Chip Kelly Day-After Presser: 'There's Still Things We Need To Clean Up'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Chip Kelly wore a tranquil look on Monday morning when addressing the media after the Eagles finished 10-6 in 2014 and out of the playoffs for the third time in the last four years. But there was a sense Kelly's real work is just about to begin. The Eagles' coach still has to find the right parts that will fit into his system.
So Kelly covered a number of issues on Monday morning, with the operative words being "evaluation" and "process."
One area Kelly immediately focused on was whether or not his coaching staff returns intact—and the job defensive coordinator Billy Davis did.
"I thought Billy did a really good job and I thought our defense improved in a lot of categories," Kelly said. "There's still things we need to clean up. We were really good in 2013 in X plays and we weren't good at all in 2014 in X plays. I thought our run defense got better. I thought our transition from coming in here and playing a wide-nine defense to a 3-4 defense the last two years, I think Bill has done a really good job.
"Everyone is evaluated. I'm evaluated. That's what this whole process is all about. I really like our coaching staff, I think we get along really well. I think we have a lot of really good teachers here. They did a really good job. I would anticipate as openings happen in this league, we'll cross that bridge if it happens."
Kelly also revealed something—year two of Kelly didn't make the progress he anticipated.
"We didn't make the playoffs, so no (there was no progress made)," Kelly said. "You're all measured by one thing, do you win a Super Bowl or not win a Super Bowl. We didn't make the playoffs, so we didn't have the opportunity to play for the Super Bowl."
The Eagles led the NFL with 36 turnovers and NFL highs in interceptions (21) and tied for the NFL lead in fumbles lost (15, with Indianapolis). Kelly said it's the most turnovers he's had in his coaching career. Eagles were flagged 115 times, which was seventh in the NFL. But did Kelly correlate the turnovers and penalties with the coaching staff or lack of teaching?
"I correlate that to everything," Kelly said. "But it's not just one thing you look at. You look at interception and you say it's the quarterback's fault. There are sometimes interceptions happen this year and the offensive lineman is supposed to block a defensive end and he didn't. The quarterback expects the defensive end to be blocked, but all of a sudden he's in his face. My point is, it's not always one thing. It's this guy's fault. There were interceptions thrown that went through receiver's hands, or weer tipped and gone the other way. That's not the quarterback's fault. They put the ball exactly where it's supposed to be. It's analyzing all of it and seeing is there one common thread that goes through everything and the ability to go back and correct those things. It could be (teaching), we analyze everything. It is part of what the whole off-season process is. Is it scheme, is it personnel? Park your ego outside the door. It has nothing to do with it. How do we make ourselves better, and we analyze everything. I'm talking in general and overall as a group I think we have a bunch of good teachers here, but that doesn't mean we all can't improve overall, either."
You may also be interested in these Sports stories:
