15 Things We Learned About 2014 Philadelphia Eagles: Now that the 2014 Philadelphia Eagles season has officially ended, its time to reflect on what we learned from Chip Kellys second season as a head coach. Jason Peters was terrific as a left tackle, and Mark Sanchez threw a lot of interceptions, but neither of those points should surprise anyone. Its on par with their careers thus far. The ensuing 15 points are what really stuck out from the season. 1. Were two years into the Chip Kelly regime, and we have no idea who will be the long-term quarterback. This is an alarming truth. For now, it appears likely that Nick Foles will start the 2015 season under center, but is he the long-term franchise quarterback, in the mold of a player that receives a five- or six-year extension worth close to $100 million? His limited skill set suggests otherwise, and he followed up a Pro Bowl campaign in 13 with a slew of turnovers before getting injured in 14. The real Foles is still waiting to be found; is he the 13 version or the 14 version? The answer probably lies somewhere in between, and that wont be good enough for the Philadelphia Eagles to consider themselves annual contenders just by virtue of the quarterback position, a la the Green Bay Packers with Aaron Rodgers or the Denver Broncos with Peyton Manning. Kelly will likely look to the 2015 draft to grab his long-term quarterback. The obvious logical fit is Marcus Mariota, but that would take a ridiculous draft-day fall or massive trade for Kelly to be reunited with his college quarterback. Its difficult to predict what will happen here. Foles has one year left, and Mark Sanchez will probably try to test the free-agent market to start somewhere. Former USC superstar Matt Barkley has shown no signs that he can play at the NFL level. Kelly will likely look for a diamond-in-the-rough quarterback, like what the San Francisco 49ers did in grabbing Colin Kaepernick in the second round or the Seattle Seahawks taking Russell Wilson in the third round. This will allow Kelly to groom his franchise signal-caller while the Eagles go to battle in 2015 with Foles. 2. But Chip Kellys teams can certainly score points. For all the struggles the Philadelphia Eagles had this season—turnovers, injuries to the offensive line, LeSean McCoys inconsistencies, Riley Coopers season-long no-show—the team still scored points. A ton of them. In fact, the 2014 team outscored the 13 team by 32 points, and that 2013 club had set a franchise record for points scored. The 14 Eagles had nine 30-point games, compared to eight for the 13 Eagles. For what its worth, this years team went 9-0 in games in which they scored at least 30 points but just 1-6 when they didnt. It goes without saying that you cant rely on getting 30 points to come away with a win. It should be noted that a ridiculous 11 of the Eagles touchdowns this season came via the defense and special teams; while this cant possibly be sustained on a year-to-year basis, Kellys way of getting points from his team even when the offense struggled at times is remarkable. 3. You can gain all the yards you want, but turning the ball over will kill you. The 2014 Philadelphia Eagles were a similar group as the 1999-2001 Greatest Show on Turf St. Louis Rams, except the Eagles didnt come close to a Super Bowl appearance. But both teams racked up a ton of yards, while turning the ball over an absurd amount of times. This years Eagles were fifth in the league in yards gained, averaging almost 400 per game. The downfall, though, was the turnovers, as the Eagles had more turnovers than any other NFL team. In every game but one, Philadelphia turned it over at least once. Successful teams, for the most part, dont win with that high-yardage, high-turnover offense. A greater emphasis must be placed on ball protection and smart decision-making in the pocket, because while theres no doubt Philadelphia can move the football, the team has to prove it can keep the football, too. 4. Zach Ertz and Darren Sproles can be dangerous, but they remain underutilized. Chip Kellys second-ever draft pick was Stanford tight end Zach Ertz, a mismatch nightmare who can cause problems for opposing defenses. The problem is that the Philadelphia Eagles didnt seem to make getting Ertz the ball a top priority; after he recorded 77 and 86 yards in the first two games, he failed to reach that figure again until Week 16. Likewise, Darren Sproles touched the ball over 10 times in each of the first two games; he didn’t do it again for the remainder of the season. It’s perplexing because Sproles really did nothing but make plays happen. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry for the year and scored six touchdowns on just 57 rushing attempts. He caught 40 passes for 387 yards out of the backfield, and that figure surely could have been a lot higher had Kelly used Sproles more frequently. And Sproles earned his first Pro Bowl appearance ever as a punt returner, taking back two for touchdowns and averaging a career-high 13.0 yards per return. Kelly’s creativity with the offense makes it confusing why he didn’t use these two players more. Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Ertz ranked just 29th among tight ends in snaps played (603), despite rating 11th in yards. Sproles was just 43rd among running backs in snaps played, but tied for 17th in rushing touchdowns. 5. Chip Kellys devout attention to the special teams unit worked out like a charm. This offseason, Chip Kelly went out of his way to specifically target players to play on special teams. He signed Chris Maragos and Bryan Braman, added Chris Prosinski midway through the year and added Trey Burton as an undrafted rookie free agent, not to mention acquiring Darren Sproles and Cody Parkey via trades. So how did that work? The Philadelphia Eagles turned in one of the greatest special teams performance in NFL history, and give a lot of credit to coordinator Dave Fipp for the tremendous job he did all year. Parkey was a Pro Bowl alternate as a rookie, and aside from his Week 16 game against Washington, he was nearly perfect: Cody Parkey breaks NFL rookie scoring record with 145 points. Also sets Eagles season scoring record passing David Akers. #Eagles — John Clark CSN (@JClarkCSN) December 28, 2014 Donnie Jones set a franchise record in punting, breaking his own mark from last year: Donnie Jones has landed 34 punts inside the 20-yard line this season, setting a personal best and a franchise record. — Brett Strohsacker (@BStrohEagles) December 28, 2014 Sproles took back two punts, averaging 13.0 yards per return and made his first-ever Pro Bowl. Rookie Josh Huff set a franchise mark with a 107-yard kick return, and third-year running back Chris Polk took back a kick 102 yards for a touchdown. And Brad Smith, Maragos and Burton all scored via blocked punts. It was a truly magnificent season from the special teams units, and this was a big factor why the Eagles were able to score so many points without sustaining consistent offensive success. 6. The front seven on defense—starting with Fletcher Cox—was lethal. Without signing a top pass-rusher in free agency, the Philadelphia Eagles finished tied for second in the NFL with 49.0 sacks. What’s remarkable is that this was done despite absolutely no production from rookie first-round outside linebacker, Marcus Smith. Fletcher Cox had just four sacks of his own, but 5-technique defensive ends aren’t usually known for their high sack totals. What Cox did do was free up space for his teammates to register sacks. Fletcher Cox plows through a double team for the pressure. Why isnt he in the Pro Bowl again? #Eagles https://t.co/LIrGztgIf9 — Pete Damilatis (@PFF_Pete) December 31, 2014 Connor Barwin had 14.5 sacks, earning his first Pro Bowl appearance. Vinny Curry had nine, Trent Cole had 6.5, Brandon Graham 5.5 and Mychal Kendricks four. Five other players combined for 5.5 more. The Eagles also forced a ridiculous amount of fumbles. Curry and Graham each had four forced fumbles, becoming the only pair of teammates this year to each record at least five sacks and four forced fumbles. Cole and Kendricks had three, Barwin had two and Cox was among eight players with one. The team may lose Graham in free agency and Cole if he doesn’t re-work his $11.6 million cap hit for 2015, but this front seven had a solid enough rotation to expect consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks in the ensuing years. 7. Riley Cooper can’t produce without DeSean Jackson, and it’s really difficult to defend Chip Kelly’s decision to cut Jackson last offseason. After Riley Cooper’s breakout 2013 campaign, the Philadelphia Eagles had almost no choice but to offer him a new contract; after all, the rapport he showed with Nick Foles was good enough for the best quarterback-to-wide receiver passer rating in the NFL in ’13, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Cooper reverted back to his old ways this year, and it’s likely because he didn’t have speedy DeSean Jackson opposite him requiring opposing defenses to keep a safety deep. Cooper was 10th among wide receivers in snaps played (980) but just 62nd in yards (573). That’s not an acceptable performance for a receiver on a $22.5 million contract. In Washington, Jackson turned in another fine season, catching 56 passes for 1,169 yards and six touchdowns, averaging a ridiculous 20.6 yards per reception. That’s the highest single-season yards-per-catch average (min. 50 receptions) since Mike Wallace in 2010. The Eagles could have used that speed opposite Jeremy Maclin; with Jackson, Maclin and Jordan Matthews to go with LeSean McCoy, Brent Celek and Zach Ertz, Philadelphia would have made the playoffs. 8. There’s apparently a power struggle within the Philadelphia Eagles front office. