You couldn’t have scripted a more perfect scenario for new Eagles running back DeMarco Murray late in the fourth quarter of the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
Trailing 24-23, the Eagles faced a 4th and 1 from Atlanta’s 26-yard-line with just under three minutes remaining. A 44-yard field goal try was a possibility, but given kicker Cody Parkey’s disappointing preseason and minor groin injury, running the ball up the middle with the 2014 rushing champion seemed to make the most sense.
After all, why bring in an 1845-yard rusher, a north-south power back, if he isn’t going to get the ball with the game on the line?
Yet inexplicably, shockingly, Murray – or Mathews – failed to get the ball.
In a chaotic sequence, head coach Chip Kelly clearly waffled on his decision to attempt a potential go-ahead field goal. When Parkey connected on the 44-yarder that sailed wide right, just four seconds remained on the play clock.
Parkey’s miss is unacceptable, especially considering the do-or-die situation, but his coach didn’t help him by refusing to call a timeout and forcing a panic situation on the field.
Even if Parkey had made the kick, there would have been 2:30 for Matt Ryan to drive the Falcons 40 or 50 yards for an easy Matt Bryant field goal. Given the inability of Byron Maxwell and the rest of the Eagles’ defense to even remotely stop Julio Jones all night, a few easy first downs would have been inevitable for the Falcons.
The worst-case scenario would have been if Atlanta marched into Eagles’ field goal range, ran out the clock, and won on a walkoff field goal.
But had the Eagles converted the fourth and one with Murray running behind Jason Peters, Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson, the Eagles could have likely driven for a touchdown that, with a two-point conversion, could have given them a seven-point lead in the final minute or so.
It’s the third time since the start of the 2014 season that an inability to convert, or even attempt, a short-yardage conversion cost the Eagles a victory. The others, of course, were the San Francisco and Arizona games in 2014.
Despite his reputation as a risk-taker and a gambler, Kelly has continually shown himself to be extremely conservative when it comes to goal-line situations. Unfortunately, his track record has shown that whatever decision he makes has been the wrong one.
In one of the most puzzling moves of the still new Chip Kelly era, the Eagles dropped to 0-1 on the season because their head coach refused to allow his prized $42 million running back, the leading rusher during the 2014 season, to run the ball on fourth and a yard.
