The Philadelphia Eagles' recent 38-24 loss to the Washington Redskins officially eliminated coach Chip Kelly's team from the playoffs for the second year in a row.
It has been a disappointing year for the Philly organization, made worse by their 6-9 record in a relatively weak division. However, Kelly is still intent on returning as the Eagles head coach next season. He is also not shying away from taking responsibility for the team's loss.
"One hundred percent; it's all on my shoulders. It's the same thing I said a year ago. It's unacceptable. We didn't play well enough to beat a good football team. You can't put yourself in the hole like we did. Those two turnovers were costly for us, and then, obviously, I think drops affected us on the offensive side of the ball," Kelly told USA Today after the game.
That admission will likely garner him some support from players and fans, but will also possible increase calls for his termination. After Philadelphia was eliminated from NFC East Division for the second consecutive season, the team's future has become uncertain. Franchise owner Jeff Lurie will meet with the head coach after next Sunday's season finale versus the New York Giants, according to ESPN.
"Anybody in my situation. If they're worried about getting fired, they probably already should have been fired. It's not good enough, but I'm going to continue to work," Kelly explained.
The 52-year-old football coach did win the NFC East title back in 2013, his first season after transferring to the Eagles from the Oregon Ducks. Philadelphia finished 10-6 and missed the playoffs in 2014. After losing to the Redskins, the Eagles (6-9) are apparently assured of a losing record, which is Kelly's first as a head coach.
Following their loss to Washington on Saturday night, the Eagles' focus is no longer on the postseason. So far, it appears that both the team and quarterback Sam Bradford are interested in each another. Coach Kelly also recently mentioned that he wants to retain Bradford. And after Saturday's matchup, it has been revealed that the quarterback shares the same sentiment.
"You know, I want to be back here, like I said. Obviously, we are not at the stage where we have been talking about that, but if it does present itself and I do have the opportunity, then this is where I want to be,"Bradford explained.
It is not clear whose decision it will be. Kelly holds final say over personnel, but signing a starting quarterback to a new deal requires Lurie's approval before a major investment is made. Furthermore, there is also the question of whether Philadelphia will prefer someone else over Bradford, such as San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick or Washington's Robert Griffin III.
