For the second time in three years, an Eagles team led by Chip Kelly played a game against the Detroit Lions where the outcome said it all.
Two years ago, the Eagles faced the Lions in the game that is now known as the Snow Bowl. The Eagles emerged victorious in this memorable game and it served as an identifier that this team was a contender for a playoff spot.
This season, it is the opposite effect. With a 45-14 loss to the Lions, the Eagles second straight week of embarrassment, it sealed their fate as one of the worst teams in the NFL this season.
How much of an embarrassment was this? For the second straight week, the Eagles allowed five touchdown passes. The final total in total yards were 430-227 Detroit. The team that was a takeaway machine has one in the last three games – by an offensive player.
This is a season bigger than just a lack of talent or lack of execution. This is about something greater. This is about a coach that has gradually lost his players.
Chip Kelly is dealing with the results of this season. He made the offseason choices. He made the trades, the signing, drafted for the wrong needs and ultimately, that has produced a team that will finish no better than 8-8 and could still finish 4-12.
This is the problem with great expectations. The fall from greatness or failure to meet expectations, especially if it is as poor and embarrassing as this has been, is just as great.
The Eagles are a team that not only fails to execute on the field because of their flaws, but doesn’t have a coach equipped to solve the problems.
If a coach’s excuse for seven losses on the season is that they were outcoached seven times, you have major problems. That is not an excuse. Good coaches make adjustments and respond to adversity. There is nothing that indicates Chip Kelly is ever going to be good enough to do that.
Chip Kelly took the risks and is paying for them. He doesn’t have a true quarterback, not as long as Sam Bradford’s health is in questions and Mark Sanchez continues to be the player that has to lead the offense.
The frustration is now clearly in DeMarco Murray’s head. He is stuck behind an offensive line that has struggled week in and week out and it is starting to come to a boiling point.
For eight weeks, the defense is what carried the Eagles. That was the reason they were at 4-4 just three weeks ago. To allow 10 passing touchdowns, over 500 yards and create no turnovers in a matter of five days is pathetic.
And to hear the players talking about how we’re going to find out who the cowards are on this team and in this locker room, that is just another indication that this team has essentially mailed it in for this season.
This team knows their fate. They know that they have underperformed, underachieved and when it came time to prove their coach right, they proved him to be as wrong as it gets.
It is not remotely close to a winning team. It is not a winning formula. And that puts the Eagles about as close to winning a championship as the rest of the Philadelphia sports teams.
So on this Thanksgiving, while there may be a lot of things to be thankful for, Chip Kelly’s Eagles are not one of them, just like the rest of Philadelphia sports.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
