We are just days away from finding out what Chip Kelly was hiding during the preseason. It seems like no coach in the NFL has been under the spotlight more than Kelly since his hiring in mid-January.
In the past eight months, I have been asked, on many occasions, how I think Kelly will do as the Eagles’ head coach. And my opinion has not changed.
I believe he will either be really good or really bad -- no in-between. The NFL is a copycat league and if Kelly is successful bringing his creativity from college to the NFL, other teams will follow suit in a hurry.
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If that is the case, then the Eagles will have hit the jackpot because there is nothing like being the first in a growing trend. However, if Kelly is overmatched and unable to make the transition to the pro game, then the Eagles will face years of rebuilding.
After spending time at training camp and watching the preseason games, I am beginning to believe that Kelly will be a hit. I really like the up-tempo offense despite the limited times we saw the first team run it in the preseason.
There seems to be a growing number of national analysts who believe Kelly is the real deal. NBC Sunday Night Football analyst Cris Collinsworth was the latest to praise Kelly.
“I think it is going to work,” Collinsworth told Comcast SportsNet. “I think the Eagles are going to be very close, if not in the playoffs in his first year. I’ll be surprised if they are not.”
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Powerful words from a powerful voice in the NFL.
Kelly intrigues us all because he has limited his accessibility, and we really don’t know what he plans to do Monday night in Washington.
Teams have studied Oregon’s playbook from last year but have no idea what to expect. The Eagles’ talent level, particularly on defense, will limit what Kelly can do, but from a fans’ standpoint, this should be one entertaining season.