Whether Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offense would translate to the NFL was a popular topic for debate around this time last year.
The Philadelphia Eagles had just hired Kelly away from Oregon, where the Ducks racked up stats at ridiculous rates under his leadership. But questions remained on how his system would fare against pros.
Tickets still available, live TV
Although a limited number of tickets were still available as of Friday morning, the Pro Bowl will be televised live locally, according to an NFL spokesman. The NBC broadcast starts at 2 p.m. with kickoff at 2:30. |
Twelve months later, the Eagles are NFC East champions, and four members of the Philadelphia offense earned spots in the Pro Bowl.
After scuffling to a 3-5 start, the Eagles went 7-1 in the second half of the regular season led by:
» LeSean McCoy, the league’s leading rusher with 1,607 yards.
» Nick Foles, owner of the NFL’s top passer rating at 119.2.
» DeSean Jackson, who set career highs with 82 receptions and 1,332 yards.
The fourth Pro Bowl selection, guard Evan Mathis, was part of an offensive line that led the way for an offense that finished the regular season second in the league with 417.2 yards per game and fourth in scoring at 27.6 points per game.
"The good thing that the players … that made it here are guys that have been here (before)," said McCoy, the NFL’s only player to average more than 100 rushing yards this season. "For Chip to do the type of things he’s done with this team and not have guys that he brought in says a lot about him and ourselves."
McCoy is back for his second Pro Bowl, while Jackson earned his third berth. Sunday’s game at Aloha Stadium will mark the Pro Bowl debuts of Mathis and Foles, who ignited the Eagles’ offense in place of an injured Michael Vick.
Foles took over in Week 9 and led the Eagles to the playoffs, where the campaign ended with a 26-24 loss to New Orleans in the wild-card round. He completed 64 percent of his passes with 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions while thriving in Kelly’s scheme.
"I chatted with him (before the season) and I knew I could play in his system just based on what he said," said Foles, who watched the attack from the opposite sideline while in college at Arizona.
"This was Coach Kelly’s first time in the NFL; he was adjusting just as we were all adjusting. But we got the thing going, and hopefully we can continue in the future."
Jackson was among the beneficiaries of Foles’ efficiency and posted the most productive season in his six-year career. The duo will have a chance to connect again on Sunday as members of Team Sanders, while McCoy and Mathis suit up for Team Rice.
"Nick did a great job coming in for Michael Vick, and the way things played out I think he took advantage of every opportunity he had and did what he needed to do to not only be our starter but help us win games," Jackson said.
While Foles hadn’t visited Hawaii before making the trip for the Pro Bowl, Jackson’s island connection started in high school. He was a sophomore at Long Beach Poly in 2002 and played in the Jackrabbits’ win over Kahuku in the first game of a historic prep doubleheader at Aloha Stadium.
"That was a great opportunity and a great game, being young in high school and playing against Kahuku, which had some great talent here too," Jackson said. "We were able to come out and win that game, so it was a lot of fun."
