Notes: Ohio State Copying Kelly, Eagles


Photo by: Jeff Fusco.

Photo by: Jeff Fusco.

We’ll host a live chat for tonight’s game. Until then, here are some links to keep you occupied.

Good Jordan Matthews breakdown here from Matt Bowen of Bleacher Report:

– Matthews had a productive night versus the Patriots in Week 2 (nine receptions, 104 yards) as he worked inside of the numbers (No. 2/No. 3 alignment) running the short-to-intermediate route tree while executing the bubble screen off the Eagles’ packaged reads.

– He looked strong and fluid after the catch. The rookie receiver displayed soft hands with the ability to accelerate and create angles in the open field. Plus, he wasn’t shy about dropping his pad level on contact versus defensive backs. A physical player at the receiver position.

SI.com’s Pete Thamel on how Urban Meyer and Ohio State are being influenced by Chip Kelly:

Miller’s absence thrusts redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett into the spotlight and highlights head coach Urban Meyer’s fascination with Eagles coach Chip Kelly’s offense. Suddenly Ohio State’s identity shifts from Miller’s celebrity to the program’s ability to compensate for his absence.

The answer to replacing Miller’s production — 24 touchdowns passing and 12 touchdowns rushing — could lie in a phrase heard often around Buckeye camp this summer: “We want to be the Philadelphia Eagles of college football.” That’s meant everything from music blaring in practice, just like Kelly did in Eugene when he coached at Oregon, to players getting their urine tested every day to see if hydration levels are high enough. A brave Ohio State assistant strength coach, Anthony Schlegel, dressed up in a faux “nuclear suit” to collect urine Wednesday morning.

Jason Kelce comes in at No. 67 on ESPN.com’s list of the top 100 offensive players:

Kelce and the Eagles offensive line helped create holes for a running game that averaged an NFL-best 3.6 yards before contact per rush last season.

Editor’s note: That is a mind-boggling stat.

Trent Cole is No. 76 on the list of defensive players:

With eight more sacks last season, Cole moved into second place on the Eagles all-time sack list with 79, trailing only Reggie White (124). Last season, the Eagles recorded a sack on 6 percent of pass attempts with Cole on the field compared with 3 percent of snaps with Cole on the bench.

Andy Benoit of The MMQB thinks the Eagles will have no issues replacing DeSean Jackson:

Among the many perks of having a great scheme is you don’t have to put up with a problem child, even one capable of posting 1,332 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. When Chip Kelly released DeSean Jackson, he didn’t “send a message” to his team. He simply shrugged and turned his back on a guy who wasn’t always fully invested in the greater cause.

Kelly knew he could easily find a replacement for Jackson. True, the 27-year-old’s tremendous speed and quickness fit the scheme. But the scheme doesn’t need players with an abundance of these traits, it needs players that simply have them. Kelly’s play designs can take care of the rest.

Mike Sando of ESPN.com has a list out of the top 50 breakout candidates. Zach Ertz comes in at No. 14:

Ertz graded out much better than Eifert in Pro Football Focus grading for 2013, even though their receiving numbers were pretty similar. Some in the league feel as though Foles can be a top-tier quarterback, and if that is the case, Ertz will be among the beneficiaries. The team will need to replace some of the production that left the roster when DeSean Jackson was released, and Ertz may pick up some of that slack.