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When you watch a game at Lincoln Financial Field, it is a given that the broadcast will show stock Philadelphia images. You’ll see Boathouse Row, the Liberty Bell, and the Philadelphia Art Museum steps with people doing their own Rocky run. Chip Kelly needs to take his own lesson from Rocky and start fighting back with his offensive scheme. Here is a list of the last five Super Bowl winners:
Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers.
What do these teams have in common? Yes they fielded stifling defenses and were beneficiaries of great coaching, but they also did not let other teams dictate their games. Each team took the field with an attitude that they could score at any moment, move the ball down the field, and make defenses pay for their mistakes. They were not reactive teams, they were proactive. This is a huge point that Kelly needs to understand.
In the last two games, the Philadelphia Eagles‘ offense has sputtered. Opposing defenses have schemed to take out DeSean Jackson and, at the moment, the other options at receiver are not good enough to get open when needed. Kelly, rather than sticking with the look we saw in the first game of the season, has adjusted his offense. The speed is gone. The plays are longer. Michael Vick is holding onto the ball behind a line that is still having breakdowns. Kelly is still taking the bait and making some inexplicable play-calls (ex: taking a delay of game penalty and following it with a punt on Sunday). In his struggles, he has now lost three games in a row for the first time in his coaching career.
Make no mistake, this game on Sunday is a must win. It is gut-check time for Kelly. The Eagles are on the ropes. Let’s fight, and go back to the roots of the offense that dazzled spectators in the college game and convinced Howie Roseman to write Kelly a fat paycheck. Philly is a city of fighters. Let’s get some pride back on the field. Make the Giants respond to the Kelly spread-option and not man cover receivers with a single high safety. Let’s package play and bubble screen all afternoon.
Right now this group is not the Eagles. They are still figuring out things in a learning and building year. It’s time to take some steps forward and this is the section of the schedule to make some ground.
The time is now.
Matt Shaner is a Philadelphia Eagles writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @MDShanersports, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
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