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Chip Kelly Says Nick Foles Is Playing With More Confidence

By Andrew Porter

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Nick Foles will begin the season as the Eagles starting quarterback for the first time in his career. Coming off a season where he threw 27 touchdowns and two interceptions in 13 games, leading his team to a 10-6 record and a home-playoff-game, head coach Chip Kelly talked about Foles' mentality as the Eagles opened mandatory mini-camp on Tuesday.

"There's a lot more confidence in how he's playing and now it's just a matter of refining the little things for him, footwork, hand‑offs, carrying off fakes," Kelly explained of Foles. "Not the minor details; they are really major details, but he's not worried with where he's going with the ball."

Kelly explained how Foles has a better understanding of the offense, as he heads into his third NFL season.

"Just a better command and an understanding of what's going on," Kelly told reporters. "You know, lining guys up.  Coaches were lining everybody up last year. But now Nick has really got a great command of what we are doing offensively to kind of ‑‑ and you can just see it."

Kelly admitted in 2013, his first-season as head coach, he had to explain the system to his players. Now, guys like Foles and the rest of the veterans are a lot more comfortable to Kelly's unique style.

"Spent a lot of time in our first year explaining what we were doing, why we were doing it and now it's more of the older guys grabbing the younger guys and saying, 'Hey, this is where we're going and this is what's going on and this is the reason we are going to do it' so we don't have to spend as much time on that stuff," Kelly said.

The Eagles have had 100-percent attendance for the organized team activities (OTAs) and Kelly was asked what he thinks that means.

"We got a bunch of guys that love playing football," Kelly said.

 

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