Adversity is every head coach’s favorite word. And right now, Chip Kelly is facing lots of it.

 

The Philadelphia Eagles dropped a 20-10 decision to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, a game that intensified all of the team’s problems this season. These are problems that are a direct result of Kelly – the newly-appointed general manager – and they’re problems that need to be fixed immediately before Kelly loses his locker room.

 

Sam Bradford looked shaky, erratic, and uncomfortable in the pocket, traits you would expect from a rookie but not a former No. 1 overall draft pick whom Kelly traded a Pro Bowl quarterback in Nick Foles (plus a high draft pick) to acquire.

 

Prized free-agent acquisition DeMarco Murray inexplicably managed to rush the ball 13 times for two yards. $63 million cornerback Byron Maxwell was burned repeatedly on passing plays. But most problematic, the offensive line turned in an absolute abomination of a performance, one so bad the Eagles simply couldn’t move the ball on the ground.

 

Kelly’s offseason power struggle in which he all but bumped out Howie Roseman for final control of all decisions looks like a serious mistake by owner Jeffrey Lurie. Kelly’s “culture beats scheme” philosophy led to the trade of LeSean McCoy for inside linebacker Kiko Alonso and the release of top guard Evan Mathis. And this was a year after the inexplicable release of DeSean Jackson, a three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver coming off his best season.

 

The McCoy-for-Alonso trade seemed to make sense at the time. Alonso played under Kelly at the University of Oregon and has tremendous ballhawking skills. His interception in Week 1 showcased his remarkable athleticism. McCoy’s home-run hitting running style didn’t seem to fit what Kelly wanted, specifically the number of times McCoy lost yardage.

 

And when Kelly signed reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year DeMarco Murray from the division-rival Cowboys, it gave Kelly the ground-and-pound zone-runner he needed to maximize his hurry-up offense.

 

Then Alonso suffered a serious knee injury in Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys, one that may be a torn ACL. Murray is shockingly mired at 11 rushing yards on 21 attempts. And Kelly’s attempt to just plug and play journeyman veterans Allen Barbre and Andrew Gardner in place of Mathis and the veteran Todd Herremans have backfired horrifically.

 

So where do the Eagles go from here?

 

At 0-2, Kelly’s team isn’t done. Statistically, about one out of eight teams that begin the season 0-2 manage to make the playoffs, and if there’s ever a division to do it in, this is the one.

 

Despite Dallas’s 2-0 record, the NFC East is wide open. Tony Romo’s recent collarbone injury will likely sideline him for up to two months, and All-Pro wideout Dez Bryant could miss the majority of the regular season.

 

The New York Giants could be a dumpster fire, as evidenced by their 0-2 record, highlighted by consecutive blown fourth-quarter leads. And while the Washington Redskins did knock off the St. Louis Rams, it’s doubtful Jay Gruden’s team has the talent to win this division.

 

Theoretically, Kelly could still right the ship.

 

Kelly overcame a 3-5 start in 2013 to make the playoffs. He’s won 10 games in each of his two seasons as a head coach in the NFL. And he’s overseen an Eagles roster that has established franchise records in points scored in both seasons. He’s had success and he’s bounced back from miserable games before.

 

Kelly will need to start by establishing the running game. That likely starts with the offensive line. It’s too late to bring back Mathis. Kelly will need to make it work with the players he has. Once he establishes a running game that still has potential to be among the league’s elite, it will make life easier for Bradford. And the defense. And maybe that will lead to some wins.

 

If it doesn’t, Kelly only has himself to blame.