Chip Kelly says Eagles’ slow starts may be due to bad play-calling

The Eagles have stunk in the first halves of gamesthis season.

Slow starts have mired the team to a 6.8 points per first half scoring average, No. 27 of 32 teamsin the NFL (as opposed to 15.4 points per first half in 2014, third best in football).

Chip Kelly is the first to admit thathe and his staff is to blame for the putrid outputs.

“I think a lot of that is on us coaching-wise,” the coach said when asked about who is responsible for the slow starts.”We’ve got to put [starting quarterback Sam Bradford]in better situations and plays, and specifically me in play-calling. We’ve got to do a better job that.”

Due to their 17three-and-outs (the most in the NFL) the Eagles have possessed the ball, on average, for less than 35 percent of the first half (under 11 minutes) through four games this season.

And though it appears Kelly is stubborn and slow to adjust, the third-year coach knows things are not working.

“You can’t sit there and say, ‘It’s working, ” Kelly said. “We’re not successful on first and second down; we haven’t been successful in the first half of games.”

So has Chip Kelly the GM gotten in the way of Chip Kelly the head coach?

According to the man himself, the players he has acquired over the last year — many of them in controversial and unexpected moves (Sam Bradford for Nick Foles and a second-rounder, Kiko Alonso for LeSean McCoy) — are the right ones for his offensive scheme.

“I just think it’s us knowing what our players can do and putting them in better situations. I think we have the right personnel here, no question about that.”

But until the Eagles can prove it for 60 minutes, the burden of proof will be with Kelly to show he knew what he was doing when he tore apart two straight 10-6 squads during his first two years.

And he better act fast. The “Fire Chip Kelly” movement is beginning to pick up steam.