Football NFL to the Eagles: Not so fast Chip !! - Page 3

Chiefshrink · 07-31-2013, 08:41 PM

NFL to the Eagles: Not So Fast
Chip Kelly's New High-Tempo Offense in Philadelphia May Face a Major Challenge: Referees

By KEVIN CLARK

Associated Press
Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly (in background watching quarterback Michael Vick) aims to run every play as quickly as possible with no huddles and no stoppages in play.

Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly has been plotting a football revolution since he was hired this winter to turn around the team's fortunes.

His plan is to continue the philosophy he perfected as the coach at Oregon: to run every play as quickly as possible with no huddles and no stoppages in play, all aimed at leaving the defense doubled over in exhaustion. This "up-tempo" strategy, already popular at the college level, looks like it could change the pro game forever. There is just one small problem standing in Kelly's way: referees.

As Kelly mans his first full week of NFL training camp, installing a high-revving Ferrari engine into the Eagles' offense, league insiders say there are exactly zero indications NFL referees will be willing participants in the Kelly era. The NFL, they say, has a long-standing pace at which they do things between plays and the referees "aren't going to change just to accommodate someone's offense," said Mike Pereira, a former NFL vice president of officiating who is now an analyst for Fox Sports.

"We have to make sure teams understand that they don't control the tempo, our officials do," said NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino. "We're going through our normal ball mechanics; we aren't going to rush [unless] it's in the two minute drill."

Blandino said he has talked to every NFL team coaching staff during the off-season to emphasize that there is no forcing the issue—the offense won't be able to snap the ball until the referees signals they're ready.

Kelly declined to comment. An Eagles spokesman also declined to comment.

Blandino said the subject of up-tempo offenses and how they're officiated was a major point of discussion by the NFL's competition committee in recent months. Last season, after what Blandino said was a record for total plays from scrimmage per game, he said the committee felt compelled to "re-emphasize" that NFL rules differ dramatically from college.

At a clinic for NFL officials this off-season, Pereira said he saw league executives taking the next step, drilling the message into the heads of its assembled referees: No matter what, we're going to run at the same pace.

It is easy to see why the NFL might want to tap the brakes on these rampaging offenses. The league has long cherished the somewhat languorous breaks between plays, which are also attractive to broadcasters. There is also a safety concern: The more plays get run, the more tired players become and the more their technique suffers—increasing the risks of injury.

For Kelly, who went 46-7 at Oregon and appeared in a national-championship game, the college game was essentially a racetrack. Since referee guidelines were more lenient, Kelly's teams were consistently able to get officials to work more quickly, setting them up to make lightning-fast snaps. In one game measured by The Wall Street Journal, Kelly's Oregon offense averaged just 23.2 seconds between snaps, a pace 32% faster than the norm for college football.

In the NFL, however, referees are required to change balls when a play dies out of bounds or when there is an incomplete pass. That can add five to 10 seconds between plays. Another source of slowness: The referee who spots the ball in the NFL must be behind the deepest offensive back before the offense can snap the ball.

In at least one collegiate conference, the referee has to only be two steps away from the ball for the offense to snap it. The difference between these approaches can add up to 10 seconds in some instances.

The NFL's policy on substitutions won't help the Eagles, either. If an offensive team substitutes a player, Blandino said, it doesn't matter how quickly that player gets to the line of scrimmage—the defense will also be allowed to make its substitutions. NFL referees, he said, will go so far as standing over the ball to make sure the defenders have time to get in the game.

Pereira, who saw Kelly's offense in action when he briefly oversaw Pac-12 officials two years ago, said Kelly was a coach who lobbied for officials to be more mobile so they could run with the Ducks and get the ball down on the line of scrimmage more quickly, giving the team's center the chance to get a snap off just seconds later. "In the NFL, I don't see him having the juice to persuade crews to work faster," Pereira said. "In fact, I know he doesn't."

To understand the difference between what Kelly wants to bring to the NFL and what the NFL is used to, consider that 12.8% of NFL plays last season were run without a huddle. While that is nearly double what it was five years ago, it doesn't hold a candle to Kelly's Ducks teams. Those squads went without a huddle on 78.5% of plays last year. Eagles receiver Jason Avant said that in his time in the NFL he's come to realize that every NFL team runs the same plays with different names. "But not this offense," he said.

Blandino said that in his meeting with Philadelphia, Kelly didn't show any "overconcern" about these changes. "They had questions about what the parameters were going to be," Blandino said of the Eagles. "It's going to be different from college." Blandino said he didn't sense pushback from teams. He said he wanted every team aware of the mechanics that take place before a snap.

