Chip Kelly on Bucs loss: We got outplayed, outcoached

PART OF Chip Kelly's message Monday was an attempt to quell panic in the fan base after back-to-back home losses to teams the Eagles were favored to beat.

Kelly said he has a good relationship with his players.

"So we lost a football game," he said of Sunday's 45-17 loss to Tampa Bay. "I don't think it's time to say, 'Hey, we don't believe 'this' is 'this.' We got outplayed. We got outcoached. Didn't do a good job coaching in that football game, and that's what it is. But that's all it is, and we need to move forward. It's not, 'We need to change the way we set up our day,' or do anything like that."

Later, asked about personnel changes, Kelly said: "We lost two games. I think sometimes people panic and throw the baby out with the bathwater. I think we have a really good football team, and I'm very confident in those football players."

Kelly also said he has "tremendous confidence" in defensive coordinator Bill Davis: "I think he's a hell of a football coach."

Team chairman Jeffrey Lurie hasn't spoken since the preseason, but it seems unlikely that Lurie, who gave Kelly complete control of the football operation in January, would be willing to rethink that after one year. Of course, if every game starts to look like Sunday's loss, it might look more likely.

Chip Kelly said Zach Ertz, concussed in a scary fall Sunday after trying to hurdle a tackler, was cleared to go to meetings. "We'll see where that clears as the week goes along here," Kelly said. "We do know we're on a short week, though" . . . Kelly said Josh Huff wasn't targeted again after his early 39-yard touchdown catch and run because the Bucs switched from man coverage to Cover 2, which made it harder to get the ball to the outside receivers. Huff played only 17 snaps . . . The Eagles used E.J. Biggers in Malcolm Jenkins' usual nickel cornerback spot Sunday, with Jenkins playing deep safety in place of overextended Chris Maragos. Biggers was victimized repeatedly. "I don't think the matchup was good for anybody on our defensive side of the ball," Kelly said . . . Left tackle Jason Peters was a partial practice participant; indications are that he will start at Detroit . . . Cedric Thornton (ankle) did not practice.

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