Seahawks cornerback Cary Williams made waves last week when he told a Seattle radio station that his former team, the Eagles, nose-dived in 2014 because "we were exhausted, and we were outcoached the majority of the games," per the Philadelphia Inquirer.
A rash of Eagles players came forward on Tuesday to swat that theory down, while defending coach Chip Kelly's rigorous practice methods.
"I felt good the last month of the season, and I don't think that was it," linebacker Connor Barwin told the newspaper. "There's a number of things that happened at the end of the season that are the reasons you win or lose. ... I respect everything Cary says, but I don't agree with that."
Joining the Eagles last year after five campaigns in New Orleans, safety Malcolm Jenkins went out of his way to defend Kelly's unorthodox approach to sports science, saying: "If you ask most guys who have come from other places and come here, most of them will tell you toward the end of the season they felt better here than they have at other places, and I think it's due to all the things Chip focuses on as far as recovery and all of that."
Barwin also pointed out that Kelly fosters an "open dialogue" with players through frequent questionnaires that ask how the team feels from a physical and mental standpoint.
Eagles defenders are asked to do more than some other teams because of the speed of Philly's offense, which finished as the fastest attack in the NFL in 2014, according to pace stats from Football Outsiders. That up-tempo approach forced the Eagles' D to play more downs last season than any team outside of the Cleveland Browns.
While that formula works for Jenkins and Barwin, Williams is happy to be elsewhere. If we've learned anything this offseason, if you don't buy in to Kelly's system, you will be operating from a new zip code before you know it.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses the latest NFL news including Dez Bryant's contract situation and the latest on Johnny Manziel. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
