’s Eagles. The New York Giants built up to their NFC East showdown with Philadelphia by talking trash all week and literally stomping on the midfield Eagle logo right before the game. Chip Kelly lost a shoe and jumped on Jason Peters’ back. The Eagles released a silly cartoon of Eagles-linemen-ghosts haunting Eli …

Chip Kelly Update: The Eagles Suck. Also, Best in NFL

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

This is the most confusing football team ever. The offense is completely misfiring. Nick Foles led the league in long throws (over 20 yards) last year; in 2014, he’s 4 for 31, with three interceptions. Sunday was his personal low point in a miserable season; scrambling for a first down, he fumbled away the ball untouched as he rolled forward …

Arizona Wildcats: “Lightning Strikes Twice”

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Arizona Wildcats upset Oregon for the second year in a row Thursday night, and coach Rich Rodriguez was exultant after the game. “I don’t know if anybody picked us. … Not on the road. Lightning doesn’t strike twice. In fact, [the end of] our video we showed our guys last night actually showed a guy getting hit by lighting …

Chip Kelly Update: Well, That Sucked

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The 3-0 Eagles steamed into brand new Levi’s Stadium, hoping to kick the 1-2 San Francisco 49ers while they were down (two key defenders out, the coach fighting with management, and Colin Kaepernick showing his flaws). They left dismayed, perhaps exposed, with fans squabbling, coach Chip Kelly defensive and Nick Foles’s big contract payday at the end of this year …

Chip Kelly Update: DeSean Scored & the Eagles Won

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Philadelphia played its long awaited showdown with the Washington LOLSkins and it was even nastier and more dramatic than anyone could have imagined. DeSean Jackson has been cocky and attitudinal since he played at Cal. No one doubted that he wanted to get revenge against the team that cut him over the summer (and cost him millions of dollars a …

Chip Kelly Update: Dominatin’ Ugly

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Philadelphia Eagles are playing terribly. Nick Foles has been blind to wide-open receivers and throws erratically when he does spy them. LeSean McCoy, 2013’s leading rusher, has yet to reach 80 yards by land in a game. Four of the seven offensive linemen and three of five interior linebackers (if you count ILB/OLB Travis Long) are out injured and …

Chip Kelly Update: Like Father, Like Son

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Let’s call the Oregon Ducks’ football program the ‘father’ and the Philadelphia Eagles’ version the ‘son’. (Yes, Chip Kelly is the parent of both, but don’t overthink this metaphor into something creepy.) With all due respect for South Dakota State, both teams had their first real test this past weekend, and the family resemblance was striking. Both teams were favored but …

Spartans: “Oregon Adjusted, Mariota Evaded & We Lost It”

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Michigan State Spartans were stoic after Oregon’s huge comeback victory Saturday, accepting responsibility for failure and giving full credit to the Ducks, especially Marcus Mariota. MSU Coach Mark Dantonio said “Mariota’s tough, he leads, and he creates. And that’s the difference in the football game. He created, and we let him get out of it. Probably 4 or 5 …