Five Big-Picture Takeaways from Eagles Week 7 Loss to Panthers

1.) Not Having a Full Offseason to Develop Within Eagles Offense Is Hurting Sam Bradford

Oct 25, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford (7) reacts on the sidelines in the fourth quarter. The Panthers defeated the Falcons 27-16 at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Save for the game against the Cowboys, which was about as bad as one can envision a quarterback performing, the post-game sentiment toward Sam Bradford during his short tenure in Philadelphia has been perplexing. Following their win over the Giants, credit for Bradford was scarce after his three-interception performance. On the heels of Sunday night’s loss to Carolina, it seems as if the narrative surrounding the team’s passing game is focused more on the pass-catchers than the one delivering them. A quarterback can struggle in more ways than one in the NFL. Bradford’s season to this point proves it.

With apparent opportunities in front of them, the Eagles passing game sputtered Sunday night. As Carolina continued to load the box and creep further toward the line of scrimmage, they were combatted with a sporadic attack that could not develop any type of rhythm. While the Panthers defense is one of the stronger units in the league and deserves ample credit for their performance against the Eagles, there were plays to be had for most of Sunday’s game. More often than not, those plays were left on the field and the home team came away with the win because of it.

For the most part, it was going to be difficult for Sam Bradford to have the type of offseason necessary for a quarterback joining a new team and running an entirely different offense than the one he was used to. No amount of film study, book work, or walkthrough activities could adequately prepare Bradford for the immersion into Chip Kelly’s offense. Kelly’s system is based on rhythm, tempo, and familiarity. Bradford had to wait some time before he was able to try to build up those pillars, as he was rehabbing from a knee injury.

Even though some may scoff or chuckle at the annual stories of ‘[insert QB name here] and his receivers met in [insert off-location destination here] to work on timing and routes’, there is something to be said for the time a quarterback and his pass-catchers can spend away from the practice facilities. The preseason proved that Bradford had the ability to run plays precisely as they were designed and do so while facing minimal resistance. What the regular season is showing is that Bradford and his receivers don’t have the type of connection required to counterpunch when the defense figures out the first move.

The drops are what most will point to, justifiably so. One could make an argument that drops cost the Eagles this game more than any other trend of the contest. What stands out more is the lack of adjusting and in-game tweaks from the quarterback and receivers in figuring out new ways to move the ball. Bradford throws very few ‘trust’ passes. Very rarely does one see Bradford throw one up for his receiver or tight end to go get it. So much of the passing game is within a few yards of the line of scrimmage. The lack of familiarity with a revolving door of receivers might be one of the reasons that’s the case.

The bye week may or may not be enough time for the Eagles passing game to figure out some ways to shake their early struggles. The drops are tough to explain. There’s no reason a quarterback as smart as Sam Bradford and a group of skill players apparently determined to figure things out can’t try and do the work to solve their shortcomings. It’s also possible that things remain the same going forward and the quarterback brought in to take Kelly’s passing attack to the next level will be yet another footnote of a talent that couldn’t make it work for the Eagles head coach.