I for one was never a fan of Chip Kelly. I did not think he had the personality to handle the professional athlete. He certainly did not adjust his uptempo style to the pro game. Once the NFL figured him out, he was done. He hung his defenses out to dry. The numbers don’t lie and I don’t need to rehash them.
What I am going to tell you is that something he did needs to be brought back and brought back NOW!! What is that? Chip’s stretching regime.
I have been at every single home game (that allowed fans) since 1993. I am not someone who arrives in my seat 5 minutes before kick off either. I am in my seat around 75 to 90 minutes before kick off. I want to watch the team in warm ups, see who is dressed, who looks good etc.
One thing that stood out to me was that Chip gathered the entire team on the field around 1 hour before kick off and had the team go through an extensive stretching routine. They used the bands. They limbered up. They did a set of stretching to be physically prepared to play. Is it a coincidence that Chip’s team were the healthiest during his 3 years. My guess is that it is not and this is a major reason why.
The Eagles currently do not do a extensive on-field team stretching routine in the pre-game. At least they don’t do it 90 minutes or so before kick-off. Currently 1 hour before kick-off the team drills start. Before that it is mostly just soft tossing the ball around the field and chatting with teammates, coaches and opponents. I would like to see the Chip Kelly stretching routine brought back! Hey, it isn’t like they could get any more injured than they already are. It is the little things that can get teams over the top and every little stone needs to go unturned. This is one that could be a simple fix to make the team healthier. To be fair it isn’t just the Eagles that don’t stretch as a team, most team do not either. With this recent stretch (no pun intended) of injuries for the Eagles it is something I think they should consider again.....Oh and while they are at it, a Chip Shake or two wouldn’t hurt either ....
Give me your thoughts and as always Fly Eagles Fly!