Over the past ten years, the NFL has seen a dramatic transformation in the way the game is played and it is no longer your father's league. With a bevy of new rules benefiting the vertical passing game, teams are throwing the ball at a historic rate. For example, Detroit Lions quarterback Matt Stafford attempted 727 passes this season, which is an average of more than 45 passes per game. Furthermore, old NFL cliches are becoming quickly outdated. The notion that rookie quarterbacks need time to develop and can't play right away and that college coaches can't be successful in the pros is being discredited. Rookies Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson all led their respective teams to the playoffs and Ryan Tannehill and Brandon Weeden both had fairly good years. In the NFC West, two former college coaches, Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll, both led their teams to the playoffs and the Bucs showed promise this season under former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano. The NFL is quickly molding into a new type of league and Oregon head coach Chip Kelly and his unique offense could definitely be very effective.
Although the college and pro games are obviously played at much different speeds, it would not be prudent to discredit the success that Chip Kelly has had at Oregon. Since Kelly was named the head coach in 2009, the Ducks have had an incredible record of 46-7 (33-3 in conference) including four straight appearances in BCS bowl games, which has only been matched by Miami, USC, and Ohio State since 1998. Kelly has run the most dynamic offensive system in the country with the Ducks, which makes his NFL coaching prospects so enticing. In each of the last three years, Oregon has finished the college football season in the top five of rushing yard per game, yards per game, as well as points per game, which displays just how proficient the Ducks have been on offense. Despite the undeniable talent gap between the pros and college, the collegiate game is swiftly becoming much more advanced and the difference between the NFL and college game has never been smaller. Although Kelly's success with the Ducks certainly doesn't mean that he will experience the same feats in the pro game, it is an indication that his offensive attack can work at the next level.
One of the main criticisms of Chip's spread offense is that it can only prosper with a quick and mobile quarterback under center and a speedy running back along side him in the backfield, which is what Kelly has had at Oregon. While Chip's high-powered offense would definitely flourish with a duel threat quarterback like Cam Newton, RGIII, or Russell Wilson, it can still be very effective with a pocket passer. Kelly's offensive system is predicated on its tempo more than anything else and therefore if Kelly had a quarterback that lacked mobility, he would just increase the pace of the team's offense. For example, Kelly has made numerous visits to the New England Patriots, upon Bill Belichick's request, to show the team his up-tempo offensive style. With their no-huddle and faster pace, the Patriots led the league with an average of 74.4 plays per game, which in comparison was almost 14 more plays per game than the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants ran during the season. Kelly's offense is all about tempo and speed, which is starting to become a popular trend in the NFL, and this exemplifies why so many league executives are attracted to him.
The Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, and Philadelphia Eagles have all set up meetings with the Oregon coach, and all three of the clubs seem to be very interested in his services. Each of the teams could use an offensive revamp, as they all finished outside of the top 20 in points per game this season. Aside from the promising improvements that Kelly could bring on the offensive side of the ball, his "win the day" mantra of playing hard every day, and the fact that all of his players seem to very much like him as a coach, could bring a much needed cohesion to an NFL team, especially one with the talent level of the Philadelphia Eagles.
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