Oregon Reporter: Kelly Has A 'Thin Skin When Criticized'
By Spike Eskin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Philadelphia sports media and fans can be, let's say, critical at times. The relationship between Andy Reid and Philadelphia became adversarial in part, because of how Andy Reid handled it.
How Chip Kelly handles the media, and in turn the fans, isn't important as far as the on-field product goes, but it is important.
"I think [Kelly] has a pretty good idea of what he's going to face," Oregonian writer Ken Goe told 94WIP'a Anthong Gargano and Glen Macnow. Goe covered Kelly during his time at the University of Oregon. "Now, how he'll handle that is going to be interesting because he does have a little bit of thin skin when he's criticized, especially if he thinks it is unfair criticism, and I suspect he'll get some of that in Philadelphia."
"He's very sharp, very quick on his feet. He's actually a pretty good interview when he is in the right mood to be interviewed, because he will take a question that he likes and just run with it, and he will say something pretty interesting lots of times. He's not real good with the routine questions, so after he's answered the same question six or seven times he can be a little snapish. I actually found him sort of fun to talk, but he uses that quick whit to sort of keep you at a distance, also. It's hard to, like I say, really get down to where you feel like you know him. Of all the coaches I've covered in 35 years I would say he is the most difficult to really know," Goe said.
Even though Kelly was complimentary of Nick Foles when Foles was in college, he doesn't fit the mold of a prototypical quarterback in Kelly's system.
"Yeah, I'm having a hard time seeing [Foles as Kelly's QB] because like I say, he wants a mobile quarterback. I saw Nick Foles play in college and was very impressed," Goe said. "He's a very accurate passer, very smart. Maybe he's changed in Philadelphia, but in Arizona he wasn't very mobile---they didn't run him and I think that's really something that Chip [Kelly] wants. Now, could he adapt if he had to? Yeah, probably, but that's not really I think what he wants to do." Foles still isn't particularly mobile, and is one of the slowest quarterbacks in the NFL.
Along with his offense, one of Kelly's calling cards is going for it on fourth and short, and going for two point conversions after touchdowns.
"I think the gambles he takes are calculated and they don't turn out to be huge gambles in the long run," Goe said. They don't go for two after every touchdown. What they do is come out in a formation to go for two and then they'll see if the defense adjusts. If the defense adjusts, then they'll pull it back and kick it, but if they see a match-up they like, then they'll go ahead and go for two. That's pretty much the way he gambles. He wants to make sure he's got the odds on his side before he pulls the trigger."