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out, but the Philadelphia Eagles made a surprising move this offseason when they fired Vice President of Player Personnel Tom Gamble. It does not sound like this was a mutual parting of the ways: My understanding is that Tom Gamble was escorted from the building Tuesday evening. Still have not been able to talk to Tom... — Les Bowen (@LesBowen) January 1, 2015 This gives general manager Howie Roseman a boost of owner Jeffrey Lurie’s support; after all, Gamble was seen to be Chip Kelly’s guy. Per Mark Eckel of NJ, the Eagles’ decision to fire Gamble gives the balance of power back to Roseman. It’s interesting to note that the Eagles’ 2012 and 2013 drafts—very successful drafts that gave the team a slew of quality players in Fletcher Cox, Mychal Kendricks, Lane Johnson, Zach Ertz, Nick Foles and more—were Roseman’s drafts, while Kelly was given final say this past year. Other than Jordan Matthews, the draft class didn’t contribute as rookies. It’s only speculation as to what will happen long-term between Kelly and Roseman, but the bottom line is that this team better win playoff games before this relationship between head coach and general manager becomes irreconcilable. 9. Leaving overmatched cornerbacks in one-on-one coverage can ruin a season. It doesn’t take a genius to realize the secondary was a big problem for the 2014 Philadelphia Eagles, with the team surrendering 4,238 net passing yards, the second-worst total in the league. Cornerback Cary Williams was significantly better in coverage than he was given credit for, but Bradley Fletcher was so historically awful that if any one player deserves blame for the Eagles missing the postseason, it’s him. Fletcher surrendered 1,072 passing yards through the air, per Pro Football Focus, which ranks as the single worst total in the website’s eight-year history. Fletcher was burned for nine touchdowns, and he was mercifully inactive for the final game of the season due to a hip injury. What makes the whole situation more frustrating is that the Eagles had a solid backup on the bench in Brandon Boykin, a nickel corner who thrived every time he stepped on the field in 2013. Defensive coordinator Bill Davis not only refused to bench Fletcher for Boykin, but he insisted on playing Fletcher in single man coverage against elite receivers like Jordy Nelson and Dez Bryant. The results were as you would expect, and perhaps that’s why the Eagles allowed 53 and 38 points in those two games, respectively. Fletcher won’t be back next year since he’s hitting the open market, but the Eagles will need Davis to be more creative with his scheming in 2015, especially given the caliber of NFC East wide receivers. 10. The 2014 draft class—outside of Jordan Matthews—didn’t contribute. A draft class can’t be fully judged until every player has hung up his cleats, but so far, there’s not a lot of good thing to say about this class outside of second-round receiver Jordan Matthews. First-round pick Marcus Smith essentially redshirted his rookie season. He couldn’t even get on the field for one defensive snap back in the 33-point loss to Green Bay. Davis doesn’t seem particularly optimistic about his future, considering he doesn’t know where he’ll play him. And his head coach wasn’t shy in his assessment of Smith’s rookie season: Chip: Marcus Smith needs to beat out the guys in front of him. Nothing is handed to you here. #Eagles — Matt Lombardo (@MattLombardo975) December 29, 2014 Third-round receiver Josh Huff had brief flashes of potential, namely a 107-yard kick return touchdown, but he’s extremely inconsistent and had a penchant for costly mistakes and poor decisions. Fourth-round pick Jaylen Watkins saw just 31 defensive snaps, all in Week 17’s meaningless game. Fifth-round safety Ed Reynolds spent the year on the practice squad, while Taylor Hart was just inactive all season. Seventh-round nose tackle Beau Allen played a part of the defensive line rotation, although he did rate by PFF as the 114th-best interior defensive lineman among the 131 to see snaps. It’s extremely difficult to win football games without getting much production at all from a rookie draft class, and what’s disappointing is that the Eagles appear to have whiffed on their first-round pick in arguably the deepest draft class ever. 11. But the 2012 draft class was phenomenal. Its probably fair to judge a draft class by how many of the players selected receive contract extensions with their original team. If thats the case, Andy Reids final draft could go down as one of the best in Philadelphia Eagles history. His first two selections, Fletcher Cox and Mychal Kendricks, are players who look to be cornerstones of the defense for many years. Cox was one of the NFLs most dominant defensive players this season, and he deserved a Pro Bowl nod. Meanwhile, Kendricks has rare speed for his position. He can cover tight ends, stop the run and rush the quarterback. His most impressive statistic was cutting his missed tackles from 23 in 2013 to just nine in 2014. Second-rounder Vinny Curry quietly put up nine sacks and four forced fumbles from a situational pass-rushing role. He may be in the market for a big contract after 2015. Anything could happen with Brandon Boykin, a former fourth-rounder who seems to thrive whenever hes called upon, but hes a player whom the coaching staff underutilize. And dont forget Nick Foles. Foles may or may not be the teams quarterback three years from now, but getting a Pro Bowl season and record-setting numbers from a former third-round pick is pretty impressive. Thats five legitimate contributors from one draft class, and thats a big reason the Eagles have won double-digit games in consecutive seasons. 