Chip: not worried about overconfidence vs. Cowboys

Eagles coach Chip Kelly said Wednesday it's important not to overthink this quick-turnaround rematch with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Eagles haven't done something like this in Kelly's two years at the helm -- play a division rival twice in 17 days. But Kelly said he isn't really thinking about either team changing things up much, or about his team being overconfident in the wake of its 33-10 demolition of Dallas on Thanksgiving.

"We didn't overanalyze it," Kelly said. "Just go play. I think you can paralyze yourself by trying to overanalyze it. 'They think that we know that they think this, so that we think the same thing that this will' -- we're going to go play. I've got great respect for (the Dallas coaches). I would imagine DeMarco Murray's probably going to carry the ball a lot against us in our game. I think they'll probably try to throw the ball to Dez Bryant in our game. They'll probably try to find the tight end a lot, probably in third down situations ... we're going to give the ball to LeSean McCoy, in our game.

"Kinda similar to what happened the last time. It's just about really going out and executing, and which team can execute better, and which team can block better, which team can tackle better."

Asked about overconfidence, Kelly said: "I don't ever get that feeling from this team, being an overconfident team. I think any confidence they derive is through their preparation during the week leading up to the team that we're playing ... that's what this group really has. They understand the rhythm we have to get into. Sometimes, last time we played them, that was a nontraditional week, in terms of what we had to do, but I thought they handled that really well. This is a normal week for us ... having played 13 games, I think they kind of understand what they have to do, from a preparation standpoint."

Asked how a healthier Tony Romo might change the matchup, Kelly went the joke route.

"We're preparing for speed option. A lot of quarterback power runs," Kelly said. "They're going to do what they do. We're preparing for Tony Romo at his best, and when Tony's at his best, we have to be at our best."

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Kelly expanded on earlier comments that defenses are playing more zone coverages against the Eagles now.

"Last year we saw 60 percent man, 40 percent zone. Right now we see 58 percent zone, 42 percent man," Kelly said. "Most of the time we see single high safety."

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Typically when teams bring players onto their rosters from other teams' practice squads toward the end of the season, the move is made to get the player under contract for next season. Kelly indicated that might be the case with safety Jerome Couplin, signed Wednesday from Detroit's practice squad, the day after the Eagles again released corner Roc Carmichael.

"He was with the Detroit Lions, was active for eight games. Big, tall safety (6-2, 215). We think he's got potential, and the only way you can get a guy like that is you have to add him to your active roster, you can't take someone from practice squad to practice squad," Kelly said.

Kelly said the signing of Couplin, an undrafted rookie from William & Mary,  "means absolutely nothing" with regard to fifth-round rookie safety Ed Reynolds, who has languished on the practice squad all season.

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