Chip Kelly Update: Everything’s Good Again …

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive, NFL

… or is it? After weeks of despair and dissension, the 4-7 Philadelphia Eagles rallied to stun the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, 35-28. Chip Kelly outsmarted coaching legend Bill Belichick in their first head-to-head battle. Sam Bradford returned from injury and outdueled uber-QB Tom Brady, playing efficient, error-free football. Best of all, on Monday night the discarded DeSean …

Chip Kelly Update: Killing the Zombie

Mark Saltveit NFL

All of the NFC East rivalries are bitter, but Philadelphia vs Dallas is probably the worst. These games bring out the best or worst in the Eagles. No game last year was as fun for Eagles fans as the 33-10 demolition of Dallas in front of 20 million viewers on Thanksgiving Day, not even the 27-0 shutout of the disrespectful …

Chip Kelly Update: A Kick in the Teeth

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Atlanta Falcons had the worst defense in the NFL last year, ending up 6-10 despite boasting one of the league’s best QB-WR tandems in Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. Dan Quinn was the defensive mastermind behind the Seattle Seahawks during the last two years, when that defense led them to the Super Bowl twice, and an inspired choice to take …

Chip Kelly Update: Things You Don’t Already Know

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

There is a lot of “conventional wisdom” going around about the Philadelphia Eagles these days. For example: — Chip Kelly is an offensive wizard who doesn’t care about defense. — DeMarco Murray is worn out and headed for a crash, while LeSean McCoy will be huge for Buffalo. — All of the Eagles’ new players — Murray, Kiko Alonso, Ryan …

Insurance Offers Assurance for Ifo’s Future

Alex Towne FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Imagine your body and talent was worth $3 million. Imagine an injury jeopardizing your future in the blink of an eye. While the Ducks continue to rally after the recent loss of star cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, he has quite a predicament on his hands. According to ESPN Sports Business Reporter, Darren Rovell, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu has a $3 million insurance policy to cover …

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’s Amazing Special Teams

Joe Kearns Analysis

Fans will not find football players listed on official rosters as gunners, wings or kick return blockers, but Chip Kelly went out of his way to ensure the Philadelphia Eagles have quality players at those positions. Newcomers Chris Maragos, Bryan Braman, Trey Burton and Darren Sproles are just a few of the players behind the transformation of the Eagles’ special teams …

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 Journal — A Defining Moment: DeSean Jackson’s Release

Joe Kearns Coach's Opinion

Conventional wisdom dictates that a Philadelphia Eagles team whose offense earned the second-highest total yards would likely stay the course with its current personnel. Anyone who made that assumption ignored the fact that Chip Kelly does not care about conventional wisdom. The release of DeSean Jackson, the Eagles’ most dangerous receiver, this past March was a defining moment for Kelly. The …

Chip Kelly Update: Free Agent Madness

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Chip Kelly and GM Howie Roseman began their free agency moves on Tuesday, and they continue to implement their distinctive strategy: 1) Don’t swing for the bleachers by competing for the highest priced stars, 2) Stick to young players, 3) Aim for versatility, 4) Get good citizens and leaders. Philadelphia Eagles fans are not thrilled with this approach.  They want …