Eagles Stayed The Course In Second Half
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There was panic in the stands at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday. The panic didn't spread to the Eagles locker room.
Down by 17 at the half, the natives were clearly restless in South Philadelphia. However, Chip Kelly knew the plays were there to be made in the second half. It simply came down to execution. What followed was a 34-point second half performance, which led to a 34-17 triumph over Jacksonville.
"It was just a matter of taking a deep breath," said Kelly. "We had to settle down. This is what we were going to feature when we come out in the second half. A lot of it was what we had in the first half and we felt we were just a play off."
The result was a resounding second half performance that gave the Eagles a victory in their season opener. It started with a 49-yard touchdown run by Daren Sproles early in the third quarter. Kelly's gamble on 4th and 1 resulted in a score by Sproles and Kelly believes the touchdown swayed the momentum to the Eagles for the second half
"We really wanted to play it one possession at a time," Kelly said. "You're not going to score 17 points in one play. You're just going to out there and get a drive together. That run on 4th and 1 was a big spark for us and kind of got us jump started."
The Eagles were impressed with the depth of their offensive line during the preseason, and the back-ups came through against the Jaguars. One player who stood out for Kelly was David Molk, the back-up center who was pressed into duty at guard thanks to an injury to Evan Mathis.
"He really held his own in there," said Kelly. "He's a tough, physical player. We've used him in practice really on a limited basis from a practice standpoint. Both him and (Andrew) Gardner did a nice job and they were in there for the entire second half."
The Eagles came up with several strong performances in the second half last season, and they picked up right were they left off on Sunday. Kelly believes the team's conditioning program is a big reason why they have been able to outplay many of their opponents in the second half.
"It's going to help you especially when it's hotter out," Kelly said. "That's one of the by-products of how we train and what we feel...that we should be the best-conditioned team out there. It's just part of what we do and kind of what we take some pride in."
The Eagles will next play in Indianapolis next Monday night against the Colts.
Check Out These Sports Stories:
