By Mary Cunningham
In case you haven’t noticed, the gaggle of NFL media that sets the agenda on what you and I are supposed to think about Eagles coach Chip Kelly has been turned on its head.
When Chipper was hired in January of 2013, the conventional wisdom was that Kelly and his razzle-dazzle ways would never fly in the staid, conservative NFL.
Now?
Not so much.
NFL coaches are still trying to figure out which elements of the college innovations can be used in the NFL.
One issue is that NFL rules prohibit teams from snapping the ball as quickly after plays, meaning they cannot run a pure uptempo offense. Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase singled out Kelly, a former Oregon coach, as bringing positive elements of the spread to the pros.
“They do a good job and they haven’t sold out to the scheme and most importantly their quarterbacks don’t take huge hits,” Gase said. “The quarterback position is so valuable you want to adapt to their strengths, they do that.”
