June 27, 2015
The Giants love to run their mouths about the Eagles. The latest culprit, during June, was Giants punter Steve Weatherford, who managed to take shots at Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, and Chip Kelly in a short radio appearance. BleedPhilly.com has audio and some transcribed quotes here.
Over the last two seasons, the Giants are 13-19 with a point differential of -109. They were also swept last season by the Eagles, including an embarrassing 27-0 shutout, before which several Giants players ran their mouths and danced on the Eagles' logo at midfield.
Remember that time the Giants stomped on the Eagles logo before the game and then got shut out? pic.twitter.com/biCalrAxcX
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) October 13, 2014
You know who doesn't involve himself in such foolishness?
Donnie Jones.
Kelce is outstanding in this offense. Not every team would love his combination of size, strength and athleticism. Some teams prefer a big, powerful C who can anchor well and get straight ahead push in the run game.
Kelce is special because of his movement skills. You see this on run plays where he moves laterally. Kelce has great feet and is able to move laterally very quickly. He can then engage the DT to that side and free up the OG to go get a LB or DE. Kelce isn’t going to physically dominate the guy he’s blocking, but he will keep that defender from affecting the play.
The area where Kelce’s mobility really shines is when he blocks on the second level or out in space. Getting to the second level isn’t easy, but the real challenge is getting your hands on the defender and being able to successfully block him. We see plenty of guys get off the ball quickly and then struggle to come under control and block someone in space. Kelce is able to block on the move.
Kelce's highlight tape is really impressive.
And here are his 2013 highlights. I recommend skipping to the 1:05 mark and watching what he does to this poor Buccaneers DB:
Make sure you check out Tommy's full post on him.
With every NFL offseason comes hope and hype, projections and perception. This offseason is no different. And in some ways, it is no different from the recent past. After continued poor play from their secondary, the Philadelphia Eagles brought in a well thought of defensive backs coach, hoping that pairing him with their current maligned defensive coordinator he would oversee a reversal in the defense’s fortunes. Before even playing a game, media members have lauded the change as a major upgrade and players have praised the addition, noting the immediate improvements he made.
The year was 2012. The coach was Todd Bowles.
Fast forward three seasons and there’s a familiar tale being told about new defensive backs coach Cory Undlin. Undlin is seen as the breath of fresh air who will correct the flaws of a broken secondary. And he very well may be. But we’ve seen this story before, and it had a bitter ending.
This is a very well-researched and funny piece.
1. Eagles: DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles, Kenjon Barner, Matthew Tucker
Philly's deep and diverse backfield sits out there as the NFL's finest in my book. Coming off his league-leading 392 carries last season, DeMarco Murray gives Chip Kelly the kind of one-cut runner he didn't see in LeSean McCoy. Still, look for Ryan Mathews to serve a much bigger role than some expect with the Eagles. ESPN's Louis Riddick came away from team OTAs saying: "Murray gets the headlines, but Ryan Mathews looks very good. And they like him. A lot."
Kelly also has Sproles to lean on, but after averaging just 3.8 carries per game, the 31-year-old back told Philly.com in May: "They told me that my role wouldn't change." Sproles has talked with Kelly, though, about using him more on passing downs, which can be expected this season.
» NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah, a former scout for the Ravens, Browns and Eagles, also placed Philly at No. 1, saying: "Murray gets all the headlines and attention, but I'm even more intrigued to see what the role is for Mathews and Sproles. The way they do it, you go out there for a series. I think it's going to be a good fit. I kind of worry about those secondary runners when you get a carry here, a carry there. But the Eagles with their tempo, (Mathews is) going to get a full series and he's going to get a chance to get into a rhythm."
Check out Sessler's list in its entirety. It's really not even close.
Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @JimmyKempski