The NFL's version of an up-tempo offense—as tepid as it may be compared with college—has caught on with a handful of teams, most notably the New England Patriots, which ran 74.4 plays per game last season, the most by an NFL team in two decades. By all accounts, the Patriots wish they could go faster. "Tom [Brady] always wants to go faster and faster," said wide receiver Matthew Slater.

But even that pace has stirred up controversy in the NFL. Jets linebacker Calvin Pace called the Patriots' up-tempo offense "borderline illegal" and Jet coaches have publicly complained about the Patriots breaking substitution rules.

"Coach Kelly will not be playing as fast in Philadelphia as he did at Oregon," said Gerald Austin, a longtime NFL referee who now instructs officials and is an analyst for ESPN.

Write to Kevin Clark at kevin.clark@wsj.com

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...350207808.html

Fat Elvis · 08-01-2013, 01:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

I didnt say that.
I said the refs in college are already adjusting to the up tempo pace......because they have to because offenses have increased their pace.
In the case of the NFL refs, they are acting as though they just arent going to do it because they Dont Have to.
They are setting the pace and making offenses follow suit instead of the other way around.
Offenses should be setting their own pace .
There is no reason why the rules In place should keep the refs from being able to do their jobs.

I don't think you understand just how fast 23.2 seconds in between snaps really is and just how unfeasable that is considering the differences in rules between college and pro ball.

We're talking real time, not game time.

Quesadilla Joe · 08-01-2013, 02:03 AM

This is a big topic on Denver radio right now because all offseason the Broncos have been saying they want to play faster than they did last year.

Rasputin · 08-01-2013, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassel>Manning

This is a big topic on Denver radio right now because all offseason the Broncos have been saying they want to play faster than they did last year.

Be careful what you ask for, it could give defenses more plays to sack and snap PM neck.

**Bob Dole** · 08-01-2013, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassel>Manning

This is a big topic on Denver radio right now because all offseason the Broncos have been saying they want to play faster than they did last year.

Won't that cut in to Peypey's pre-snap dance time?

Chiefshrink · 08-01-2013, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

Be careful what you ask for, it could give defenses more plays to sack and snap PM neck.

Especially now without a legit center and a duct taped O-line. Lilja will get pushed around for sure especially going against 3/4 Ds. Lilja will gladly welcome Poe !

BlackHelicopters · 08-01-2013, 08:57 AM

Refs already interfere with the game plenty. This pisses me off.

Rasputin · 08-01-2013, 09:02 AM

I don't see it being any different or more up tempo than what the Bills did under Marv Levy with Jim Kelly as QB. They went no huddle all the time. I don't see this with the Eagles being anything new or revolutionary to the NFL.

Fat Elvis · 08-01-2013, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

I don't see it being any different or more up tempo than what the Bills did under Marv Levy with Jim Kelly as QB. They went no huddle all the time. I don't see this with the Eagles being anything new or revolutionary to the NFL.

It's Chip Kelly. Chip Kelly is the revolution. Didn't you read the memo?

GoChargers · 08-01-2013, 09:37 AM

Funny, the league had no problem with the Patsies implementing parts of Chip Kelly's offense last year, but now that another team does it, suddenly it's now a "rules issue" that the refs need to deal with.

crossbow · 08-01-2013, 09:40 AM

This offense won't be allowed because it crowds out commercials. Money decides everything and nobody in the NFL is going to permit this guy to impede the cash cow in any way.

Fat Elvis · 08-01-2013, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crossbow

This offense won't be allowed because it crowds out commercials. Money decides everything and nobody in the NFL is going to permit this guy to impede the cash cow in any way.

Esto. That, and no one wants a football game that is over in 2 hours.

Contrarian · 08-01-2013, 10:14 AM

This is mainly about safety and should be considered when the rule is the ref needs to be behind the last back after placing the ball, not two feet as in college. Not just for safety of the players but for the refs. And standing over the ball to insure that proper legal substitutions are made are crucial outside the two minute.
Don't shoot down what the refs say about this, I think they are being fair to the rest of the league and recognizing that safety is first and foremost.

DJ's left nut · 08-01-2013, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy

Sounds like the refs are basically saying...they are not going to move faster just because one team wants them too. As long as they do their job at the same pace throughout the game, I have trouble finding fault in that.

Exactly.

The Refs aren't saying that they're going to intentionally slow the Eagles. They're saying they're going to do what they've always done and at the pace they've always done it.

The Refs don't operate at the behest of Chip Kelly and the offense isn't the only squad on the field. The defense gets a nod here and there as well; why would the officials allow the offense exclusively to dictate the pace of the game?

Good on the NFL and the NFL refs for not allowing the push to arcade football to even further trample defenses.

DJ's left nut · 08-01-2013, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdcox

All the referees are saying is that they will control the pace of the game enough to allow:

1) new balls to be brought into play when the rules require it;
2) officials to get into position to make the proper call as required by the rules;
3) the defense sufficient time to make substitutions in response to offensive substitutions as required by the rules.

