The Eagles May Not Have The Tools To Fix Their Offensive Issues
By Ed Benkin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There are different types of 0-2 starts in the NFL. Some signal a temporary bump in the road. Others serve as a warning for a disastrous season.
The Eagles could be in for the latter.
After Sunday's humbling loss to Dallas, the Eagles find themselves in that precarious 0-2 spot. Over the first two games, Chip Kelly's highly-touted offense has been nothing short of a train wreck. With the exception of one half against Atlanta, the Eagles firepower has been reduced to the power of a popgun.
The Eagles managed a grand total of 21 first-half yards against Dallas. They rushed for seven total yards. The Cowboys held the football for 40:30 of the game, reducing the Eagles' offensive players to spectators for over two-thirds of the contest.
"I was embarrassed," said Kelly. "That's not the way we're supposed to play football, and that's not what we're all about. We didn't play well yesterday."
Not playing well would be an understatement for the offense. There was plenty of blame to go around. DeMarco Murray rushed for two yards on 13 carries, but had virtually no room to run. Ryan Mathews had only one carry which went for no gain. The Eagles receivers dropped several key passes, including some which would have resulted in first downs early in the game.
"It's a combination of all those things," Kelly said. "Unfortunately, one of them would rear it's ugly head on a particular play. It wasn't one specific person or one specific scheme. A lot of that just comes down to fundamentals."
In fairness to Murray, Jim Brown in his prime would have trouble gaining yardage with the way the offensive line has played in the run game. The biggest problem appears to be at the guard position, where Andrew Gardner and Allen Barbre have both struggled. Kelly says he is not planning to replace either guard or make any other changes in the lineup.
"The guys we have are the guys we're playing with for the remainder of the season," said Kelly. "It's not a change thing. It's about putting in a game plan against the Jets."
Another question has surfaced at quarterback. After looking impressive in preseason play, Sam Bradford looked hesitant against the Cowboys. While many of his passes were dropped by his receivers early in the first half, Bradford also threw two critical interceptions. Bradford will have to play better if the Eagles have any hopes of turning their season around.
Still, the Eagles will need a lot more than Bradford. If they are unable to run the football, they will be in for a long season. If Kelly thought the backups at guard were better options than Gardner and Barbre, they would have won the starting jobs in training camp.
All of this makes this 0-2 record seem more troubling. The 2003 Eagles started 0-2 with two ugly home losses, but Donovan McNabb and many of his teammates were in their prime. There was a sense they had the tools to get back on track. The same may not be the case for the 2015 Eagles. The 2003 squad bounced back to reach the NFC Championship. It seems a bit hard to believe this year's squad can duplicate that feat.
The 2015 Seahawks are also 0-2. I don't think people in Seattle have lost hope for the season. It's easy to understand with the likes of Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman and Marshawn Lynch on the Seattle roster.
Chip Kelly is in his third season. His offense was revolutionary when he first arrived in Philadelphia, but the NFL is a league in which success is difficult to sustain. Teams see offenses and begin to catch up with them. Has the rest of the league caught up with Kelly? It is still too early to tell, especially if the Eagles may not have the tools to save their season.