Chip Kelly’s Experiment Teetering on Failure
By Regina Ham
It’s no question that the Philadelphia Eagles’ season is bad. Is it time to call Chip Kelly’s experiment a complete failure?
There are only a few weeks left before the NFL Playoffs begin and the Philadelphia Eagles might not be in attendance. It might not come as a surprise since the team is struggling. Its offensive game is having a hard time working in any sort of cohesive way. The defense, while being the better of the two, has been plagued by injuries that have caused it to falter. The quarterback situation is another whole story, with head coach Chip Kelly’s pick, Sam Bradford, being out due to a left shoulder injury. This leaves Mark Sanchez in the pocket, a move that hasn’t been paying off. Kelly was given full control of personnel decisions and boy, did he make some during the offseason.
Kelly acquired not only Sam Bradford from the St. Louis Rams in exchange for Nick Foles, but they also picked up running back DeMarco Murray from NFC East division rival Dallas Cowboys. Ryan Mathews from the San Diego Chargers joined the team as well as several rookies, including standout Jordan Hicks. The preseason went spectacularly well and many had high hopes for the team.
Then the regular season happened.
It’s safe to say that at this point, Chip Kelly is more of a mad scientist than a miracle worker when it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions was a blowout, 14-45. It was a disaster of a game and it looked like the team was giving up on its head coach. The defense couldn’t manage to stop the simplest of plays, the offense was just a complete mess and kicker Caleb Sturgis missed the only field goal attempt he would have all game. Mark Sanchez started out well but as he does in most game, collapses during the second half.
After the loss, rumors began swirling about Chip Kelly’s standing as the Eagles head coach. It’s not surprising given their 4-7 record. Rumors have been flying that his job is on the line and he might not be around next season to coach in Philadelphia. His grab for power during the off-season gave him plenty of chances to fix the Eagles problems. However, it only created more issues than it solved. With the season in the final stretch, it’s safe to say that Kelly’s ‘grand experiment’ is on the verge of failing.
Live Feed
Betsided
Chip Kelly’s style of offense isn’t entirely new in the NFL. His preferred method is no-huddle fast offense with a hint of zone-read plays. His first season with the team had players that could work well with his system. Then Kelly decided to lose all of them and replace them with guys that have done very little to give the team’s offense any type of momentum. Sam Bradford was a pinnacle of Kelly’s grand plan but he isn’t the type of athletic quarterback Kelly needed. Bradford was still rehabbing his second ACL injury in as many years. He isn’t going to be the franchise quarterback that Kelly wants and that is where his plan is majorly failing.
There is also the lack of responsibility from Chip Kelly. He often says that he isn’t sure why his team is faltering. According to Sports Illustrated, Kelly spoke after the team’s loss to Tampa Bay saying “I don’t know exactly why not, but I know we didn’t make plays when we had to make plays.” Kelly himself will not admit when he’s at fault and instead throws players and other under the bus. The team’s record is embarrassing and is 100% because of the head coach. He is constantly pointing out how close the team comes to winning games but won’t admit that he’s at fault. His arrogance is unsettling and as a head coach in the NFL, you can’t act like you’re beyond all wrong.
More from Eagles News
- How former Eagles star Cre’Von LeBlanc helped Renegades upstage Cowboys
- Eagles 2023 schedule: Every WR duo Darius Slay, James Bradberry will battle
- Imagining better names for Jason Kelce’s Good Guy Award
- Bold predictions for the Philadelphia Eagles offense in 2023
- Reactions as ESPN suggests NFL roster moves involving Eagles, Carson Wentz
The Eagles seem to have tuned their head coach out and that is where all his hard work is falling short. Kelly was not spoken highly of by former players like LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson. His current players are now starting to grumble. Darren Sproles and DeMarco Murray, to name a few, have complained about their lack of touches and are openly vocal about their roles. Chip Kelly is not getting along with his players during his third-year of coaching and that could lead to a split after the 2015 season. When you lose the respect of your players, it’s hard to have them work with you and fix mistakes.
As the season ends, Chip Kelly needs to carefully watch how he spends his time the next few weeks. With disconnect from the team, he’s going to need to work harder to make his experiment successful on some level. Wins would help push the team into a potential playoff position. Yet Kelly is losing his team and from his motivation to his play-calling and player management, it looks like his grand scheme is falling and breaking down. If Kelly can’t bring his team back from the bring of utter disaster, he might be flying away from Philadelphia.