Fansided

5 reasons Chip Kelly can work with the 49ers

By Nathaniel Reeves

Dec 26, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly during the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins at Lincoln Financial Field. The Redskins defeated the Eagles, 38-24. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 26, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly during the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins at Lincoln Financial Field. The Redskins defeated the Eagles, 38-24. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
Oct 18, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) carries the ball after a handoff from quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) against the Baltimore Ravens during the third quarter at Levi
Oct 18, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) carries the ball after a handoff from quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) against the Baltimore Ravens during the third quarter at Levi /

He can improve San Francisco’s biggest weakness 

After the mass exodus of talent during the offseason, nobody expected the 49ers to be playoff contenders in 2015. Still, it was a bit of a surprise to see just how bad San Francisco was on the offensive side of the ball.

The 49ers managed just 14.9 points per game this season, which ranked dead last in the NFL by quite a large margin according to TeamRankings. San Francisco was awful through the air and only a little better on the ground, as the poor offense basically gave them no chance to win all season long.

Injuries and lack of talent played a part in that, while Kaepernick’s struggles and eventual benching in favor of Blaine Gabbert didn’t help matters. However, coaching may have been even a bigger factor, as Tomsula’s staff could not replicate the success that Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman had in previous years.

Kelly has the ability to turn that offense around quickly. In Kelly’s debut year, Philadelphia had the second best total offense in the NFL per TeamRankings, and finished fourth the next season even with Foles’ regression.

Even if things didn’t work out in Philadelphia, there’s no denying that Kelly has a great mind for offense. Adding some playmakers will be critical, but Kelly should be able to get San Francisco’s offense to at least mid-pack levels, which will make the team much more competitive.

Next: There is still some talent left on defense

Home/NFL