Anthony DiBona
Obviously it was important for the Philadelphia Eagles to win yesterday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. Some, including myself, even referred to the game as a “must win” for our beloved Birds. Sure enough, when the their backs were against the wall, Chip Kelly and his players came out and played their best game of the season.
But what did Kelly have to say today after being able to re-watch the game on film? Here’s what he said during his press conference just a few minutes ago!
Kelly on the success of the Eagles’ running game:
Coach Kelly: We just blocked better in the running game. It all starts with us being able to run the football. pic.twitter.com/gV2CqL06G6
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 12, 2015
My Thoughts: I guess it did come down to execution after all. The Eagles struggled to run the ball throughout the first four games of the regular season but they posted a ridiculous 186 total rushing yards on 34 carries, that’s 5.5 yards per carry. Those are the kind of numbers we got used to seeing from a Kelly-led offense but disappeared after a LeSean McCoy struggled in 2014 and the entire team struggled to start this season. But things look like they’re heading in the right direction.
Kelly on if that success was the result of a change in the type of running plays:
Chip: We ran the ball outside and more sweeps than we did in any game this year. #Eagles
— Matt Lombardo 🏈 (@MattLombardoNFL) October 12, 2015
My Thoughts: Once again, it just came down to execution. The offensive line played together as a cohesive unit and you didn’t see any plays where guys were unintentionally blocking the same player. It’s almost like they were professional football players finally doing what they were supposed to do.
Kelly on whether he prefers DeMarco Murray or Ryan Mathews:
Kelly on Murray and Mathews: "We look at both of those guys as the same player.''
— Paul Domowitch (@pdomo) October 12, 2015
My Thoughts: Now this will be the talk of the week. You’ll hear hot takes such as “OMG THEN WHY IS MURRAY MAKING SO MUCH MORE!?” When the truth is Kelly just doesn’t care. He doesn’t prefer one guy over the other, he just wants the team to be succcessful. If Kenjon Barner led the Eagles in rushing yards, it wouldn’t matter to him. The guy just wants to win some damn football games.
Kelly on Sam Bradford’s first half struggles and reason why he’s much better in second half:
Chip jokes maybe the #Eagles could hold a scrimmage before games so Bradford can start out better. "He'd be awesome in double headers"
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) October 12, 2015
My Thoughts: It’s nice to see Kelly joking around again, a win obviously lightened the mood a bit. But it is weird how much better Bradford has played in the second half compared to the first half of nearly every single game this season. Kelly even noted how statistically Bradford has done significantly better in the second half and it’s something they looked into. His double header remark drew quite a laugh from the media.
Kelly on Fletcher Cox’s dominant performance:
Chip: Cox has been a really distributive force since I've been here. #Eagles
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) October 12, 2015
My Thoughts: It’s no secret to us just how good Cox has been since the Eagles have drafted him. While the rest of the world just cares about numbers, Cox has been a dominant run defender and underrated pass rusher in past seasons. But now that he’s finally getting sacks, he’ll start to be recognized as one of the game’s best defensive linemen and rightfully so.
Kelly on Caleb Sturgis and if the team will work out another kicker:
https://twitter.com/JoshPaunil/status/653618585324154885
My Thoughts: This should be the case for Sturgis. He obviously missed an extra point for the second week in a row, which is ridiculous. But he bounced back and made every other kick he attempted (7/8 overall), including a 41-yard field goal. Considering the kicker situation around the NFL, the Eagles should just be happy with what they have and roll with Sturgis for the rest of the season. It’s worth noting that the Eagles went for it on fourth down in their own territory quite a few times which shows just how much they trust Sturgis’ leg for a long kick though. That’s certainly something worth keeping an eye on.
That’s all for my recap of Chip Kelly’s press conference earlier today. Be sure to check back here at Philly Influencer for everything and anything going on in the City of Brotherly Love!