QUARTERBACK Sam Bradford’s knee has to be of some concern to you now. I know during the offseason and preseason many Eagles fans seemed convinced that there would be no issue with Bradford’s knee. That he’d start 16 games, while never throwing a single incompletion, on his way to being something other than the guy he’s been as an NFL QB. I’m not sure if that was naive optimism, or just grown people with a 6 year old’s understanding of the human body.
I on the other hand, wrote an article talking about the knee and how the Offense might look different with Bradford out there. Most of what I wrote was centered around the fact that the Eagles average 35 pass attempts per game under the current head coach. I wondered openly, just how long that knee would take the pounding of simply planting on that knee to throw.
Well in Bradford’s first game as an Eagle, he attempted 52 passes. This is in contrast to just 16 rushing attempts (as a team), all game long. Put down your calculators, that means 76% of the plays called were for passes; on what I keep being told (but not shown) is a run-first team. In a 2 point loss in a game that was never out of control, there was no reason to abandon the run. None. That many pass attempts also didn’t help Bradford, seeing as he was hit 8 times in the pocket in that game.
While his often discussed ACL injuries weren’t the direct result of being hit, his shoulder injuries were. Given his lack of real mobility, he’s a sitting duck if the interior Offensive Line doesn’t do a better job of giving him an area to safely step into.
In one of my fantasy leagues I drafted Mark Sanchez (very late), because I fully believe that Bradford will be shelved at some point this season. I was originally thinking it would be Week 9 or 10. However, if the play selection and/or the pass protection doesn’t get better soon, I’d say Mark Sanchez will start Week 7 or sooner.
Lol unless Bradford gets injured this guy will not be playing.
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My point exactly.
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I like Sanchez. I think Bradford was taking some cheap shots in that Falcons game. He survived. Thats a good sign.. How the Eagles run pass ration became so lopsided is a major cause for concern. The whole game was humiliating in every respect. It was like they were drunk on their preseason success. They played the first half at preseason speed. It was bad prep.
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They simply aren’t hungry.
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When did Chip say to the media that this was a run first offense?
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Since I’m not a C-dub, I don’t hang on and date every word he says, so I’m afraid that I can’t give you book chapter and verse on that.
In any case, it seems that I’m not the only Eagles fan who’s SOMEHOW managed to pick that notion mysteriously from the ether. But maybe it wasn’t Kelly who said it. Perhaps we heard it from Mo Cheeks, or Hulk Hogan. It may have been a drunken tweet from Kanye West. Who knows?
It may even have come from the notion of signing two FA RB’s to big contracts, while not seriously talking extension with our QB.
Meh. Who knows? 🙂
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This team has become dink and dunk with Captain Check-down at the helm. Heck I miss Foles right now. At least he’s willing to challenge the defense with an occasional deep ball. All I know is if Bradford doesn’t go deep the linebackers will be crushing our receivers over and over again and the running backs will be facing 8 in the box all the time. He’s a first overall pick and frankly I don’t see him making the players around him better, meanwhile Foles is with the Rams making all those “bums” look like ballers. I thought they were the reason Bradford looked so bad?
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I was JUST on my Facebook page making that very point.
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I disagree with that completely. Right now, Im not seeing any separation by these receivers. Maclin kept defenses honest. Im not sure which guy out there can even go over the top. They looked slow on offense. They better get the run game going or its going to be a long season. This team might not be tough enough.
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This team is DEFINITELY not tough enough. You usually don’t get tough teams when you have an offense minded HC. That’s why I wanted Gus Bradley or Vic Fangio. It’s why I wanted Cowher over Gruden.
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Right now these N/S backs (Murray and Mathews) have a combined 15 yards. For the record that’s 115 yards less than Shady. Funny Shady actually had a 15 yard run against the Patriots so in essence he out gained our big brushing backs on one play. PATHETIC!
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Brusing
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