Chip Kelly Disagrees With NFL That Suggs' Hit Was Legal
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Chip Kelly addressed the hit quarterback Sam Bradford took in his knees by Baltimore's Terrell Suggs Saturday night in the Eagles' 40-17 preseason win over the Ravens.
Despite the penalty called on the field for the hit, NFL head of officiating Dean Blandino said earlier on Monday that the hit was legal. Kelly, who is awaiting Blandino's video explanation, disagreed.
"I thought the interpretation [roughing the passer] on the field was correct," Kelly said. "We don't run it more than Seattle, we don't run it more than San Francisco. We don't run it as much as you guys think we do. [Blandino] said it was a read option play. It wasn't a read option play. I know our quarterbacks can be hit on a read option play. But not every run we have is a read option run.
"I think it would be troubling for the league if every quarterback in the shotgun can get hit," Kelly continued. "That's their determination. It's up to them on how they want to handle it. We know the rules. If our quarterback is handing the ball and isn't going anywhere than you shouldn't be able to hit him. From the way the rule has been explained to us.
"If they want to get into that, they can get into that, but then every other quarterback in the league when they get back into shotgun can be hit, when they hand the ball off. So, if that's what they want to do then we'll all have to adjust because everybody in the league has runs out of the shotgun."
As for changing his offense because Bradford is coming off two ACL injuries, well Kelly explained that's not necessary.
"We're running the same offense we ran with Nick [Foles last year]. Nick had 16 carries, and I think a couple were on scrambles in eight games last year. The eight games Nick played last year it was 16 rushes. I haven't talked to Terrell and I don't think it was a deliberate hit, we've moved on. I think everyone in this league knows what people have for injuries, so if that's what their choice is, that's what their choice is. I'm not saying Suggs did that, so don't say that.
"Maybe we can put [Bradford] in a glass case. I mean he has to go out and play football. We didn't call any design runs for Sam."
Asked if he did think Suggs' hit was intentional, Bradford said, "You would have to ask him, but I think that's what he was trying to do. That's part of the game and you have to move on. Yea, I was a little upset, but I'm not sure I can repeat what I said to him. Like I said, it's part of the game and I'm sure that's not the last time something like that will happen this year. Hopefully, it doesn't. It got our guys fired up. There was no doubt about that. I thought we responded well. When things like that happen, you can't dwell on them, you have to move on."
Bradford said last week that he would like to take a shot during a game, but he corrected himself, saying "That's probably not the one I had in mind when I said that. But, it was good. I took a few hits tonight, got back up and felt good. It's part of the game and one of those last hurdles, one of those last boxes that needed to be checked. Tonight, I was able to go out there and not think about my knee. I think that was big for me, and just to get out there and take some shots, feel the speed of the game and feel the rush. You try to simulate that in practice, but it's really hard when I'm off limits (from being hit). It was good to feel the speed of the game tonight."
Eagles' all-pro left tackle Jason Peters said he thought Suggs' hit was planned. The Eagles had run the read option all week during the joint practices and "if you get a quarterback running the lead option, they can take a cheap shot," the Eagles' all-Pro left tackle said. "It was a cheap shot at the quarterback. I'm pretty sure he planned it. I'm pretty sure he was thinking about it. I really don't know him personally. He talks a lot. I think he is that kind of player -- dirty, and takes shots at quarterbacks."
Suggs blew off the hit, putting the blame on the Eagles.
"When you run the lead-option, you have to know the rules," Suggs said. "If you want to run the read option with your starting quarterback that has had two knee surgeries, that's on you. That's not my responsibility to update you on the rules. I could have hit him harder than that. I eased up. I asked [the referee] Jerome [Boger] if he knew the rules in preseason. He said he was going to look at it. On the read-option there, I have to quarterback. It's not my job to be reading. It's his job to read me."
