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Last Year’s Preview of the Eagles – Bucs game

Mark Saltveit

By Mark Saltveit

Published:

Jameis Winston derping in the Rose Bowl

It’s a bit of stretch, but last year’s college Rose Bowl game was a sort of preview of Philadelphia’s game against Tampa Bay, today.

It was Jameis Winston’s final collegiate game, of course, and he was facing the Oregon Ducks who were running Chip Kelly’s system for the 6th year. Successor coach Mark Helfrich has largely kept Kelly’s schemes intact, including his 3-4 defensive front with interchangeable DBs, a deceptive pass rush and a focus on strip sacks and interceptions. And he has done well with them.

The key points:

  • Winston’s only college loss ever as a starting QB was to Chip Kelly’s defense.
  • However, the Ducks had Marcus Mariota, and the Eagles very much don’t.
  • Fumbles on strip sacks turned the tide of the game. The Eagles lead the NFL.
  • Winston got rattled by the ddeceptive pass rush, leading to the famous play where he slip-fumbled (above).
  • It proves nothing for certain, of course, and Chip Kelly’s teams have had problems with other big, physical quarterbacks (including Terrelle Pryor in a previous Rose Bowl and, especially, Cam Newton at both levels). But the Eagles defensive scheme has disrupted Winston in the past.

    Mark Saltveit

    Mark Saltveit latest book is "Controlled Chaos: Chip Kelly's Football Revolution." In addition to sportswriting, he is a standup comedian and the World Palindrome Champion.

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