On Wednesday morning, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly took to the podium to update the team's injury situation and preview Sunday's game against Miami. Here are a few takeaways from what Coach Kelly had to say ...
On The Injury Front
"(Malcolm Jenkins) won't go today. He has a concussion and he's going through the concussion protocol right now."
"Jason Peters will practice today."
"Nelson (Agholor) is good, again it's how does he progress through the whole week of training. He did good yesterday and he'll go back out today, but he's somebody we have to monitor in terms of where he'll be. He was good early last week, and then I think being out on the field kind of wore him down a little bit. He was good yesterday and said he felt good today, but we'll see how that goes."
On Eagles Special Teams
"We've had a lot of confidence in (Caleb Sturgis). When you look around the league, I don't think anyone is 100 percent, but when we watch him in training he's really sound mechanically. In terms of our situation in losing a great one in Cody (Parkey), since he came in he's done everything we've asked him to do. When you watch the kicks he's missed, there are some reasons for them – snap, hold, some of those things weren't always just Caleb, it was the whole operation but I think we have that straightened out. I think he's done a really nice job and we have a lot of confidence in him. He hit a big one in Dallas. That 53-yarder was huge for us."
"I think our special teams are playing really well. What I see now is people aren't kicking the ball to us, so we haven't had returns. I can't remember the last time we took a ball out (of the end zone). We took one out in the Saints game for a four-yard gain and then we didn't get any other after tha, and I think people have been kicking away from Darren, so he hasn't had an opportunity from that standpoint."
On Miami's Offense and Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill
"I don't think very much (is similar). I think (offensive coordinator) Bill (Lazor) has his offense and it's probably more similar to what he ran at Virginia than what he was doing when he was here."
"Because (Tannehill) is a dual-threat, I think it's a little bit different than facing like an Eli (Manning). Obviously, Eli is so talented throwing the football, but you're focused on that part of him. You're not worried about him tucking it and running on you. With Ryan you have to … They have designed quarterback rush plays, similar to what they do in Carolina with Cam (Newton). It's more like going in against a Cam than it is like going against an Eli."
On Jordan Hicks
"I've said it before, but there's just a maturity to Jordan when you're around him. The compliment I gave him is that he never acted like a rookie. He came in here with a mindset of not saying 'Where am I? Where am I supposed to be?' He came in here with a maturity to him and you didn't know he was a rookie with the way he carried himself … He prepared like he was going to be on the field, and when he got his opportunity, he ran with it."
On Veterans Day
"I don't think it should influence just your coaching career, it should influence everyone's lives. We're allowed to do what we do right now because of the men and women who have made sacrifices to defend this country and what this country stands for. I think not only them, but their families also. The ultimate sacrifice a lot of them make in terms of losing a loved one or having a loved one being stationed overseas while they're back here in the states. Honestly to me, I don't think it should be just one day that we recognize the military in terms of the sacrifices that they make, but it should be on a daily basis when you get an opportunity to say thank you for what they do, because they made a choice in their lives to do something that allows us to do this."
