Chip: Boykin hasn't been cleared
Eagles coach Chip Kelly seemed snippy and defensive in Wednesday's media session, maybe because his secondary corps is missing three injured players, most notably Brandon Boykin, as it prepares for a huge challenge.
It was a curt, defensive Chip Kelly who met briefly with reporters before Wednesday's practice. Kelly said corner Brandon Boykin has not cleared the NFL's concussion protocols, and when practice began, Boykin was a spectator, along with safeties Colt Anderson and Kurt Coleman. Anderson and Coleman provide depth and are key special teams players, especially Anderson.
Asked what he learned from the Minnesota loss, Kelly said "you just learn from every situation," and specifically mentioned fourth-quarter poise.
Kelly lauded rookie nose tackle Bennie Logan, who played a strong game Sunday, including tipping the pass that Mychal Kendricks intercepted.
"Obviously, he's a rookie, but we've seen him adapt a lot more to the scheme as we've gone along," Kelly said. "Each week he seems to get a little bit better, a little more comfortable in what we're trying to do. He's getting a lot of pressure (on quarterbacks)."
Kelly said the Eagles added safety Keelan Johnson to the roster because "we're probably going to be down a guy" against the Bears. Kelly declined to specify, but defensive coordinator Bill Davis called Anderson "week-to-week" when Davis spoke with reporters on Tuesday.
Kelly said Johnson has been "just solid, very steady every day" in practice, since joining the team right before the season started, having been cut by Miami. "
Kelly called the Bears' Matt Forte "maybe the most complete back" in the league.
Kelly lauded Bears rookie guard Kyle Long, who played for Kelly at Oregon. "He's as athletic as anybody ... He's nasty, he's physical ... He loves plasying football. I loved coaching him"
He called the Bears' excellent receiving corps "a huge challenge. Nobody's going to give us a waiver because we're banged up."