Only in the bizarro world that mad scientist Chip Kelly has created does it make sense that the Jets should fear the idea of Mark Sanchez getting in the game on Sunday.
Kelly, Philly’s coach/default GM/yogi, brings his three-ring circus to MetLife Stadium this weekend, with his 0-and-2 team -- and himself -- in dire need of a win to quiet the critics and preserve any chance of making the Eagles’ season meaningful.
Much has changed since Kelly led his team to a 10-win campaign in 2014. QB Nick Foles was shown the door, traded for the oft-injured Sam Bradford in the offseason. LeSean McCoy, one of the NFL’s best running backs over the past few years, was also sent packing, in exchange for someone named Kiko Alonso, a linebacker who enjoyed a promising rookie season in Buffalo in 2013 before missing all of last season with a torn ACL.
The best news Kelly has gotten so far this season is that Alonso didn’t tear his ACL again last week vs. the Cowboys - -well, at least not all the way. The partial tear, though, means he won’t be playing against the Jets.
DeMarco Murray, the RB Kelly brought in to replace McCoy, may also miss the game, as a hamstring injury has sidelined him at practice this week.
But in bizarro land, Murray’s absence may well be a plus for the visitors. After leading the NFL in rushing while playing behind the formidable Dallas offensive line last year, Murray has been all kinds of awful so far in 2015. (Warning: if you’ve got Murray on your fantasy team, look away now!!!) The fifth-year RB has amassed a total of 11 yards on 21 carries, for a Belushi-in-Animal House-like average of 0.5 yards per carry. In other words, Murray could improve on his numbers just by falling forward each time he receives a handoff.
Somehow -- and like everything involving Kelly, this defies reason -- -Bradford has been even worse than Murray. I watched the Eagles last week, and I spent the hour after the game trying to decide who was better, Bradford or the QB who played for my then 9-year-old son’s Pop Warner team in 2012. I still hadn’t come to a resolution when I broke for dinner.
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It’s been said that backup QB Sanchez is a better fit for Kelly’s fast-paced offense than the lumbering Bradford. If the starter continues to stink up the place, we may find out before long if that’s true.
The 2-and-0 Jets are also banged up, with All-World cornerback Darrelle Revis among several key players who may have to sit out. Couple that with the fact that they’re playing an Eagles team with their backs against the wall, and it seems that Gang Green may be in for a tough contest.
But bizarro or not, the home team is better than Philly. One team should finish the game still undefeated and the other still winless.
