In its most organic sense, the wonderful thing about having things your way is the fulfillment of being in control…which drives the mindset of having a significant role in a positive outcome. If only it were that simple in the world of the game we love!
A lot has been said about the personality or lack thereof of Eagles Head Coach Chip Kelly. I won’t be able to weigh in on that particular factor either way. He has been on my radar since his long ago days at the University of Oregon….and all the hype that surrounded his NFL entry….and still my indifference lingers. I do have respect for what he is trying to do though…a system, when working as it is intended, is a thing of beauty….just ask the Patriots. Also on the respect tip….not taking away from anyone’s skill level…I wholeheartedly believe if you remove player A and insert player B from another team—HE will be successful in New England—their system is designed so that a square peg CAN fit into a round hole!
The thing is, somebody has to speak up on behalf of my Sooner brethren, Sam Bradford & DeMarco Murray, Philadelphia’s quarterback and running back respectively….I’m not saying the system Coach Kelly is trying to implement won’t work, what I am saying is this:
Up first….at this very moment, the terms quarterback and running back are being used loosely. Sam’s accuracy nor arm strength have yet to show up with any consistency….he seems to be pleasantly surprised when the opportunity to complete a play is presented—that’s a problem! And when the majority of quarterbacks in the league….many with running skills that strongly resemble an underwater jog….have more rushing yards than your star running back…aka last year’s lead rusher…well, that’s a glaring problem!
The common denominator—a haphazard offensive line. Perhaps the most overlooked role in the entire sport is the significance of these fellas on the front row. Without their outstanding support, running backs spend a lot of time on the same side of the field with jerseys that look like their own & quarterbacks spend a lot of time sunny side up! The o-line must do better—no time like the present to get back to the drawing board, Chip!
Can’t forget the defense. A hurry up offense is magnificent…when.it.is.working! When it isn’t….it is comparable to shooting oneself in the foot—multiple times. The offense is in and out in roughly 3 solid snaps…the other guys come in trying to defend the throne…vicious cycle continues…defense wears down…other team capitalizes on the vulnerability…offense becomes offensive very quickly—to the fans for sure & who could blame the defense if they felt the very same!
By no means is all lost….time is on the side of the Eagles & the rest of the teams.
My outlook on the season is about the same as it is with the outlook on my Office Pool League:
The very first week…nothing but pure excitement and yet I still completely forgot to show up…..the Minnesota Vikings can totally understand how this happens. Absolutely no better way to kick things off at the bottom of the barrel…
Once it was officially put on the to-do list, my picks fared only slightly better than forgetting altogether…below 500 is far from a confidence builder….let’s be honest, who in the world picked Tampa Bay to beat New Orleans—in the Superdome no less?
Good news is….a winner will not be selected for a long, long time. Memo to Jets fans: 2-0 is a nice start….don’t go making early 2016 travel plans to San Francisco just yet though! By the same token, Giants fans don’t need to start carving out sad faces on brown paper bags because of a 0-2 start!
That’s part of what we love most about this game….the tide can change on any given Sunday!!
