Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly addresses tackling issues

Aug 9, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tim Tebow (5) gets away from Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho (53) during the second half of a preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field. The Patriots won 31-22. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

While the Philadelphia Eagles looked decent on offense during their preseason 31-22 loss to the New England Patriots, the team’s defense left a lot to be desired, giving up 442 yards and surrendering an abysmal eight yards per carry.

Head coach Chip Kelly acknowledged the sub-par defensive play, citing former Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount’s 51-yard cut-back run as especially troubling:

"I think there were a couple of missed tackles out there. I’ve seen LaGarrette do that a couple of times when I coached him. He’s a big, strong physical back and you have to get a lot of guys to the ball. We missed a gap on the first long run to start the game. We’ll watch the film and make sure we understand exactly what happened and try to correct those mistakes when we come back on Sunday. (USA Today Sports)"

Defensive coordinator Billy Davis also weighed in, saying the team has “a long ways to go” before the regular season.

It’s understandable the defensive players for the Eagles may be a bit rusty. Kelly doesn’t believe in having players tackle to the ground during full-team drills this early in the (pre)season, saying the risk of injury is too high.

[Source: USA Today Sports]

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