By now, it’s been enough time to digest Sam Bradford’s performance from Saturday night’s 39-26 preseason win over the Green Bay Packers.
Bradford was everything Chip Kelly could have hoped for; he completed all 10 of his passing attempts for 121 yards and three touchdowns. Expectations among Philadelphia Eagles fans are soaring through the roof that this offense can compete with Green Bay and Seattle for an NFC Championship.
Tempering expectations is a necessity considering it’s been just a small sample size, and in preseason, no less. Still, if Bradford can continue his preseason success into the regular season, this Eagles team is going to score a lot of points.
Bradford’s health is obviously the biggest concern for Eagles fans. Bradford is now five years removed from being the top player taken in the 2010 NFL draft, and he’s missed the last 25 regular-season games due to not one, but two ACL tears.
Kelly is relying on Bradford to display the physical tools he showed from Oklahoma, and so far this preseason, Kelly is looking mighty good for his unorthodox move. After attempting just five passes in his first preseason action with the Eagles (Week 2), Bradford was flawless against the Green Bay Packers.
Bradford’s efficiency in controlling the offense was impeccable. His rifle arm was notably on display, and his finest moment may have been hanging in the pocket and hitting Trey Burton on a fourth-and-goal touchdown pass.
Under pressure? No problem for Sam Bradford, touchdown to Trey Burton!https://t.co/LdhSOMjeCc
— Anthony DiBona (@DiBonaPFN) August 30, 2015
Courtesy of YouTube user AInTheMiddle, here are all 10 of Bradford’s completions in the preseason game.
While it has been a small sample size, the fact is that Bradford has led touchdowns on all four of his preseason drives with the Eagles. He possesses a stronger arm than Foles, and he’s backed by a tremendous running game and protected well by two elite offensive tackles.
Kelly’s sports science regime has made the Eagles one of the league’s healthiest teams since 2013, and he’s clearly relying on that to fix Bradford’s recent injury history.
Successful teams don’t have constant turnover at the quarterback position as the Eagles have had as of late, and Kelly will need Bradford to provide long-term stability behind center. Kelly has been vocal about his support for Bradford, comparing him to Drew Brees, who moved from San Diego to New Orleans after a severe shoulder injury in 2005.
If Bradford can stay healthy for all 16 games, it’s not at all unreasonable to expect Bradford to eclipse the 4,000-yard passing mark with ease (which would make him the first Eagles quarterback to do so), even as Kelly plans to utilize a pre-dominantly run-based offense. He has a chance to throw 30-35 touchdowns. He could probably complete over 65 percent of his passes. If he stays healthy, he should be an MVP candidate, as crazy as it may sound.
Kelly has always managed to get the most out of his quarterbacks, emphasizing high-percentage pass plays that lead to increased completion percentages. Talent has never been the issue for Bradford; after all, Bradford did win the 2010 Offensive Rookie of the Year award before his career was plagued by injuries and lack of surrounding talent.
This may be the ideal scenario for Kelly and Bradford – to start over with a quarterback who has tons of talent but simply needed a change of scenery to fully break out, and without having to mortgage the future as would have been the case for Mariota. If Bradford re-tears his ACL and can never stay healthy, he’ll be a what-if in Eagles history, and there’s a chance Kelly may too.
But if Bradford can shake his injury label, it’s not outrageous to think he can finally be the quarterback to get the Eagles over the top.
