Responding to Jenkins, Kelly defends how team addresses problems
Chip Kelly defended the way the Eagles structured their meetings during a week when safety Malcolm Jenkins suggested there's a lack of accountability because the coaches do not address problems in a full-team setting. The Eagles instead address problems in position meetings, which Kelly said is done to promote efficiency.
Chip Kelly defended the way the Eagles structured their meetings during a week when safety Malcolm Jenkins suggested there's a lack of accountability because the coaches do not address problems in a full-team setting. The Eagles instead address problems in position meetings, which Kelly said is done to promote efficiency.
"My right guard doesn't really care what our free safety does," Kelly said. "So it's not really efficient for Matt Tobin to listen to what the instruction is to the free safety. When you want to get detailed in terms of making corrections, it needs to be done in the position group because those guys are paying attention to what's going on in their position."
Kelly said this is the preferred method because football is such an individualized sport. The offense and defense meet together for 10 to 15 minutes, and then the position groups meet. In Kelly's opinion, if a player must get called out in front of the team, the position groups are not doing their jobs. And he does not want one player worrying about whether a player at a different position is fulfilling his responsibility.
"I think everybody should worry about their job and do their job than to say, 'I'm not doing this on my aspect, but how come this guy is not doing that?' " Kelly said. "I think that's how you get into finger pointing, and that's not conducive to being successful."
Kelly: No team meeting
Kelly offered a different version for the story that came out Tuesday that he told the team he was staying in Philadelphia. Kelly said he didn't call a meeting to share that news, but used it as a point in a speech about perception and reality.
"I didn't have a team meeting to say, 'Let me tell you what's going on with me'," Kelly said. "That was just an example. . . . I've never been leaving and it has been reported, so that's my point. It is the difference between perception and reality: the reality is 'this', the perception is 'this' and here are a couple of examples of reality and perception, and that's all it was. It wasn't a team meeting to address anything because, again, for me to have a team meeting for me to address anything would be inefficient."
Injury updates
Running back Ryan Mathews (concussion, groin), defensive end Cedric Thornton (ankle), and safety Walter Thurmond (hamstring, calf) all missed practice. Thurmond said he expects to return to practice Thursday and play on Sunday. Wide receiver Nelson Agholor (hip) was limited.
The full participants in practice included tight end Zach Ertz (concussion), wide receiver Josh Huff (concussion), tackle Jason Peters (back, ankle), and center Jason Kelce (knee). Ertz missed last week's game but is ready to play. . . . Tight end Rob Gronkowski (knee), wide receiver Julian Edelman (foot), and defensive lineman Dominique Easley (ankle) were among the players who did not practice for the Patriots. Wide receiver Danny Amendola (knee), linebackers Dont'a Hightower (knee) and Jamie Collins (illness), and safety Patrick Chung (foot) were limited.
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