CHIP'S THE ONLY BAIT IN TOWN!

I’d be lying if I said that doubt over Chip Kelly hasn’t finally crept into my mind – not vociferous hatred, just doubt – but I’m not ready to run him out of the league yet. Others? Well, there’s chum in the water:

Jason La Canfora thinks players smell blood:

Only, it’s all of that talk about “execution” that just might get the coach executed within his locker room (metaphorically speaking, of course). He has already been walking a tight-rope these past few years in terms of player approval ratings, and his attempts to weed out malcontents is likely not thorough enough given the sour tone this season has already taken.

Everything Kelly has touched has come up empty through a quarter of the 2015 season. As much as he will stick to his rhetoric — “We’re not getting consistent execution,” he said after Washington went 90 yards to cement a 24-20 victory — somewhere he must know that the troubles run very deep. The problems are rooted in his taking full control over the entire organization.

Mike Freeman thinks a little evolution would perhaps help Chip swim away from this particular predator:

I know, I know. You’re not supposed to say anything negative about Kelly. You’re supposed to say he’s great. No one better. My Twitter timeline on Sunday was filled with ugliness when I tweeted “the NFL is hard, Chip.”

I tweeted that because it is, and I see it getting harder for Kelly, every quarter, every half and every game. This season, Kelly has had to fight for every inch of yardage and advancement, and if you’re honest, the Eagles are moving backward.

This is the problem with Kelly. It’s the big problem. It’s the only problem: Initially, his smarts and system outclassed the NFL. But recently, the NFL adapted, and Kelly hasn’t.

Mark Eckel hunts deep below the surface where the sun don’t reach:

Chip Kelly gambled. And like most gamblers, he lost.

Or at least he’s losing. The game isn’t over quite yet, the lights are dimming but aren’t completely out. There are still a few chips left in Chip’s holder.

And I still don’t know how or why this exists:

To me, Freeman brings up the one legit issue here– adaptation. Early on it was clear that Chip was a step ahead of everyone else – or just different enough – but I always felt that once the league caught up, he would have to evolve. That hasn’t happened yet. Right now, Chip is like a third year starting pitcher in baseball: He had success as a rookie. The league got the book on him. And now, he has to adjust. That’s the most important step in virtually any athlete’s or coach’s career– the counter move. I feel like Andy Reid was stuck in the second phase from 2003-2012. [Oddly, he’s now evolved.] The league caught up to Chip even more quickly. It’s his move now. He doesn’t have to change his whole outlook, but he does have to make a strategic adjustment. Otherwise, we have a panic on our hands… in the middle of October.