The Chip Wagon

Brains and Brawn- Why Carson Wentz is the Real Deal

When Carson Wentz was drafted #2 overall by the Philadelphia Eagles, there was little to question about his physical attributes and skillset. It seems the biggest question was whether he could transition from FCS to the NFL, adjust to the speed of the game and eventually handle the mental adjustments that are required of top NFL QBs. From the Senior Bowl, to the Combine to private workouts; news started to leak about how impressed organizations were with Wentz's football IQ. For all the positive endorsements Pederson, Reich and DeFillipo have given Wentz since he joined the Eagles, I don't think anyone was anticipating the kind of results we've seen on the field through the first 2 weeks. Before we get to that, let's start with a quick note on the physical attributes. Folks like the irreplaceable Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) have done an amazing job of highlighting some of the jaw-dropping throws Carson has made through weeks 1 & 2. Below is just another example of why Carson Wentz belongs on NFL turf on Sundays. Not every NFL QB can make a throw like this:

Generally when a QB gets picked in the top 5, he has off the charts physical attributes. However the phrase "how does he project" often gets thrown around and is ultimately what makes or breaks a lot of GM and coaches tenures. As we've all witnessed over and over again, there is so much more to a star NFL QB than physical attributes (see Vick, Russell, Griffin III, etc.) As fun as it is to have a QB who makes throws like the one above, by far the most promising thing about Carson Wentz's game is how well he's handled the mental responsibilities of the position. Let's have a look at a few plays.  

Where Did it All Go Wrong? The Rise and Fall of Chip Kelly

I apologize for what was a very quiet 2015 NFL season at the Chipwagon this past year. There are a couple reasons for that. 1) I started a new job in September and it has been pretty demanding of my time and balancing that with the family life didn't leave a lot of time left to put blog posts together. 2) Watching the 2015 season was one of the worst and most frustrating seasons I can recall watching. I realize that this was far from one of the worst seasons in Eagles history, but from beginning to end it was just so frustrating and aggravating to watch. We had lapses in execution all season long and Chip's offense that I loved so much in 2013 and 2014 just went completely stale.  The truth is, there is no one reason why things didn't work out in Philadelphia. Certainly, Chip the GM, Chip's personality, the power struggle with Howie Roseman and his apparent fractured relationship with Jeff Lurie will lead the way in the headlines. Our old friend @sheilkapadia was spot on this assessment which really nicely summarized the downfall of the Kelly regime. However, to look at it from another angle, one really needs to understand that Lurie's decision was not exclusively a non-footbal decision. To put it bluntly, the Chip Kelly we fell in love with just stopped showing up on the chalkboard in 2015. The offense we saw in 2015 was a stripped down version of what we saw in 2013 and 2014 and lacked any imagination, creativity or evolution as defenses around the league continued to adjust and catch up. Furthermore, it seemed in 3 years Chip Kelly's offense lacked some of the fundamental concepts and philosophies that need to be considered and applied in the pro game. Here is my post-mortem and likely final chapter on Chip Kelly's offense.

New Wrinkles or Breaking Tendencies?

First and foremost, big apologies for the complete lack of posting in the last month. I started a new gig in September and the ramp up has kept me pretty engaged. However, quite frankly the last couple of games before the bye really left very little to get excited about with this team. Sunday night came with some of the usual warts, but did provide a little room for optimism moving forward. While some might not like the fact that it took the Eagles overtime to beat Matt Cassell and the Dallas Cowboys, as we've learned over the years very few road divisional games are gimmes. The Cowboys fought hard for their season and the Eagles were just able to wear them down. 

Execution and the 3-Headed Monster

Sorry for the lack of posting the last 2 weeks. Hectic few weeks at work that kept me from posting anything. After 4 very tough weeks where the Eagles struggled to find a rhythm and get the running game going Sunday against the Saints was a breath of fresh air. Even though the Eagles appeared to run the ball better against the Jets and Redskins, I thought those games were a bit of a false positive for the offensive line. In those games, the Eagles running backs, especially Sproles and Mathews, made defenders miss in the backfield. The Saints game was a different story. People were getting sick of the word "execution" but it really was the difference on Sunday along with some familiar wrinkles from Chip Kelly who I felt brought his best gameplan of the year. Let's dive in. 

A Momentary Sigh of Relief but QB Struggles Continue

Let me first start by saying that it's great to get the first win. Especially combined with a Cowboys loss. The defensive play was very encouraging and Darren Sproles gave us another instant classic on STs. All I can say is thank the Pope that the defense and STs unit showed up. We'll have more on the running game a bit later once the All-22 comes out. Lots of interesting stuff mixed in and it was great to see so much outside zone eventhough the execution remains a hair off. But let's get right down to it. I'm generally not the guy who dumps on the team after a much needed win, I'll generally take wins anytime I can get it. But I have bigger aspirations for this team than simply a title in a crappy NFC East and a playoff appearance. It was widely acknowledged that the biggest thing Chip Kelly needed to get this team over the hump was a franchise QB. Unfortunately, Sam Bradford continues to NOT look the part.