The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the most intriguing teams in the NFL for 2013 after firing head coach Andy Reid after last season and hiring Oregon head Chip Kelly and as the preseason moves along, it's clear that things will be very different in Philly.
Kelly has shaken up practices with music and speedy play calling and that should translate to the field this season. The Eagles were defeated handily in the opening preseason game against the New England Patriots by a score of 31-22 and now they will face off against the Carolina Panthers at home, where they will take on Cam Newton and company in the second preseason game. Kelly is still working on deciding his starting quarterback between Michael Vick and Nick Foles, although it looks as if Vick has the early advantage based on how he played in camp.
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The Eagles went just 4-12 last season and now the team is working on getting more consistent on both sides of the ball, especially on defense. Last year the team ranked ninth in passing yards allowed but just 23rd in rushing yards and Kelly has spent the offseason trying to correct that. Kelly also had to deal with the unexpected Riley Cooper situation and now that it is in the past, the team can concentrate on trying not to get too bogged down by the loss of Jeremy Maclin, which could hurt the offense a great deal. DeSean Jackson is going to be the primary receiver again and now Cooper will be looked at as a second option with Maclin going down.
The Eagles are going to rely on Cary Williams at cornerback and the offensive line is an area that Kelly will be trying to improve on as well. The team took Lane Johnson with the number four pick in the draft and Kelly likely will pencil him in as a starter for the season. Jason Peters, Jason Kelce and Todd Herremans are all coming back from injuries and while that is an issue, Kelly feels that the team is ready to get the line stabilized after last season's issues. Michael Vick was hit way too much and this season Kelly's offense likely will try to get the ball out of his hands much faster than Reid did last season.
The Eagles are coming into the season hoping for massive improvements after going just 4-12 last season and that will come from Kelly trying to overhaul the offense. He could end up running more plays than anyone in the NFL and Vick seems suited to be a star in his scheme. Kelly ran up scores and played fast while at Oregon and it remains to be seen whether he will be able to have it translate into the NFL.
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