Peter King: 'I'm Still Gung-Ho About Chip Kelly'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- When preseason Super Bowl expectations turned into a disappointing 1-2 start in Philadelphia, most analysts began pointing fingers at the man in charge of it all---Chip Kelly.
The third-year head coach, and more controversially the first-year general manager, has quickly become the most polarizing figure in the National Football League. While many of Kelly's naysayers are enjoying his early season struggles, others---like SI.com's Peter King---are sticking by him.
"I'm still gung-ho about him and you know look---every week adds a piece to the mosaic," King told Angelo Cataldi and the 94WIP Morning Show on Wednesday. "Chip Kelly is a one thousand piece jigsaw puzzle Angelo, and what we have now is most of the border is done. So now we're filling in the sky. It can't be done instantaneously and it can't be done after two bad weeks and a pretty good week. It's just like the DeMarco Murray thing, I don't know how it's gonna end and I don't know how this whole thing with Kelly is going to end up."
Listen: Peter King on the 94WIP Morning Show
King says he definitely understands the angst among passionate Eagles fans, but urges patience.
"And I know it's really hard for people in Philadelphia---it's hard for fans anywhere when they don't like what they've seen out of their team early on, but I think it's just one of those things---a football season is very much a work in progress," King said. "And right now, I think there's been more bad than good, obviously, but every week that changes."
Defensively, the Eagles have been dominant through three games, ranking eighth in the NFL against the run (3.1 yards allowed per game) while forcing eight turnovers (t-3rd most in NFL). However, the offense---Kelly's forte---has underwhelmed ranking 31st in yards (285.3 yards per game) ahead of only the St. Louis Rams.
Blame has been distributed everywhere from QB Sam Bradford, to the offensive line, to the pass catchers, to Kelly himself.
"I would worry that the offense is not very efficient," King admitted. "I would worry that the offensive line is not very good, those are the two biggest things. Everything else, in my opinion, can be fixed."
