Chip Kelly: 'I Hope Nick Foles Is Here For A Long Time'
Chip Kelly says that he hopes Nick Foles is the QB of the Eagles 'for a long time.'
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Chip Kelly says that he hopes Nick Foles is the QB of the Eagles 'for a long time.'
Who knew this was going to happen? Not many. Back in July, there were some that had suspicions the Eagles could be a 7- or 8-win team, but no one was predicting playoffs for a team that needed time to coalesce and heal in recovering from a feckless 4-12 season last year.
Mike Vick is saying all of the right things about Nick Foles being named the starting quarterback. Responding to the decision in a supportive way is welcome news to Chip Kelly as well.
Despite the return of Michael Vick from a hamstring injury, Nick Foles will be the Eagles starting quarterback this Sunday and will likely remain the starter for the rest of the season.
Chip Kelly says Nick Foles will be the starter for the rest of the season.
Chip Kelly's unique way of doing things has been the right formula for the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles' defense hasn't allowed more than 21 points in seven straight games.
The Eagles have found a quarterback they can feel good having on the field, the league's leading rusher leads the offense and the defense has improved week by week. The Chip Kelly offense is coming along nicely, even if Nick Foles is not considered the ideal quarterback to lead it but Kelly has been silencing critics as he keeps the Eagles loose and ready to strike.
From joint press conferences, to encouraging words caught by NFL microphones after big plays, Vick has been the consummate professional and an exemplary teammate, and he deserves credit.
While many predicted the Eagles to finish the season with six wins or less, the Eagles already have that total through just 11 games. Chip Kelly has his team in 1st place in the NFC East with five games to play, as they head into their week 12 bye.
Foles has always been a pretty smart passer and his instincts have always been admirable. This is what former head coach and quarterback guru Andy Reid saw in Foles and it is something Chip Kelly was very familiar with having coached against him in the Pac 12. Now, as Kelly's offense starts to become more familiar with the Eagles, Foles is beginning to excel in it with smart decisions.
Michael Vick's hamstring injury has prevented him from being available to play for the Eagles, but it's also given head coach Chip Kelly a bit of an out in any "who is the starting quarterback" question. Very soon, that will not be the case, and Kelly says he'll deal with it when the time comes.
Chip Kelly's predecessor in Philadelphia, Andy Reid, established a great track record after a bye week. The bar is set high for Kelly, but how the bye week impacts a season and its momentum is not exactly a huge concern for the new Eagles head coach.
Chip Kelly spoke about the continuing maturation of Nick Foles, the coming bye week, the red-zone defense, his coaching staff and the development of the young defensive line at his day-after press conference after the Eagles won their third-straight game, 24-16, beating the Washington Redskins on Sunday.
In his first season in the NFL, Chip Kelly has the Eagles at 6-5 and in first place in the NFC East, something not many people expected. Kelly is starting to win over Philadelphia.
When the lead hit 24-0, an Eagles win seemed like it was a forgone conclusion. But much like the season opener against Washington, the Eagles offense stalled in the second half, and Robert Griffin III was engineering a bit of a comeback.
All alone in first place at the bye week, riding a three-game winning streak. This is the sort of stuff that dreams are made of. Admittedly, those are the dreams of a modest man, but dreams none the less.
The Eagles now own sole possession of first place in the NFC East, after a 24-16 victory over the Washington Redskins on Sunday.
Chip Kelly's fast-paced offense that made a big splash in his coaching debut might be even better now.
There will be a lot on the line Sunday at the Linc when the Eagles face the Redskins. Just ask anyone but the Eagles.
The last time the Eagles and Redskins met was opening night. The Eagles expect a tougher test in Sunday's rematch.
As the Eagles have battled back to even their record of wins and losses, the discussion on what to do with the quarterback situation has evolved from locking in on a top 2014 NFL Draft prospect to the idea that the team can realistically move forward with Nick Foles leading the offense. Much of the decision-making for the offseason plans will be determined by what Foles does for the rest of this season.
"Chip Kelly challenged us after the game," said Jackson. "He challenged us to have a great week of practice so we could do what we need to do and get a win in front of our home crowd. They deserve it."
As Packers wide receiver came down with what was ruled reception in the Eagles 27-13 win on Sunday, replays clearly showed that he did not get both feet in bounds. Anyone who was watching in Philadelphia on television screamed the same thing, "throw the challenge flag!" The Eagles did not challenge the play, and thankfully went on to win the game.
Chip Kelly likes when the Eagles offense moves fast. He wants to score, and he wants to score as much as possible, and for that to happen, the team must move quickly. By moving so quickly, the Eagles don't hold on to the ball for very long, and Kelly doesn't care.
