The first two weeks of NFL action have now concluded. Some teams are optimistic, eager to attack the rest of the season. Other teams, like the Philadelphia Eagles, face virtual must-win scenarios in their Week 3 matchups.
Sunday’s “Game of the Week” between the Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys might have been the single worst football game I’ve ever watched. The Eagles suffered three ugly turnovers in a dreadful offensive effort.
“Nothing worked,” said Eagles head coach Chip Kelly after the game.
Chip, I really hate to say this, but if your team doesn’t start putting forth a better effort soon, you might not be working soon, either.
Though Kelly’s Birds soared in preseason play, they have not yet taken flight during the regular season. An 0-2 start has both frustrated Philly fans and stumped analysts. In fact, some high-profile pundits (like ESPN’s Adam Schefter) predicted the Eagles would win the Super Bowl this year. Peter King of The Monday Morning Quarterback predicted the Eagles would lose to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game.
Yes, before the season started, the Eagles received more than their fair share of media coverage. After taking full control of football operations, Kelly made many moves that left fans and analysts alike scratching their heads. Some questioned the quality of Kelly’s transactions, while some questioned his motives, labeling him a racist. Others believed in his motto, that “culture will beat scheme every day.” So far this season, though, it seems as though Philadelphia would trade Chip’s culture for some of last season’s talent.
In fact, none of Kelly’s moves have paid off thus far. Byron Maxwell, who the Eagles signed this offseason to a six-year, $63 million deal, has been targeted 19 times so far this year. He has surrendered 15 completions, 240 yards, two touchdowns and a perfect 158.3 passer rating.
Indeed, Maxwell was responsible for guarding Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones in Week 1 — a task that very few humans (see Darrelle Revis, Richard Sherman) can do. However, Dallas’ Terrance Williams, a very mediocre NFL receiver, burned Maxwell several times on Sunday. Just two games into the 2015-16 season, to the dismay of Philadelphia fans, the former Seahawk already has shades of ex-Eagle Nnamdi Asomugha.
The Eagles receiving corps has also been extremely underwhelming. Miles Austin, Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper and Zach Ertz are all victims of terrible dropped passes thus far. But they aren’t completely to blame, as their quarterback has been far from consistent.
Through three quarters this past Sunday, Sam Bradford was 14-24 with just 116 yards passing and no touchdowns. From the 3-yard line, he forced a throw into the end zone that was then promptly intercepted by Dallas linebacker Sean Lee. Then, the play after the Eagles defense forced a fumble and set up Bradford’s offense deep in Dallas territory, the former Heisman Trophy-winner disgracefully fumbled the ball in an error usually only seen in pee-wee leagues.
The worst of Kelly’s decisions thus far, though, has been DeMarco Murray, who the Eagles signed for five years and a $40 million base salary. He rushed for a whopping two yards Sunday against his former team. And yes, he rushed for a whole nine yards in Atlanta on Sept. 14.
Statistically speaking, Murray is having the worst rushing start to a season in the history of the NFL — and it really isn’t close. The NFL’s dominant leading rusher just one season ago has gathered 11 yards on 21 carries so far this year. His 0.5 yards per carry are over a full yard lower than Peyton Manning’s career average.
Maybe the fact that Murray ran behind arguably the NFL’s top offensive line last season helped him reach the top of the league’s rushing charts. And maybe Kelly regrets releasing two veteran linemen, including Pro-Bowler Evan Mathis this offseason.
There’s no doubt Kelly is on the hot seat heading toward a matchup on the road against the (surprisingly) 2-0 New York Jets. All the moves he made this summer — and there are plenty of them — will be analyzed under the microscope for an extended period of time. If the Eagles don’t turn it around, Kelly may be harshly scrutinized for even trivial activities for the duration of the season.
It is worth noting, though, that the 2001 New England Patriots and the 2007 New York Giants both won the Super Bowl after 0-2 starts. However, this Eagles team is in shambles, and shows no signs of life thus far.
I’m not writing the Eagles off just yet. I’m not saying that they are going to go 3-13 en route to a management overhaul and a player firesale as soon as the offseason comes. I will say, however, that Kelly has a ton of work ahead of him. Everyone will be watching as he tries to turn his team around in the coming weeks, as his Eagles enter a stretch of winnable games (@NY Jets, @Washington, vs. New Orleans, vs. NY Giants).
This Eagles team hosts plenty of talent. Once leadership roles have been filled, and if Kelly figures it out, maybe the they will be as good as many predicted. Four weeks from today, I’ll either be writing about a resurgent Eagles squad hungry for the postseason, or a dejected Kelly on his way back to coaching college football.
