Colts vs. Eagles: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 Preseason

All offseason long, Chip Kelly had to hear doubts about his decision-making. Every roster move was scrutinized, to the point fellow fans awaited the team's preseason debut with a bit of schadenfreude.

Like he did last season, Kelly appears to be thriving in proving people wrong.

The Eagles put up 410 yards of offense, including 283 in the first half, as they went on to earn a 36-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in their preseason opener.

Kenjon Barner, one of a number of former Oregon players on the Philadelphia roster, scored two touchdowns. He scored on a nine-yard carry and returned a punt 92 yards to the house, capping off a 23-0 Philly run to end the first half. Looking to make the team after spending last season on the practice squad, Barner had 29 yards rushing on six carries and added 131 yards as a returner.

Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer had noted earlier this month that Kelly was "real comfortable" with Barner, so this should go a long way toward keeping him on the team. That said, not everyone was all-in on his performance:

Projected starting quarterback Sam Bradford did not play, so Sunday was an opportunity for Kelly to take a look at his backup situation. Mark Sanchez played the first two series of the game, going 2-of-7 for 53 yards, connecting with Nelson Agholor on a 34-yard touchdown late in the first quarter. Agholor, a rookie out of USC, caught a poorly thrown Sanchez pass and then turned on the jets, beating three Colts defenders to the corner of the end zone.

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe came away impressed:

Matt Barkley fared quite a bit better in his action, throwing for 192 yards on 12-of-20 passing. Minus an interception on a pass tipped at the line of scrimmage, Barkley looked far more comfortable in Kelly's offense than he did at this point a year ago. He helped engineer the drive that finished in Barner's touchdown, and most of his drives reached Indianapolis territory.

"I think just my quickness in reads and capability within the pocket in this offense," he said of the improvements he's made, per Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. "I think that's grown a lot. Pushing the tempo feels just second nature. My arm strength does feel good...even more defined [than a year ago]. I'm looking forward to being accurate and making good decisions."

Andrew Brandt of NFL Network made a salient point:

Of course, the backup everyone came to Philly to see was Tim Tebow. Making his first NFL appearance since being cut by the New England Patriots before the 2013 season, Tebow played a good deal of the second half, throwing for 69 yards on 6-of-12 passing. He led the Eagles to a field goal on his first drive and later scored a touchdown on a seven-yard run.

Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy noted fans might be overreacting a bit:

For the Colts, who are coming off an AFC Championship Game appearance, there was not nearly as much to prove. Andrew Luck got in, got out and moved on with his life, throwing for 43 yards while playing parts of two series. A majority of the team's veterans followed similar patterns, with newly acquired running back Frank Gore sitting out and wideout Andre Johnson making only one grab for nine yards.

Of the team's rookies, quarterback Bryan Bennett and Josh Robinson both got chances to make an impact. Robinson, in his first year out of Mississippi State, had 44 yards on 10 carries and scored a nine-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Given the struggles Indy's had running the ball in recent years—Zurlon Tipton put together just 34 yards on 16 carries—any help Robinson could provide would be a massive boost.

Undrafted out of Southeastern Louisiana, Bennett struggled through the air (4-of-16, two interceptions) but added an intriguing dimension on the ground. He had 13 yards on four carries, including a long of 15. First-round pick Phillip Dorsett also come through with a nice game, making four catches for 51 yards. He's looking strong enough to fit in nicely as a third option behind T.Y. Hilton and Johnson. 

Overall, it's the first preseason game. There are not any big takeaways. That said, those fretting about Kelly's ability to put together a team may be eating crow in a few months.