Chip: No Concern About Letdown

The Eagles are coming off an emotional, memorable win over the playoff-hopeful Lions. They have won five straight and, after a Dallas loss to Chicago Monday night, find themselves in the driver’s seat in the NFC East. Up next is a 3-9-1 Vikings team that could very well be without star running back Adrian Peterson.

Any concern about a letdown in this spot?

“No,” said Chip Kelly. “We’re just a one-week operation. I was literally thinking of the Vikings game running off the field on Sunday. It’s, ‘What is our next opportunity to go out and see where we are as a team?’ That’s what this deal is all about. I think the teams that are mentally tough can work their way through it, and I think we have a mentally tough group.

“I enjoy the process, I’m not a results guy,” Kelly added. “I enjoyed the game, I enjoyed our energy, I enjoyed our enthusiasm pregame, I enjoyed the game as it was going on, but then what’s the next step? We did that, let’s go on. Let’s see what the next challenge and the next opportunity is. I don’t think life has a rearview mirror. I’m not a guy who looks back, I always look forward. I want to know what the next challenge is. The next challenge is a really good Vikings team, and that’s what excites me.”

The Eagles are already a couple days into their preparation, as they are one of the few teams in the league that practices on Tuesday. That’s part of the key to quickly turning the page, according to several of the players.

“You get here Tuesday and you’re already watching film on the next team,” said Todd Herremans. “I think that helps a lot getting the last game out of our head.”

Foles in the spotlight

Nick Foles is featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week and is starting to receive a whole lot of national attention lately. How’s he handling it?

“Great,” said Kelly. “I mean I didn’t talk to him about the Sports Illustrated thing because I just found out about it, but I don’t worry about Nick from any aspect like that. He’s a team guy and understands our focus is on the Vikings, and Nick’s focus is on the Vikings.

“There is something [in his makeup]. He’s a very unselfish person and I think it’s noticeable when you first meet him. He understands where he fits. Being a quarterback in this game, it’s a different position than maybe any other sport, but to be ultimately successful you have to make the players around you better and I think Nick has that quality.”

When the Sports Illustrated jinx was brought up at the end of the press conference, Kelly mumbled “I don’t believe in that” as he walked away.

News team, assemble!

A horn sound similar to the one that regularly booms inside the Metrodome has been spliced in with the music at Eagles practice this week, presumably to get the team desensitized to it.

Kelly said he can’t take any credit for that one.

“I have no idea what that is. I literally have nothing to do with the music,” said Kelly. “I thought it was the horn from ‘Anchorman.’ I went conch shell. I have no idea.”

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