Chip Kelly's Job Security Takes Hit After Eagles' Most Embarrassing Loss Yet

It didn't seem like the Philadelphia Eagles could lose in any more humiliating fashion than they did last week to the Miami Dolphins. But their Week 11 defeat made that one look quite impressive by comparison.

On the heels of a 45-17 Eagles loss to rookie quarterback Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Philadelphia, it's likely no longer a matter of "if" but "when" the wacky tenure of Chip Kelly as head coach will undergo a messy divorce.

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Philadelphia's five previous losses showcased concerning struggles on either offense or defense, but typically not both. Sunday's loss to Tampa Bay, however, had it all.

The Bucs hustled and bustled for 521 total yards—an incredible 7.2 yards per play. Winston threw five touchdowns on 246 yards, but he wasn't even the Eagles' biggest problem defensively.

That title goes to running back Doug Martin, who posted 235 rushing yards and two 50-plus-yard scampers in the first half alone. 

But it was far from being all about the players. The coaching staff constantly put its guys in situations to fail, including one obvious instance, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer noted:

It's not like the offense—one that's supposed to succeed no matter who's under center—did the D any favors, of course. Backup quarterback Mark Sanchez threw three interceptions, and DeMarco Murray was again held in check, rushing for 64 yards on 13 carries.

Not that Kelly can defer responsibility for the defense, but the offense's inefficiency falls directly on the head coach's plate. Even more so, his head-scratching decisions like the one Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times noted only made him look worse:

That's right. Kelly—the so-called fearless play-caller and unconventional wizard—opted for a field goal, down three scores late in an unwinnable game. It's like he's trying to get fired.

You don't have to go very far to find those pointing directly at Kelly for the struggles, as is ESPN's Kevin Negandhi:

Just a few weeks ago, it seemed impossible that Philadelphia would be sitting at 4-6 entering the Thanksgiving Day game against Detroit.

The Eagles had just pulled out an overtime win over Dallas to seize control of the NFC East, rolling into a soft three-game slate of Miami, Tampa Bay and Detroit. Yet they lost the first two.

Now with Tony Romo having returned for the Cowboys and the New York Giants looking dangerous, the pressure is on the Eagles, who have little time to figure it out, as Kelly told the team's Twitter:

If you want an NSFW representation of how confident Eagles fans are in Kelly's ability to right the ship, just click on that above tweet and scroll down the replies.

Philadelphia's front office gave Kelly the keys to the franchise and the comfort of multiple offseasons to build his team—something you don't often see in the win-now NFL. That the Eagles are seemingly regressing from year to year—when they should be doing the opposite—only proves his incompetence as an NFL coach and general manager.

In the process, his reputation is taking a considerable hit, as Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman quipped:

Somehow, there's still a chance for the Eagles to make something of this season. With the NFC East sputtering as a whole, Philly can backpedal into the postseason at 9-7 or perhaps even 8-8 if it can string together some wins.

But that seems like a pipe dream. And with a trip to face the Lions—who are suddenly on a two-game winning streak—on a short week, it may not be long until the final nail is in the coffin of Kelly's tenure with Philadelphia.