I really haven’t given it much thought, but I think I agree. If you’re going to try and gain a tactical advantage of the rules as written and use the no huddle/up tempo offense, I’m not so sure you can bitch too loudly when the defense uses a different set of rules to try and counter your advantage.
I am not a fan of faking injuries, and I am a fan of hurry up offenses, so I’m torn on the whole thing, though.
Kaepernick had a bad game against Seattle, but so did the rest of his team, because they’re one of the league’s premier defenses. He had a great game against GB (27/39 for 412 yards, 3 TDs, and no INTs) - I’m not sure where you’re getting the “buyer’s remorse” idea.
I’m still not sold on Alex Smith. He just looks a bit too nervous in the service to me. It’s the constant feet shuffling I think I don’t like. He doesn’t have a very good arm either.
What’s wrong with shuffling feet? Peyton Manning is constantly shuffling his feet. It’s a tactic. Alex Smith would rather take a sack than throw into tight coverage, but that has nothing to do with his feet.
I think someone here suggested that if you fake an injury, you have to sit out the series. I think that’s a good rule. Maybe even 2 series.
To me, it looks like Peyton Manning’s feet shuffling is helping position him to make a throw or to help his protection maintain their blocks. You sometimes see him take a tiny step to make a guy miss - his shuffling is what got him to the position where he could do that. Smith’s looks aimless, like he’s just constantly moving his feet because he’s nervous.
I don’t know how much of that perception is based on the different outcomes they get vs. seeing things that are actually happening, but that’s what it looks like to me.
Seattle at home against Jacksonville? How many points am I giving up?
I think the best game of the weekend may be Colts and 49ers. I was not overly impressed with the 49’s win in Green Bay - at least as far as OMFG gonna dominate the NFC!! like a lot of fanboy sports guys were doing and the Seahawks just dominated them. Indy beat Oakland (a team that may be better than people think) by 4 and lost to a decent Miami team.
I think these are two teams that really need to make a statement this week and show they’re top-level and not mid-majors and if both come to that realization this week it should be awesome.
I kept reading how Michael Vick was perfect for Chip Kelly’s offense because of his ability to run. But clearly this offense requires a Quarterback who is decisive in his throws and accurate and Vick is neither of these thing. Despite all the hoopla with the Run option, the fundamental fact remains that you need a quarterback who can read defense, do his progressions and deliver a ball to the spot it needs to go.
Having watched Chip Kelly for 3 weeks, I am not sure I can “conclude” anything, but have observed a few things:
Lining up as fast as you can for another play isn’t the best strategy in the NFL, unless you can completely control the opponent in terms of positive yardage and keeping them on their heels. Andy Reid slowed things down, albeit with what appeared to be some cheap tactics, but instead of using that time wisely, Kelly showed he is not one to adjust to what the other team is giving him. For several plays, a starter form the Chiefs was off the field, either injured or “injured” but Kelly seemed to want to line up as fast as they could, when allowed, and run whatever play he planned to run before the “injury”. At no point this they specifically target the rookie CB or player who was inserted into the line-up.
He doesn’t appear to have a complete grasp of the game, but appears to think that “strike quick and often, and surprise them” will win you the game. It is never wise to go for 2-points after a TD unless the score is one of a few combinations. To do so in the 1st quarter is crazy. He has had clock management issues already this season, and does not appear to have a clear plan for 60 minutes.
There is already a rubric for “beating” his system, which appears to have been crafted at half-time of the Redskins game, week 1. Control the clock, pass rush up the middle and make Vick act fast or roll to his right, double-team Jackson.
Defense really matters in this league.
This could be a very long season for Eagles fans, with a rookie coach running a college gimmick offense against seasoned NFL coaches.
The Chiefs defense is pretty good, so that’ll skew things.
The Eagles might even have been 2-1 today had they won against San Diego. It’s hard to roll up 500 yards and 30 points on offense and lose. But the Philly defense found a way.
God dammit, Aldon Smith, what the fuck is wrong with you? Call a limo.
Almost everything you have typed is wrong. In fact, this quoted bit is the only part that’s even a little bit right, and it is slowly becoming less and less correct as the game moves toward more offense and less defense.
Lining up quickly is done in order to completely control the opponent in terms of positive yardage and keeping them on their heels. That’s the whole point. What you’ve said here is basically, “playing football isn’t the best strategy unless you can win.” This is absurd.
“Running the ball isn’t the best strategy unless you can gain positive yards without fumbling.”
“Passing the ball isn’t the best strategy unless you can gain positive yards without interceptions.”
Chip Kelly’s offense is designed to put you into a sub-optimal lineup and force you to stay in it so the Eagles can exploit mismatches. They don’t line up super fast all the time, and they don’t do it until there’s a reason to. Kelly has some learning to do, but even so, this offense has been stellar.
This is not at all an accurate description of how Chip Kelly runs an offense. I would strongly suggest doing more research along with your observations, because your eye has plainly deceived you.
