Chip Kelly doesn’t just want his skill players to have speed. He places a high premium on athletic offensive linemen who can execute their blocks both at the line of scrimmage and in space. It is easy to see how Lane Johnson‘s rare athletic ability convinced Kelly to select the Oklahoma offensive tackle with the fourth overall pick last year. …
It was Dec. 1, 2013. With the score at 7-7 in the second quarter, the Philadelphia Eagles marched to the Arizona Cardinals’ 6-yard line. It was at this moment when Chip Kelly unveiled a surprising wrinkle. If Nick Foles was there, who was lined up as quarterback? Meet Brad Smith. …
Two weeks ago, against the Dallas Cowboys, Nick Foles had one of the worst games any NFL quarterback has thrown (up) this year. Today, he’s in the NFL Hall of Fame. Literally – as we speak. Foles destroyed the Oakland Raiders, 49-20, last Sunday by tossing 7 touchdowns (3 to former pariah Riley Cooper), tying the league’s record for TDs in …
from Video Four weeks ago, I thought the Eagles had hit rock bottom with their 52-20 loss to Denver. If only . . . Part of that was the schedule. They had just lost to the dominant Broncos, the (still undefeated) Chiefs and the surprising Chargers. Ahead was a parade of cream puffs: the Giants, Tampa Bay, Dallas (less so), …
from Video Two weeks ago against Tampa Bay, Nick Foles was the best quarterback in the NFL. He was the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, throwing for 22-of-31, for 296 yards and 3 TDs, and even ran in a touchdown. His QBR (ESPN’s quarterback rating) was 89.8, and he was leading the NFL in completion percentage (at 58.3%) for …
from video Chip Kelly’s Eagles are surprising people — after disappointing them — after startling them, like a date with too many tattoos and no job who proves nicer and more respectful than you or your parents imagined. The Birds evened their record at 3-3 and stayed apace with Dallas with a solid, if not spectacular, win against Tampa Bay, …
from Video Since last week, the Eagles won an important game against the Giants, did not give up a turnover, showed play-making ability on defense with three interceptions and took first place in their very weak division with a 2-3 record (they’re ahead of the Cowboys, who are also 2-3, on tie breakers). DeSean Jackson was named Offensive Player of the …
from Video It’s not exactly a bye week, but the Eagles’ compressed start to the season — 3 games in 11 days — has given them extra time to recover from the discouraging loss at home to Kansas City. So this is a good time to take stock of where Chip Kelly’s renovation project stands. Here’s the short story: The team’s talent …
Kevin Cline In five short days, the euphoria of Chip Kelly’s stunning NFL debut win over the Redskins has been wiped out by an icy blast of reality as cold as the Gatorade bath Andy Reid got last night. Two quick losses in close games have put Kelly under the worst pressure of his coaching career, encouraging doubters and raising …
from Video With the Eagles’ season opener against Washington barely more than a week away, fans are anxious after a puzzling game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Gus Bradley’s team seemed to baffle Philadelphia with their slants and stunts on defense, while Chad Henne (the backup quarterback of this 2-14 team) dissected the Eagles on an opening drive as the Birds gave …
Chip Kelly got his first win, 14-9 against Carolina Friday, and answered a lot of the questions surrounding his radical makeover of the Eagles. Anxiety among fans and sportswriters turned into swelling excitement as the offense moved into high gear, showing a stout front line against the Panther’s powerful rush and demonstrating some of the deceptively simple flex-plays that Chip …
It used to be the Top Ten. A team had to start the season ranked tenth or higher if they wanted to win the national championship, as every team since 1990 had done. Then along came Auburn in 2010 who cheated lowered the bar, (as they did in so many other areas[1]) of what a team’s preseason ranking needed to …