The Center Of Attention: Jason Kelce Not Satisfied
Jason Kelce, one of the NFL's top centers, shares his weekly thoughts with CBS Philly's Joe Santoliquito.
PHILADELPHIA, PA (CBS) — Someone Tuesday night joked with Eagles' center Jason Kelce that he might have to shake his left leg free of Jon Gruden's manlove grip. Kelce laughed, but he really didn't want to hear about all the accolades the ESPN Monday Night color analyst threw his way during the Eagles' 30-27 win over Indianapolis.
Kelce, the 6-3, 285-pound four-year veteran out of Cincinnati, makes his own standards. Perhaps it explains why he's never satisfied. Perhaps it explains why Kelce is recognized as one of the best centers in the NFL making a strong bid toward his first All-Pro season.
It's undeniable the impact Kelce is having on the Eagles' success. In a critical situation during Monday night's game, there is Kelce down field creating a path for Darren Sproles. There he is again, 20 yards down field creating more space for Sproles. There is Kelce sealing off Colts' 320-pound nose tackle Josh Chapman for another big Eagles' run.
Kelce, however, heard no feedback. He didn't want to hear anything. He chose to watch the NFL replay of the game with no sound.
"Honestly, there were a lot of mistakes made in the game that I have to correct," Kelce said. "You always have to be hard on yourself. There were a couple of plays when I went the wrong way. We were playing in a dome, away, the first time this season so there was a big challenge for us offensively to be able to communicate and run our offense, with a new guy on my left [guard Dennis Kelly], a new guy at right tackle [Andrew Gardner]. We had some unknowns there.
"In the first half, we didn't let the dome affect us, we didn't let the atmosphere affect us. We just have to execute a little bit better. After we started executing, we started moving the move and scoring points. I think the biggest thing that we didn't do is moved the ball great up and down the field, we didn't put the ball in the end zone when we got into the red zone. It's what we need to focus on in these next upcoming games."
Kelce said there were three or four plays that he would like to have back against the Colts—and he faces a Washington Redskins team that plays a 3-4 scheme, but when the Redskins get into nickel personnel, that switches to four down linemen.
It poses a challenge.
"We have to prepare for both [fronts]," Kelce said.
The Eagles enter Week 3 as the best offense in the NFL, with 878 total yards, averaging an NFL-best 439 yards a game. They'll face, on paper, the NFL's best defense in Washington, which allowing opponents a scant 234.5 yards a game.
The figure is deceiving. The Redskins' first two opponents have been Jacksonville, the NFL's worst offense (averaging 227 yards a game), and Houston, the NFL's 22nd-ranked offense averaging 324 yards a game. Combined, Houston and Jacksonville average slightly more than 100 yards a game more than the Eagles.
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