The only way to speed up the tempo is to change the rules, Are you guys advocating that the NFL should change its rules to accommodate the whims of a new coach, because it sure sounds like it.

No, they're not advocating anything because that would require a moment of rational analysis.

They're just yelling loudly.

RARGH!! REFEREES ARE SPEAKING!!! REFEREES SUCK!!!

Whatever. The referees aren't manipulating, stonewalling or otherwise damaging the game here. They're telling a brand new coach that he's not coaching in the NCAA anymore and he'll have to deal with these rules. Should the Bears be allowed to put 3 or 4 players in simultaneous motion because By God, that's what Tressman got to do in Montreal!

It's just silly - the rules of the NFL are what they are and Kelly has to play by them the same as everyone else.

Cannibal · 08-01-2013, 11:43 AM

The NFL does not have to adjust to Chip Kelly, Chip Kelly must conform to the NFL. He can run his gimmicks within the established rules and bounderies of the NFL game.

**** him if thinks he's going to come in and try to have everyone cater to his bullshit. God I hope he ends up a miserable failure.

07-31-2013, 08:41 PM
Chiefshrink Replaced by a future HOFer !! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: donkey land Casino cash: $6487901	NFL to the Eagles: Not so fast Chip !! NFL to the Eagles: Not So Fast Chip Kelly's New High-Tempo Offense in Philadelphia May Face a Major Challenge: Referees By KEVIN CLARK Associated Press Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly (in background watching quarterback Michael Vick) aims to run every play as quickly as possible with no huddles and no stoppages in play. Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly has been plotting a football revolution since he was hired this winter to turn around the team's fortunes. His plan is to continue the philosophy he perfected as the coach at Oregon: to run every play as quickly as possible with no huddles and no stoppages in play, all aimed at leaving the defense doubled over in exhaustion. This "up-tempo" strategy, already popular at the college level, looks like it could change the pro game forever. There is just one small problem standing in Kelly's way: referees. As Kelly mans his first full week of NFL training camp, installing a high-revving Ferrari engine into the Eagles' offense, league insiders say there are exactly zero indications NFL referees will be willing participants in the Kelly era. The NFL, they say, has a long-standing pace at which they do things between plays and the referees "aren't going to change just to accommodate someone's offense," said Mike Pereira, a former NFL vice president of officiating who is now an analyst for Fox Sports. "We have to make sure teams understand that they don't control the tempo, our officials do," said NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino. "We're going through our normal ball mechanics; we aren't going to rush [unless] it's in the two minute drill." Blandino said he has talked to every NFL team coaching staff during the off-season to emphasize that there is no forcing the issue—the offense won't be able to snap the ball until the referees signals they're ready. Kelly declined to comment. An Eagles spokesman also declined to comment. Blandino said the subject of up-tempo offenses and how they're officiated was a major point of discussion by the NFL's competition committee in recent months. Last season, after what Blandino said was a record for total plays from scrimmage per game, he said the committee felt compelled to "re-emphasize" that NFL rules differ dramatically from college. At a clinic for NFL officials this off-season, Pereira said he saw league executives taking the next step, drilling the message into the heads of its assembled referees: No matter what, we're going to run at the same pace. It is easy to see why the NFL might want to tap the brakes on these rampaging offenses. The league has long cherished the somewhat languorous breaks between plays, which are also attractive to broadcasters. There is also a safety concern: The more plays get run, the more tired players become and the more their technique suffers—increasing the risks of injury. For Kelly, who went 46-7 at Oregon and appeared in a national-championship game, the college game was essentially a racetrack. Since referee guidelines were more lenient, Kelly's teams were consistently able to get officials to work more quickly, setting them up to make lightning-fast snaps. In one game measured by The Wall Street Journal, Kelly's Oregon offense averaged just 23.2 seconds between snaps, a pace 32% faster than the norm for college football. In the NFL, however, referees are required to change balls when a play dies out of bounds or when there is an incomplete pass. That can add five to 10 seconds between plays. Another source of slowness: The referee who spots the ball in the NFL must be behind the deepest offensive back before the offense can snap the ball. In at least one collegiate conference, the referee has to only be two steps away from the ball for the offense to snap it. The difference between these approaches can add up to 10 seconds in some instances. The NFL's policy on substitutions won't help the Eagles, either. If an offensive team substitutes a player, Blandino said, it doesn't matter how quickly that player gets to the line of scrimmage—the defense will also be allowed to make its substitutions. NFL referees, he said, will go so far as standing over the ball to make sure the defenders have time to get in the game. Pereira, who saw Kelly's offense in action when he briefly oversaw Pac-12 officials two years ago, said Kelly was a coach who lobbied for officials to be more mobile so they could run with the Ducks and get the ball down on the line of scrimmage more quickly, giving the team's center the chance to get a snap off just seconds later. "In the NFL, I don't see him having the juice to persuade crews to work faster," Pereira said. "In fact, I know he doesn't." To understand the difference between what Kelly wants to bring to the NFL and what the NFL is used to, consider that 12.8% of NFL plays last season were run without a huddle. While that is nearly double what it was five years ago, it doesn't hold a candle to Kelly's Ducks teams. Those squads went without a huddle on 78.5% of plays last year. Eagles receiver Jason Avant said that in his time in the NFL he's come to realize that every NFL team runs the same plays with different names. "But not this offense," he said. Blandino said that in his meeting with Philadelphia, Kelly didn't show any "overconcern" about these changes. "They had questions about what the parameters were going to be," Blandino said of the Eagles. "It's going to be different from college." Blandino said he didn't sense pushback from teams. He said he wanted every team aware of the mechanics that take place before a snap. The NFL's version of an up-tempo offense—as tepid as it may be compared with college—has caught on with a handful of teams, most notably the New England Patriots, which ran 74.4 plays per game last season, the most by an NFL team in two decades. By all accounts, the Patriots wish they could go faster. "Tom [Brady] always wants to go faster and faster," said wide receiver Matthew Slater. But even that pace has stirred up controversy in the NFL. Jets linebacker Calvin Pace called the Patriots' up-tempo offense "borderline illegal" and Jet coaches have publicly complained about the Patriots breaking substitution rules. "Coach Kelly will not be playing as fast in Philadelphia as he did at Oregon," said Gerald Austin, a longtime NFL referee who now instructs officials and is an analyst for ESPN. Write to Kevin Clark at kevin.clark@wsj.com http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...350207808.html
Posts: 27,108

