There was a lot of talk about how tough the Eagles schedule started out due to 3 games in 11 days. One underrated factor in that is the fact that the team simply couldn’t get into a rhythm in terms of practice and playing. Football players are creatures of habit. The Eagles had long and short weeks for the first 4 games. That can throw you off.
Don’t take this as an excuse for the 1-3 start. The Eagles were outplayed in the losses. But it is hard for a team in transition to be at their best when there is no rhythm to the season.
“We’re all new here. These guys are getting used to us; we’re getting used to them. In the first three weeks, we were never in the same schedule. We opened up on a Monday, then played a Sunday, then played a Thursday, then we had four days off, came back and played a Sunday. Now, we call it ‘battle rhythm.’ I feel like we’re started to get into a rhythm. You play on Sunday, you’re off on Monday, you’re in on Tuesday, Wednesday is red zone and third down. As you get going, you start getting into that rhythm that we’re trying to get into. It was really the first week in that rhythm. We’re learning them; they’re learning us. I think we’re moving in the right direction.”
Battle rhythm. I kinda like that.
Kelly preaches the importance of practice in an extreme way. The odd schedule at the beginning of the season didn’t do him any favors.
According to Football Outsiders, the Eagles D faced the 2nd most difficult schedule in terms of quality of opponent. The defense isn’t great, but maybe not as bad as seemed.