Chip Kelly Talks Malcolm Jenkins And Accountability

After practice Tuesday, Malcolm Jenkins clarified comments he had made on WIP 94.1 about the way the Eagles hold each other accountable for mistakes.

“From a coaching style, I was brought up a little bit different where most mistakes that teammates or players make were brought up more in a team setting,” Jenkins said Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Chip Kelly was asked about his response to Jenkins’ comments, and why he chooses not to address glaring mistakes in front of the entire team for the sake of time.

“Why don’t I do that? Because my right guard doesn’t really care what my free safety does,” Kelly said. “So it’s not really efficient for Matt Tobin to listen to the instruction that’s going on for the free safeties. I think, when you want to get detailed in terms of making corrections, it needs to be done in the position meetings, because those guys are paying attention to what goes on at their positions.

“There’s a lot of different ways to do it, but for us, in our opinion, and in a lot of places —  I think everywhere I’ve been, it’s been done that way. It’s always been done in the individual position rooms, to the individual position players.

“In this sport, unlike any other sport, it’s very not related. What goes on for an offensive lineman is very different from what goes on for a defensive lineman.”

Kelly said he didn’t buy into the idea that being called out in front of an entire team is a good way to address, and correct, mistakes.

“I don’t buy that,” Kelly said. “I think [defensive backs coach Cory Undlin] does a great job of calling our guys out in individual rooms … and not calling out, but it’s instructing on what they did right and what they did wrong. If you need to get called out in front of a group, then you’re not getting things accomplished in the individual position rooms.”

Kelly said the team breaks into sessions as an offense, with Pat Shurmur, and as a defense, with Bill Davis, for about 10 to 15 minutes each before breaking into more specialized sessions with their position coaches.

On Tuesdays after Sunday games, the specialized meetings are where the players look at each play from the previous game and break down who did things well, and who made mistakes.

“Part of our schedule on Tuesday, when they get back here, is the first thing they do is we address the game that we just played. We go over that in detail, in each position group, as a group they go over everything. [Undlin] runs the defensive back group, so he goes over everything with them. Then we transition everything from a special teams standpoint, and then we come back and start the next meeting after that, and start to get ready to play the New England Patriots.”

Kelly said he’s taken input from Davis, Shurmur, and other coaches around the team about the way they’ve handled meetings in their past stops. He said what the Eagles do is similar to the way Davis, Shurmur, and even former Eagles head coach Andy Reid have done in the past.

“We’ve got a lot of input from a lot of guys that have done it in different places,” Kelly said. “I haven’t been part of [calling out in front of a team], I don’t think, for the efficiency of time, it doesn’t help … if a defensive lineman doesn’t place his hands right, how does that help the corner?

“I think our corners need as much work and as much instruction, I think our D-line needs as much work and as much instruction, and I think we can be more specific in terms of doing it like that. Everywhere I’ve been, it’s been done that way.”

Bradford’s status still uncertain

Sam Bradford participated in practice Tuesday, and was seen practicing again on Wednesday. Kelly was asked about what he saw from the quarterback, who has missed the team’s last two games.

“[Bradford] threw the ball well,” Kelly said. “It was just good to see him get back on the field and throw the ball. The thing that we’ll see is, is there residual effects from throwing the ball? Where’s the soreness?”

Injury updates

Updates live from practice at the NovaCare Complex on Wednesday.

Walter Thurmond, Cedric Thornton sidelined today

— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) December 2, 2015

Sam Bradford, Jason Peters, Jason Kelce and Josh Huff all appear ready to practice. No sign yet of Ryan Mathews (concussion). #Eagles — Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) December 2, 2015