Five Big-Picture Takeaways from Eagles Week 13 Win vs Patriots
By Somers Price
Dec 6, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford (7) throws the ball against the New England Patriots during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
2.) If Sam Bradford Makes it Through the Rest of the Season, the Eagles Have an Extremely Difficult Decision on their Hands
Sam Bradford won a game against an opponent whose starting quarterback was Tom Brady. That’s about the extent of the ‘Bradford vs Brady’ argument that can be taken away from Sunday’s win. The game was such that the Eagles did not need Bradford, fresh off a three-game hiatus due to injury, to get into a shootout with Brady. Having substantial contributions from the defense and special teams combined with a commitment to the run game kept Bradford out of harm’s way for almost the entirety of Sunday’s win. That’s not to say there was nothing to take from how he performed in the eyes of Kelly and the Eagles coaching staff.
On the surface, one can look no further than the fact that all five of the 2015 Eagles wins have come with Bradford starting and finishing the game. In an attempt to avoid falling into the same song-and-dance that took place when discussing Nick Foles, there were some intangible elements of Bradford’s return to the field that will stand out in the Eagles locker room. Much like he did earlier this season, Bradford spoke to the offense before the game to reinforce their confidence in a hostile environment. Even after falling behind 14-0 early in the game, there was no panic in the Eagles offense as they got the Eagles on the board before halftime to trigger the team’s scoring barrage.
Sam Bradford spoke before the game: "I felt the time was right to say something. I had that belief, had that confidence."
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) December 7, 2015
In the context of Sunday’s game, one could not have asked a whole lot more out of Bradford than what he was able to deliver. Both of his two touchdown passes capped off extended drives that, had they ended with field goals, would have been far less significant in the grand scheme of the win. He protected the football (a luxury the Eagles were not afforded with Mark Sanchez filling in for Bradford). Finally, when the game was seemingly on the line (before Kenjon Barner decided to make things interesting), Bradford hung in the pocket and calmly delivered a crucial first down completion to Riley Cooper to stave off the Patriots built-up momentum.
The Eagles were unable to get through the 2015 season without Bradford’s health issues creeping up. That being said, it’s hard to imagine they’re necessarily disappointed with how he’s performed when healthy. Save for some rough patches over the first couple of weeks of the season, Bradford has been competent-to-very good under center. His limitations still makes one wonder how enamored Kelly would be at the notion of Bradford taking the mantle of being his franchise quarterback. Regardless of what the head coach thinks at this point, he KNOWS how hard it is to find a stable option at the game’s most important position. Though one does not evaluate such a decision based off one game, Bradford was big-time on Sunday. If he can stay on the field throughout the remainder of the season, he could make what promises to already be an interesting offseason that much more difficult for Kelly.