12. Winning the offseason salary-cap Super Bowl doesnt mean much. Like every year, the Philadelphia Eagles entered 2014 over $15 million under the salary cap, largely due to the release of DeSean Jackson. That’s a testament to general manager Howie Roseman’s thriftiness with the salary cap, but when a team like the Eagles enters the year with extra money and then misses the playoffs, it doesn’t sit well with the fanbase. It makes offseason moves get questioned. Why couldn’t Jackson stay? Why couldn’t the team have made a run at a top-notch free agent like Darrelle Revis? It’s terrific that the Eagles don’t have financial problems like the 2015 New Orleans Saints will, but there are no extra wins added to the standings for saving money. 13. Howie Roseman made some incredible offseason moves. This past offseason, many Philadelphia Eagles fans—myself included—wanted the team to sign a top-flight free-agent safety, which would have been either Jairus Byrd or T.J. Ward. Instead, the Eagles opted to follow their usual strategy in signing a mid-level player with versatility to fill a key need. That meant former first-round pick Malcolm Jenkins, who underwhelmed in five years with the New Orleans Saints. Jenkins got just a three-year, $17 million deal with the Eagles, compared to a record-setting $54 million for Byrd or $23 million for Ward. Roseman looked like a genius, though, when Byrd struggled mightily and was then placed on season-ending injured reserve. Ward was Pro Football Focus’s 73rd-rated safety for the first nine weeks (out of 83 qualifiers), and he was beat for four touchdowns and a 124.5 passer rating in coverage. Jenkins cooled off after a hot start, but he still finished the year as PFF’s 19th-best safety, earning a plus-8.3 grade that easily topped both Byrd (minus-3.6) and Ward (plus-1.3). Darren Sproles was a multidimensional threat as a runner, receiver and return specialist, and he earned his first Pro Bowl. The best part is that the Eagles acquired him for just a fifth-round draft pick this past offseason. And arguably Roseman’s most underrated move was the trade to Indianapolis to acquire rookie kicker Cody Parkey, who beat out Alex Henery in training camp and then nearly made the Pro Bowl while setting a rookie record for points scored. 14. The numbers dont lie; Chip Kelly struggles against good teams. As innovative and productive as Chip Kelly’s offense has been in two seasons, he still struggles to beat good teams. This year, the Philadelphia Eagles went just 3-4 against playoff teams. There was a narrow three-point win against Indianapolis, a big win against a 7-8-1 Carolina team that was lucky to make the playoffs and then the Thanksgiving day drumming of the Dallas Cowboys. The problem is that the Eagles lost the rematch to Dallas, as well as games against Arizona (four-point loss), Green Bay (33), Seattle (10), and Dallas (11). There was also a loss to San Francisco, a team that was 7-4 before a late-season collapse. The ’13 Eagles didn’t fare much better; they lost three in a row to AFC playoff teams—San Diego, Kansas City and Denver—before beating a Green Bay team that didn’t have Aaron Rodgers. Factoring in the playoff loss, the Eagles were just 1-4 against playoff teams, which means they’re 4-8 overall under Kelly. To be considered a legitimate NFC contender, Philadelphia will have to show it can beat the elite teams. So far, that hasn’t happened. 15. This division is still Chip’s for the taking. The Dallas Cowboys won the NFC East this year, doing so with 12 wins, a dominant running game and a defense that thrived as a bend-but-don’t-break unit. And yet the Philadelphia Eagles will probably still enter next season as the favorite to win the division, and rightfully so. The Cowboys’ biggest strength is their offensive line, which is a phenomenal unit. Fortunately, the Eagles have a front seven that ranks up there with the best in the game. Chip Kelly’s progression so far as head coach has been remarkable, especially factoring in that he still doesn’t have his prototypical quarterback of the future. Kelly’s Eagles won’t possibly duplicate their defensive and special teams touchdowns in 2015, but there’s also no way the offense leads the league in turnovers again. It will likely balance out, and that’s going to be good enough for another 475-point season. Kelly is an innovative coach who has a slew of talented playmakers to work with, and after winning 10 games in consecutive seasons, expectations are going to be high that he can finally win a playoff game next January. Statistics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Read more NFL news on BleacherReport #Football #NFL #NFCEast #PhiladelphiaEagles
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 00:06:07 +0000
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