If things were not already bad in Philadelphia, they may have just gotten worse. There has been plenty of drama this season regarding head coach Chip Kelly and the direction he is pushing the team to go in. That came to blows on Sunday when the high-priced, former NFL leading rusher DeMarco Murray got just eight carries on the day after not being a starter. This has since caused plenty of tension, something that will only get worse with the return of Ryan Mathews.
Against the New England Patriots, Kelly opted to start Sproles over Murphy in an effort to reward a good week of practice. The move paid off in the sense that the Eagles won while Sproles put up 66 yards on the ground and another 34 through the air. Murray had 24 yards and was not happy about it. According to ESPN's Ed Werder, Murray went to owner Jeffery Lurie about the issue.
According to ESPN's Phil Sheridan, Murray is on the outs with Kelly. The head coach does not like players complaining about their role on the team, something demonstrated by the release of Miles Austin. While saying that the running back position would be evaluated on a week-by-week basis, Murray's role is really unknown right now. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur had no interest in discussing the hot topic while Kelly defended the rotation.
"We have to do what's the best thing for the Philadelphia Eagles," Kelly said, via ESPN.com. "So we are not trying to win a rushing championship or a passing championship or a receiving championship or anything from that stretch of the imagination. We are just trying to win football games. And we're going to do whatever it is."
The rotation will get interesting in Week 14 as Mathews returns. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Mathews has been cleared from his concussion and is expected to play in the coming week. The running back has been better than Murray in the limited time he has been on the field as he is averaging 5.7 yards per carry. It is not crazy to think that Mathews could be the starter if he looks healthy in practice. Shumur would not address it.
"We're going to come out here and train and get ready to play Buffalo," Shurmur said, via the Wilmington News Journal. "We're going to put the guys on the field, based on how they train, and how we match up against Buffalo, that are going to give us the best chance to win the football game ... That's the reality."
With Austin out of the mix, the wide receiver rotation with be Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper and Josh Huff. All three players have been inconsistent all season leaving Zach Ertz and Brent Celek to develop into a dynamic duo. The Eagles need that to continue while the run game is a question mark.