Philadelphia head coach Chip Kelly doesn’t care what people think and he has his own vision of what the Eagles should be. Now involved in personnel moves, Kelly made adjustments to his roster after a late-season meltdown cost them a playoff berth. His up-tempo style is exciting so let the games begin.
ODDS
The Eagles use their homefield advantage to open as 3.5-point favorites, leaning toward the high end for a preseason game. The total of 42 is definitely high for an exhibition, but the Eagles and Chip Kelly don’t take their foot off the gas. The over is 7-1 in Philly’s eight previous preseason games under Kelly.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
Andrew Luck played one series in last year’s preseason opener before handing off to backup Matt Hasselbeck, who completed 10 of 15 and a touchdown. The scenario against the Eagles will be similar. Undrafted rookie free agent Bryan Bennett is the third quarterback on the roster. Bennett played two seasons under Chip Kelly at the University of Oregon before transferring to Southeastern Louisiana to finish up his collegiate career.
Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford said he would be “a little disappointed” if he didn’t play in the preseason opener. But said he’d understand if head coach Chip Kelly held him out rather than risk injury. After all, Bradford is coming off his second reconstructive ACL surgery and hasn’t played in a game since last year’s preseason finale for the St. Louis Rams. Mark Sanchez has experience in the system and would likely start if Bradford can’t go. The Eagles made a splash with the signing of Tim Tebow, who looks to resurrect a dormant career under Kelly’s system. Philly’s up-tempo style creates more possessions for the offense allowing Kelly to get good looks at his quarterbacks. The Eagles used four quarterbacks in last year’s preseason opener with each getting at least three series.
COACHES' MOTIVATION
Based on the offseason moves the Colts made, it’s obvious they loaded up to make a run at the Patriots and the AFC championship. The Colts added four new starters via free agency who have appeared in a combined 15 Pro Bowls. Those same four players join four other projected starters who will be at least 30 years old once the regular season starts. Can those players still be productive and last an entire season? Those are legitimate questions for a team coming off an appearance in the AFC Championship game. Head coach Chuck Pagano must now be cautious with practice and preseason game time for his veterans. The main goal is to make sure the seasoned players are on the field for as many snaps as possible during the regular season.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“I need to get back on the field and get those reps. It’s been a long time since I’ve taken live team reps now, whether that happens in the first game, the second game, the third game. That’s completely up to Coach. But I think it’s definitely beneficial for me to get out there.” – Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford
POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH
Jeremy Maclin took 119 targets and 85 catches with him to KC when the Chiefs flashed some green. Now the Eagles are looking to replace those numbers with several options. The first being rookie Nelson Agholor, who began taking first team reps in practice this week at Josh Huff’s usual outside spot. There’s no typical first-team and second team-unit in Kelly’s practices. He moves guys around playing in different situations and with different combinations of players so it’s hard to gauge where players stand. We do know Agholor has risen and is the likely candidate to replace Maclin. Jordan Matthews is also a breakout candidate while the production from Riley Cooper has fallen, but he’s still around.
INJURIES
Philadelphia’s three inside linebackers were absent from practice this week making their availability for Sunday’s preseason opener questionable. DeMeco Ryans continues his recovery from a torn Achilles and missed some time. Kiko Alonso was shelved with a concussion and hasn’t passed the protocols to get back on the field. Also, Mychal Kendricks was out for undisclosed reasons.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Colts are looking at the big picture when it comes to the 2015 season and the Eagles are just a tiny pixel in it. Chuck Pagano knows what’s at stake and it isn’t a win in August, it’s a win next February in Santa Clara. Some questioned Chip Kelly’s coaching method as a reason why the Eagles flamed out last season but he isn’t going to change. His players must adapt and when they don’t they aren’t in Philadelphia anymore. Now that Kelly has his team together it’s time to show what they can do.
Philadelphia 29, Indianapolis 23
BookMaker sent out the NFL online odds for this Sunday game at Philadelphia -3.5 with a total of 42. Use BookMaker’s live betting feature to bet on this game while it’s happening.
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The game between the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles is slated for Sunday, August 16, 2015, at 1 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field.
