Chip Kelly is known for doing things his way. His offense is uncommon and the way he manages is also unique. He’s used heart monitors during practices and even has done sleep studies on his players. During practice the former Oregon coach plays music, providing his players a fun environment. He also mandates personalized protein shakes to ensure his players are receiving the proper nutrients.
In order to keep up with the fast-paced offense Kelly has implemented, he needs the team to have the utmost trust in him. Judging by the performance on Monday night, it’s safe to say that the Philadelphia Eagles have bought into the Chip Kelly regime.
Michael Vick, the starting quarterback, is the ideal signal-caller for Chip’s offense. The offense will be problematic for opponents if Vick is able to cut back on turnovers and make smart decisions. The up-tempo offense requires Vick to make quick decisions and successfully operate the read-option.
The ‘Sean twins, LeSean and DeSean, will experience great success in this offense. Jackson is a jack-of-all-trades; he can be positioned in different formations and exploit defenses. He has lightning speed and when engaged he can be a top-10 receiver. On Monday night, Jackson made minced-meat of the Washington Redskins while he caught seven passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. Most importantly was the fact that his receptions were intermediate routes, not just “go deep and I’ll throw it up routes.”
While Vick has to be smart with the rock, the offense is predicated on running the ball effectively. McCoy was being compared to guys named Peterson and Foster after the 2011 season but wasn’t able to follow-up the following year with the same success. Under Kelly, McCoy will have many opportunities to run the ball but most importantly, he, along with the rest of the Eagles roster, has a kid-on-a-sugar-rush excitement. McCoy finished with 184 yards rushing, one yard shy of his career best.
You could see it last night, players jumping on Kelly and smacking the visor off his head in excitement. Against a dangerous offense and divisional rival, the Eagles slapped the Redskins in the mouth on enemy grounds. While many were anticipating Robert Griffin’s performance, the Kelly-led offense turned him into an afterthought.
While the Eagles made a critical mistake in their first possession; allowing for DeAngelo Hall to take a fumble 75 yards for a touchdown, it was the newly-implemented offense from Philadelphia that turned heads.
Vick was utilizing his weapons, creating big plays in the running and passing department while the defense piggy-backed off the momentum and held the Washington offense scoreless in the first half. The read-option is a go-to for the ‘Skins but Alfred Morris, a rookie sensation a year ago, was held in check while Griffin imitated a deer in the headlights.
The boyish excitement on the sidelines for the Eagles was a joy to watch. Kelly is trying to sway the critics that are doubting his offense and doubting that a college coach can experience success in the big leagues.
Courtesy: NY Daily News
The score insinuated that the game was close (33-27), but it was far from it. The Redskins were shellacked in the first half as the Eagles dashed to a 26-7 lead in the first half. Enraging the fans at FedEx Field, McCoy pranced to a 34-yard touchdown on the opening possession in the second half creating an enormous deficit of 33-7. When returning to the sideline, McCoy jumped up and smacked Kelly’s visor off his head. For a younger coach such as Kelly, that type of enthusiasm is warranted and important.
Complacency and/or fatigue caught up the Eagles who were held scoreless for the remainder of the contest. The Redskins capitalized and scored three touchdowns to cut the lead the six with a little more than a minute to go in the fourth quarter. However, the Eagles held the ball and shunned any such comeback for their first win of the season and Kelly’s first as an NFL head coach.
The sample-size from Kelly is small; the first game of the season is not when the champion is crowned or the division is won. The underlying factor will reside with Vick and his health. For many mobile quarterbacks the issue is the amount of hits they endure while running the read-option or opting to tuck-and-run. Vick has a serious injury history and he needs to fully-understand when to slide and refrain from taking unnecessary hits.
With a strong fan-base behind him, Kelly has given the Eagles and its fans a reason to smile on Tuesday. While the past seasons have been empty promises and lackluster results, Kelly is a shining beacon of hope for a city that wants to celebrate, that needs to rejoice, and need to see their team crowned as World Champions.
