Eagles Beat Giants: Five Big Picture Takeaways

1.) Sam Bradford Needs to Own his Dreadful Performance with His Actions, Along with His Words

Oct 19, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford (7) walks off the field after win against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Giants, 27-7. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford was asked if he was happy his individual performance during Monday’s game and, to his credit, did not sugarcoat the three-interception train-wreck.

"“No, no. It’s not even a question. It was just inconsistent, missing throws. There was some good, there was some bad. But I know for us to be where we want to be, I have to play much better.”"

While accountability is vital when it comes to the quarterback position, one’s word can only carry so much weight with it. The fact of the matter is that the Eagles should have probably won this game by a wider margin and Bradford was, if not the only reason, certainly the primary deterrent to a blowout win at home. The coaching staff and he can point to any number of excuses that can go over the head of members of the media. Now that this is a team in the playoff conversation, the spotlight on these struggles will only continue to intensify.

Even on Bradford’s touchdown pass to Riley Cooper, multiple Giants defenders had a chance to break up the play. New York came into Monday night sporting one of the worst secondaries in the league and Bradford was unable to exploit it. He was the only reason the result of the game was in question as long as it was and the frustration over the turnovers for an offense that looks close to what some expected prior to the season is warranted. Here’s what Chip Kelly had to say after the game about them.

"We had some miscommunication today on a couple routes where the quarterback and the receiver were not on the same page, but we have to clean that up. We’ve talked about that. He’s getting more familiar, in terms of what we’re doing, but we can’t continue to do that against really good football teams. We were fortunate that we did it and got away with it today, but in this league, you can’t do that and sustain things and sustain winning. So, we’ve really got to clean that up on the offensive side of the ball."

Bradford has had some nice moments as a member of the Eagles, but there’s no doubt his early career in Philadelphia has been perplexing-to-disappointing. At a certain point, taking the blame for turnovers won’t cut it any more. One has to practice what he preaches in this instance. If the issues are a matter of miscommunication, it’s on Bradford to put in the necessary work to improve the chemistry with every member of the team’s receiving core. If it’s a matter of mechanics, the former 1st overall pick has to find it in himself to stop trying to rely on his arm strength and deliver the ball with his entire body. Unless that happens, 2015 will likely end similarly to last season.