Five Big-Picture Takeaways From Eagles Week 9 Win Vs Cowboys

5.) Chip Kelly Knew What This Game Meant for Him

Nov 8, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly calls a play against the Dallas Cowboys in the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

For how calculated and cold Chip Kelly can sometimes be during the week, it’s a treat to watch him get caught up in the competitiveness of gameday. For a guy whose mind seems to be going a mile a minute while he’s calling plays on the sideline, to see his rhythm broken up by an emotional reaction is rather refreshing. Kelly was right there with his players Sunday night, riding the roller coaster of an overtime division game with as much on the line as their was in Dallas. Despite him returning to ‘in between games Chip’ moments after the win, anyone that watched knew this one was different for the Eagles coach.

Dallas had already handed the Eagles their most embarrassing loss of the season. A second loss to the Cowboys and third in the division would have incited the rumors of a return to college, or a trade to the Titans, or any other number of storylines that constantly surround Kelly in a big way. Kelly’s connection to this year’s team goes beyond the two prior seasons given his personnel control and drastic approach to the offseason. Though we’ve seen Kelly get caught up in the flow of the game before, he seemed more connected to the ebbs and flows of the contest than ever before.

Harkening back to the Sturgis field goal, an elated Kelly exclaiming ‘boom’ with two arms raised after the kick sailed through the uprights could have served as a tremendous lasting image for the win. He donned his trademark ‘mouth slightly agape’ stare of disgust after Byron Maxwell’s pass interference penalties with the rest of Eagles nation. Even if it was just for a game, Kelly donned the ‘Big Balls Chip’ persona so many people expected when he came out of Oregon for stretches of Sunday’s game. The no-hesitation decision to leave the offense on the field in overtime for a crucial 4th and 1 play knowing a failure would likely cost the Eagles the game took guts.

Kelly isn’t an idiot. He knows what a day-to-day story he and the Eagles are now that he’s in complete control of the organization. Several people want to see him fail and those who most want him to succeed happen to be one of the most critical fanbases in sports. If there was ever a game this early in a season that Kelly had to win, Sunday  night was one of them. One can only preach certain excuses for so long before they become stale. Kelly could not afford another underwhelming showing against the Cowboys if he hoped things would settle down in terms of coverage of his team.

Kelly’s offense ran like he seemingly envisioned it when he pieced together his depth chart. Maybe not for an entire game, but for enough of it to come away with a win. Kelly has a tangible example to provide to his team and the outsiders in support of his scheme, decisions, and play-calling. The Eagles outclassed the Cowboys for the better part of Sunday’s game and, in the end, the result backed that up. Kelly has been on the other end of games where his team maybe should have won and ones they had no business even walking out onto the field. The last game against the Cowboys was as much an example of the latter of those two distinctions as one could remember. Week nine gave Kelly quite a bit to hang his hat on in terms of how he prepares the team he hand-picked to execute the gameplan he’s built his reputation upon.