Chip Kelly: No quick fix for Nick Foles, Eagles offense

After examining Nick Foles' mechanics on the game film of Sunday's 34-28 victory over the Rams, Chip Kelly offered his analysis of why his quarterback is throwing so many floaters off his back foot.

"I think sometimes when it happens, there's a rush, and he's trying to slide to the right or slide to the left, not setting his feet when he slides," Kelly said at his day-after news conference. "In terms of staying on top of it, staying in a good platform to throw the ball."

Asked about correcting this, Kelly said: "I think it's fixable. It's just a matter of drill work, fundamentals, doing a lot of movement drills. Bill (Musgrave, the Eagles' QB coach) does a really nice job with it from that standpoint. We just have to get (Foles) where he's real comfortable there. Sometimes guys are coming clean, or coming off at times, that you didn't expect. May have been a three-technique that beat the guard, he's got to slide-step. Usually you kind of understand that when there's a blitz coming, you know where the unblocked guy is coming from. But sometimes, you think it's going to be salvaged, you feel a little bit of pressure ... (Foles must) do a little bit better job of getting his feet set before he throws the ball."

Obviously, last season, when Foles' passer rating was over 100 in eight of 10 starts, and he threw only two interceptions and 27 touchdown passes, Foles' throwing platform seemed a lot better. How come?

"I don't think we had as much pressure last year, to be honest with you," Kelly said. "I still think it's a combination of things. Sometimes it's little fundamental things, and we all gotta go back to work, and I think he understands that."

Kelly reiterated that point in reference to his offense overall, when asked if its problems are a "quick fix."

"I don't see anything as a quick fix," he said. "We have to continue to just go to work." Kelly said the ever-changing offensive line combinations resulted Sunday in "a couple communication issues up front -- not many, but a couple ... there was one time we jumped offside because the center didn't snap the ball on time, things that didn't happen when Jason (Kelce) was in there, there's little teeny things along there, but there's not just one quick fix ... we've just got to continue to work on it and get better. The positive is that we're working from a situation that we're 4-1 trying to get better ... we're still not as consistent on the offensive side of the ball as we want to be."

Other highlights:

*Kelly said it wasn't unusual for LeSean McCoy to take himself out for a series, even when it turns out to be the Eagles' final series of the game, given his and the team's trust in Darren Sproles. "We don't change anything with Darren, so I don't think it was a big deal," Kelly said. "When he knows he needs a rest, he goes off for a play or two, Darren goes in, and then we roll."

*Asked why Sproles has been so much more effective this season than McCoy, Kelly said that sometimes the blocking just seems better on the Sproles plays, but "he's a real smart football player ... he really is a talented, talented running back who has great vision and has a great understanding of what we're doing from a blocking standpoint."

*Kelly said his corners "have to do a better job of playing the ball in the air."

*Kelly had no update on DeMeco Ryans, who left Sunday's game in the fourth quarter with a right groin problem. He said if Chris Polk, who reinjured his hamstring, can't play Sunday against the Giants, Josh Huff or Nolan Carroll will return kickoffs.

*Perhaps looking to dispute the notion that the defensive backfield would be better if nickel corner Brandon Boykin played more, Kelly said Boykin played all 26 fourth-quarter snaps.

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