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CBS Sports NFL Analyst And Former Raiders CEO Amy Trask Praises Chip Kelly

By Andrew Porter

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- Chip Kelly came into the NFL with his fast-paced, no huddle offense and unconventional style. Many were skeptical of how the "college style" would work in the NFL.

Well, Kelly has won 16 of his first 24 NFL regular season games and is currently the second-favorite to win coach of the year.

"I think the national perception is that this is a very, very, very good coach," Trask told 94WIP on Thursday. "He did what he did at the collegiate level and now he is adapting what he did at the collegiate level to the NFL and he, like good coaches, finds a way to put his players in the best position to win. He's not trying to take square pegs and put the in round holes, as I've seen so many coaches do and the same holds true with respect to the rules. He understands the rules of the NFL and he's adapting his offense to win in the NFL. I think he's a good coach."

Now, with QB Nick Foles out with a clavicle injury, Kelly and the Eagles turn to backup Mark Sanchez to lead their first-placed team. Can Sanchez lead the Eagles to the postseason?

"We're all going to get to see," Trask said. "History of the league shows us, that quite often, when a quarterback or really any player doesn't succeed in one environment, that a chance in environment can bring out the best in that player and really rejuvenate his career. We're going to get to see if that's the case with Mark Sanchez. We all know about the issues in New York, we all know about the fumble. We saw what he was in New York, but we've also seen players move from one team to another team and almost have a re-birth and Chip Kelly is a good, good, good coach. He puts his players in a position to win. So my thought is that, if someone can re-ignite Mark Sanchez and spark him and bring out the best in him, that may well happen in Philadelphia."

Predicting NFL games is nearly impossible these days, and while Trask thought it was too early for playoff predictions, she explained the parity in the league is a wonderful thing.

"Any given Sunday, any team can win," Trask said. "And certainly there are some teams that do it a lot more often than others, but that's what makes the league fun. That's what makes the league work. A fan of any team, really can go out and hope that this is the week their team maybe pulls a rabbit out of a hat. So I think parity is another way of talking about what really works in the league."

 

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