Kelly doesn’t call “plays” most of the time. He calls packages. Unless the Chiefs left their temporary substitute completely on an island (which no one would ever do), it isn’t advantageous to attack that player, and so the Eagles didn’t and shouldn’t. Instead, they did what had been working all game, read the defense, attack their vulnerability. They gained 431 yards against what had been the second best defense in the NFL through two games. Turnovers cost the Eagles the game. Most were pure fortune for the Chiefs, some were not. That’s what happens with a bad team and a careless QB.
Again, Kelly calls packages. The Eagles lined up in the swinging gate and found an obvious mismatch on the left side (6 vs. 5). A guy missed his block and the play got stopped. If the mismatch wasn’t there, the Eagles shift and kick the extra point. The difference between 10-7 and 10-6 in the first quarter is almost statistically nil. Teams have been using the same ridiculous two point chart since the rule was changed for the simple reason that teams have always done so. Sorry, but if your best argument is tradition, you’re on the losing side. Risk-adverse NFL teams don’t go for it often enough, and one single botched play doesn’t mean the choice was wrong.
Chip Kelly had one clock management issue when he let his team score too quickly against San Diego when they took the lead. That’s it. Everything else he has done has been spot on. What have you been watching?
Nobody has yet solved his system. Nobody has yet really come close. The Eagles are out of their minds on a per play basis and near the top of the NFL in total yards. And none of the things you’ve mentioned as being the rubric actually even happened in the Chiefs game.
“1. Control the clock.” Time of possession is just about meaningless, and it has nothing to do with Chip Kelly’s offense. Time of possession only matters as a function of an opposing defense, because every single team in the NFL and every single team in the history of the game would prefer to score on every play. I thought Peyton Manning circa 2006-2007 finally put this stupid issue to rest, but I guess not. Baltimore had the third worst time of possession in the NFL last season. It doesn’t matter. It’s like Wins and RBIs in baseball, it’s a fogey stat.
“2. Pass rush up the middle” The Eagles allowed no pressure up the middle against the Chiefs. All their damage was done on the outside.
“3. Double team Jackson” The Chiefs didn’t really double Jackson. They did play primarily a single high safety shaded to Jackson, so you can have half credit, but even still, Jackson got behind the Chief’s secondary multiple times. Look, if you want to make Chip Kelly’s offense really shine, please, please double DeSean. Chip Kelly will give you a hug if you let him play 10 on 9 every game. You will not do well giving up 430+ yards in every game, especially since you won’t get three gift turnovers in every game.
There is no gimmick. Teams have had success running hurry up offenses for decades. Teams have had success running the read option. This isn’t the Wildcat, which is a gimmick and was solved quickly. Kelly runs a complete system which has worked before and is obviously exceptionally successful so far. Seasoned NFL coaches had all summer to prepare for it and haven’t done very well. The season will be a long one because the Eagles have a terrible defense playing a new scheme and little depth at their skill positions. It won’t be because of the offense.
I appear to have been “schooled” but appreciate the perspective. It will be interesting if the Eagles finish 6-10 but set a ton of records for yards and such…
That’s almost exactly my prediction (5-11). I’m not sure about records, but the offense looks to be a top unit, even on bad days.
People were too quick to call Kelly’s offense a revolution after the first game, and they’re being too quick to discount the same offense now that the Eagles have lost a couple games. It’s perfectly fair to note that Kelly has made some mistakes, and he’ll make a few more as he gets used to the pro game. What’s being called a mistake though, seems to be a case of fans criticizing something just because they’ve never seen it in the pros before. That isn’t fair.
I’m an Eagles fan, I don’t hide that. I’m just glad that Chip Kelly has made a bad team without much hope for contention into a really interesting team. For the first time in a long while, I watched the Eagles play like steaming garbage and I was still excited and interested in the game and seeing what happened next.
How long until that wears out?
In the NFL, winning cures a lot of things, but losing also hurts. Sure it’s fun to watch a flashy offense that can pile up yardage totals, but if they keep losing, that fun goes away quickly. I think Chip Kelly’s offense is a great way to increase yardage totals, but may not be the best way to win in the NFL.
You’re right. I overlooked his performance against GB…one I hope Andy Dalton comes close to emulating today against the same team.
BIG, BIG game against the Packers today. Even if the Bengals don’t manage a win, a respectable showing against a machine of an offense like the Pack have will at least make me feel a little better about where the Bengals are. Oh hell, who am I kidding, there’s no moral victories in football…kick their ass, Bengals!
So what is the deal with Peyton Hillis? He went from superstar to cut by one of the worst teams in a pretty short period of time. What happened?
A combination of being more hype than actual production, injuries and being batshit crazy.
Oh man my blood pressure is through the roof! WOOT!
I switched my Pick’em choice from New England to Tampa Bay at the last minute. Let’s see if it works out, Cotton…