Oregon Ducks' Chip Kelly: Cause For Concern

  Thursday nights blunder stinks all around.  The Duck offense was given a pass at halftime.  Coach Kelly said in a halftime interview, "...I don't need to yell at them."  The Duck offense came out and scored in the third quarter, the only bright spot in the game.  However, his words will resound for the rest of the season.  Will Kelly be passive when it comes to coaching?  Will he show intensity and emotion when it is called for?  These are important questions when dealing with such a young team.

  I don't condone throwing chairs at players, nor shoving them around.  I do think its necessary in college sports to get in a players face sometime.  Chip Kelly may have benefited from taking a page out of Bobby Knight's book of dealing with players.  Good coaches always find a way to compete, no matter what talent level they have taking the field. Maybe coach Kelly should have gotten into several players faces in the fourth quarter.  Maybe, just maybe, call a timeout to put a game plan together during the second quarter as they were struggling to make one first. 

  None of this happened because Chip Kelly was trying to call the offensive plays, from the sideline!  From the sideline?  This isn't done in this day and age of football for a reason.  Brian Bellick from the Baltimore Ravens took over O-Coordinator responsibilities last year as their O-Coordinator was inept.  That changed in the off season.  History has provened that O-Coordinators don't make good coaches.  Norv Turner, Chan Gailey, and Charlie Weiss have provened it doesn't happen.  It took Charlie Weiss one full season to find out he couldn't call plays and be a head coach at the same time.  He took much flack for not bettering his predecessor in the win column. 

  This is the cause for concern.  Like Charlie Weiss, Chip Kelly has inherited a young, and inexperienced team, but a very talented team.  Charlie Weiss was maybe the most heralded offensive mind in the NFL, but has struggle in becoming a head coach. This week headed into the Purdue game, after the fallout of last weeks debacle, Kelly should hand over play calling duties to his O-Coordinator.  More than likely he won't, and the Ducks will quite possibly be looking at going into conference play without a win.  A win against Jeff Tedford's Cal Golden Bears is not a sure thing either.  By the way Jeff Tedford used to be the O-Coordinator for the Ducks.  He hasn't had play calling duties since he became head coach at Cal.  Coincidence?