Whether fans like it or not, 2015 is a rebuild year for Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles.
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Johnson leaped to come down with the 25-yard pass in the end zone for the first of a career-high matching three touchdown receptions, Stafford tied a personal best with five scoring passes, and the surging Detroit Lions kept the Philadelphia Eagles reeling with a 45-14 rout Thursday.
If last week’s blowout loss to Jameis Winston and the Bucs was riding the mine elevator down to rock bottom, Thursday was the arrival at the destination. I think its a combination of things, coach Jim Caldwell said at his Friday press conference.
Oh, to say a team has quit is one of the easier, more ridiculous and cliched statements you can make in sports.
“We’ve got to do a better job of getting to the quarterback”. The journeyman linebacker never quits.
Under Chip Kelly, it seemed clear they were a high-powered offense that could tire out and confuse opponents. They look bored. They are unprepared. The team, and fans, knew exactly who they were. The Eagles and Lions would trade punts before the Eagles would score a meaningless touchdown with less than three minutes left on Jordan Matthews 24 yard catch from Mark Sanchez to make it 45-14. The exchange brings in Sam Bradford who has potential, but has trouble staying on the field due to injuries.
Without Carroll the Eagles are losing one of their most consistent players in the secondary. They’ve flashed at times this season, but these past two games are uncomfortably similar to the meltdown we saw them suffer previous year.
The Lions opened the second half with a drive that lasted 7:51. The first four of those possessions “gained’ -15 yards”.
But the eye test tells you that fixing whatever is ailing this club these days won’t be so elementary.
“He said, ‘Ah, screw that, let’s go be aggressive, ‘” Stafford said of the OC, who changed the original play-call. After today, it’s nearly impossible to think it’ll be in Philly. When you are an National Football League coach and your team gives up 45 points in back-to-back games against the Tampa Bay Bucs and their rookie quarterback and the Lions and their struggling offense, the verdict is in.
And even though there are questions about coach Chip Kelly’s future and how he’s handled the roster since taking over personnel duties, he didn’t think effort was an issue.
And he should, his horrendous player-acquisition mistakes aside. It was the Red Sox eating fried chicken and beer after Tito Francona lost the team. If there were a white towel, the Eagles collectively would have thrown it. A nationally televised Thanksgiving day game (where the entire country is watching) the Eagles get blown out for the second straight week this time in the hands of the Detroit Lions.
Three weeks later, it seems the Lions have turned a corner.
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“It’s like we often remind the guys on this team that they have an opportunity to be with a very rare individual in Calvin Johnson”, Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said. It wasn’t to be. Kelly is being humbled because of an arrogant attitude and questionable off season moves in his first year as a general manager. Chip Kelly is hold the Eagles ransom, from themselves, at the threat of turning the team into the Washington Redskins.
