Five Big-Picture Takeaways From Eagles Week 12 Loss Vs Lions

4.) If This Season Doesn’t Humble Chip Kelly, He’s Already Plateaud

Those that watched Chip Kelly’s postgame press conference after his team was thoroughly embarrassed for the world to see saw a different man than usual. Kelly appeared almost defeated as he faced the firing squad that was the Eagles beat force. Unlike week’s past, he was quick to shoulder the blame and had very few answers for the performance that took place on the field. There was no bravado or confidence in Kelly’s voice. He appeared similar to the Eagles on Thursday: quiet, skittish, and defeated. He did not cower at the questions he was forced to answer, but one could see he was uncomfortable.

If I were to venture a guess at this point, I would think Kelly is given the chance to play out the rest of the 2015 season. While this approach has backfired on the Eagles in the past, it’s just a gut feeling. One could make a case that this organization has waited a year too long in multiple instances when it comes to decisions with the head coach. Whatever does happen, Kelly will continue to have opportunities to coach this game at a high level. Whether it is at the NFL or collegiate level, there are enough people who hold him in high regard that another opportunity will come his way.

There’s no doubt that the entire production that has been the 2015 season has been an eye-opening experience for Chip Kelly. He executed a power play, overhauled his entire roster, and did so with the same unwavering confidence that had highlighted his career as a coach. Though the first half of the season was no picnic, Kelly and his Eagles were still in the mix going into the supposed easy stretch of their season. Three losses, two of them in particularly embarrassing fashion, later and Kelly is out of answers. Those in the locker room seem to still be supporting their head coach, but talk is cheap.

Given the criticism and vitriol that has followed Kelly since he arrived in the NFL, albeit at varying extents, it would stun me if he did not take a different approach going forward. The fixtures that he based his philosophies on all came crumbling down and he is now the coach of one of the most dysfunctional-looking teams in the NFL. If he is unable to make changes in the immediate future, he’ll just be another cautionary tale for the next coach that attempts to make the jump.