08-01-2013, 02:03 AM	#32
Quesadilla Joe Abolish The Salary Cap! Join Date: Mar 2008 Casino cash: $3408675	This is a big topic on Denver radio right now because all offseason the Broncos have been saying they want to play faster than they did last year. __________________ “(Sean) Payton feels as strongly about Bo Nix as he did Mahomes.“ - Adam Schefter
Posts: 19,907

08-01-2013, 08:57 AM	#36
BlackHelicopters Spiraling down the Drain Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Dante's Ninth Circle Casino cash: $-799412	Refs already interfere with the game plenty. This pisses me off. __________________ "We're both part of the same hypocrisy, Senator, but never think it applies to my family." "Fredo. You are my brother, and I love you. But never take sides against the Family again. Ever." 2019 Adopt a Chief - Travis Kelce #87
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08-01-2013, 09:02 AM	#37
Rasputin Tip of the hat LIV Champs Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: ks Casino cash: $145421	I don't see it being any different or more up tempo than what the Bills did under Marv Levy with Jim Kelly as QB. They went no huddle all the time. I don't see this with the Eagles being anything new or revolutionary to the NFL. __________________ "Those who don't believe in magic will never find it"
Posts: 56,917

08-01-2013, 09:37 AM	#39
GoChargers Dean Spanos is a Traitor Join Date: Oct 2012 Casino cash: $10013554	Funny, the league had no problem with the Patsies implementing parts of Chip Kelly's offense last year, but now that another team does it, suddenly it's now a "rules issue" that the refs need to deal with. __________________ Disclaimer: my username refers to the SAN DIEGO Chargers only. I will never cheer for the LA Chargers as long as the Spanos family owns the team.
Posts: 3,620

08-01-2013, 09:40 AM	#40
crossbow King of Sarcasm Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: at home Casino cash: $10004900	This offense won't be allowed because it crowds out commercials. Money decides everything and nobody in the NFL is going to permit this guy to impede the cash cow in any way. __________________ If the mind were so simple we could understand it, we would be so simple we couldn't.
Posts: 2,159

08-01-2013, 10:14 AM	#42
Contrarian Starter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Seattle, WA Casino cash: $10012872	This is mainly about safety and should be considered when the rule is the ref needs to be behind the last back after placing the ball, not two feet as in college. Not just for safety of the players but for the refs. And standing over the ball to insure that proper legal substitutions are made are crucial outside the two minute. Don't shoot down what the refs say about this, I think they are being fair to the rest of the league and recognizing that safety is first and foremost.
Posts: 456

08-01-2013, 11:43 AM	#45
Cannibal Better to burn out... Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Bible Thumping Country Casino cash: $10010618	The NFL does not have to adjust to Chip Kelly, Chip Kelly must conform to the NFL. He can run his gimmicks within the established rules and bounderies of the NFL game. **** him if thinks he's going to come in and try to have everyone cater to his bullshit. God I hope he ends up a miserable failure.
Posts: 9,306