Eagles' keys to success on offense
Five things the Eagles' offense needs to focus on this season.
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-pmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/3VCTRDIPO5H4RMJLBVMB2YPFJM.jpg)
5 KEYS TO OFFENSIVE SUCCESS:
1. Turn back clock for Vick: The Eagles need the 2010 Michael Vick, not the one from the last two seasons who was always turning the ball over when he wasn't getting hurt. This is the biggest offensive success factor, and the one fans have the most right to be skeptical about, with Vick having celebrated his 33rd birthday in June.
2. Shady circumstances: The Eagles' 25-year-old franchise running back seems to have his head in the right place (hint: not a party bus to Atlantic City), seems to be ready to create a legacy. Chip Kelly's offense ought to give LeSean McCoy more chances than he ever got to run the ball under Andy Reid, and he'll still be catching it a bit, as well. The seemingly much improved, healthy offensive line should propel him toward the Pro Bowl.
3. Jax attack: Signs of urgency abound. DeSean Jackson's money stops being guaranteed after this season. Those rap videos don't just come together for free. Jackson also seems to have finally grasped that the NFL perception of him, the fear he strikes into defenses, has softened greatly over the past two seasons. Here again, like with Vick, Kelly offers rebirth, a new scheme, new opportunities. And like quite a few key Eagles, Jackson is not starting out as Kelly's guy; the coach who favors size did not draft this 175-pound star. There is much to prove, or re-prove.
4. Tight fit: What little we really know about Kelly's offense includes the fact that he wants to do a lot with the tight end position. That's why James Casey is here, and why Zach Ertz was drafted. But Kelly made a point of emphasizing that faithful warrior Brent Celek is still the No. 1 guy. Some places - such as the defensive secondary, or the linebacking corps - we don't know if the new coaching staff really has the talent it needs to accomplish what it wants. There should be no such doubts here. Big years, all around?
5. Peters principle: Jason Peters, returning from two Achilles' surgeries, showed reassuring flashes of his old dominance in training camp, but he also missed time with a hamstring problem. At 31, can Peters be the best left tackle in football again, consistently? The Eagles don't have much depth on the o-line and an injury here could be catastrophic.
- Les Bowen