Chip Kelly has not been home since Saturday.
Following the 24-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the 49ers’ head coach confirmed to reporters he slept at the team facility in Santa Clara. Several other assistant coaches joined in the sleepover party, too, breaking down film and concocting a game plan for another short week.
Kelly has to quickly turn the page to the Arizona Cardinals (1-3) who will travel to Santa Clara for Thursday Night Football. It’s looking like they’ll be without quarterback Carson Palmer, who reportedly sustained a concussion in a loss to the Rams.
“Probably the best thing for us,” Kelly said, “is to get ready to go play a football game again very quickly on a short turnaround.”
The irony of Kelly sacrificing sleep is that he’s probably the biggest rest proponent of any NFL head coach. Training camp was modeled more after a 9-5 schedule in order for players to get their proper shuteye. When the 49ers had a short week after Monday Night Football, players were encouraged to get nine hours of sleep.
“An elite athlete needs between 10-12 hours a night,” Kelly told reporters in Philadelphia a few years back.
We’ve written the 49ers are a bad football team, but most of their problems are not Kelly’s fault. There’s no doubting he’s coaching Blaine Gabbert to throw past the sticks on third- and fourth-down. He’s working with Jeremy Kerley as his best playmaker on offense and the defense has been ransacked with injuries. Kelly has the upper hand if this comes down to a finger-pointing match to end the season with GM Trent Baalke.
It’s unclear what type of bedroom setup Kelly has in his office. Also, no word yet on whether the coaches roasted marshmallows around a campfire. In reality, Thursday Night Football is fun for the fans, but physically taxing on players and mentally taxing on coaches.
It’s also unclear how much all the extra preparation is going to work. The 49ers kind of are what they are.