Chip Kelly Update: Hatred and Hope

Mark Saltveit NFL

The Eagles lost again Sunday, this time to division rival Washington. The Skins are not a good team, though their defense has improved a lot, ranking second in fewest rushing yards allowed (at 78 per game). On the other hand, they had ten penalties, mostly earned, and key players were out injured (including WR DeSean Jackson and CB DeAngelo Hall). …

Chip Kelly Update: The Final Cutdown

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

After a crazy off-season of frenetic wheeling and dealing, controversies and silly hype, the Eagles season begins, for real, on Monday night during Prime Time. The final preparations are done. The Eagles lost their fourth preseason game, the most pointless, which strangely reassured some people who love to tell you preseason games don’t matter. Which is sort of true, except that …

The Truth Behind Chip Kelly’s Latest Moves

Austin Willhoft FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Ever since Chip Kelly made the bold move of trading All-Pro RB LeSean McCoy to Buffalo for former Duck standout LB Kiko Alonso, NFL executives have been calling him either an absolute genius or a total fool. As of today, a flock of nine Oregon players are on the Philadelphia roster, five of which are defenders: Casey Matthews, Brandon Bair, …

LB Tony Washington to Represent Oregon in East-West Shrine Game

Jordan Ingram FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

  For a special Oregon senior, there is one more football game on the schedule. Redshirt senior linebacker Tony Washington, Jr. will represent the Ducks, playing defense for the West in the 2015 East-West Shrine Game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., on January 17th. Some NFL Draft predictions have Washington projected as high as a fourth round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. Reppin the West …

Chip Kelly Update: Welp …

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Going into last Sunday’s showdown between NFC division-leading teams, optimism about the Eagles was soaring like Icarus did right before his wings melted. This game against Green Bay would define how great the Eagles really were. Talk of Philadelphia as a legitimate Super Bowl contender abounded, and one moron thought the tiff might be a preview of the NFC Championship …

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: 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 …

Winning the Trenches: The Key to the Oregon Ducks and Philadelphia Eagles’ 3-4 Defenses

Joe Kearns Analysis

There is a reason why defensive line guru Jerry Azzinaro was the one Oregon position coach who joined Chip Kelly on the Philadelphia Eagles’ coaching staff. The 3-4 defensive scheme and two-gap technique are just as important to Kelly as the fast-tempo, zone-blocking, and packaged plays. Azzinaro was Kelly’s right-hand man in installing the 3-4 as the base defense at …

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 …

Chip Kelly Update: Cuts to the Quick

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

OK, it’s getting serious now. And Cody Parkey (above) is smiling. The Eagles cut down to 76 players days ahead of the Tuesday deadline and handled it with class. (Their final cut to 75 was an injury waiver for backup center Julian Vandervelde on cut day.) Final cuts to 53 players are due by tomorrow (Saturday). The early releases were …

Chip Kelly Update: Shots Fired Across the Bow

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The opening skirmish in Chip Kelly’s 2014 NFL season took place last Friday, and while the results weren’t pretty — especially with the starting offensive line — the team showed a glimpse of its potential. The final score doesn’t really matter — it was a 28-24 loss to the Chicago Bears — but the engine of the offense was clearly …

Oregon Football: Six “Other” DLs to Watch in the Spring Game

Josh White FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Oregon Ducks football team is scheduled to play its annual Spring Game on what should be a picturesque Saturday inside Autzen Stadium.  And with it, the 2014 season will be officially under way. And, like every season, another batch of seniors have graduated, which leads to a bunch of question marks heading into the Spring Game coming up on Saturday.  Some of the …