http://www.delawareonline.com/story...7/eagles-success-bradford-improving/75329730/
<section id="module-position-OjvpFmGMrf0" class="storytopbar-bucket story-headline-module story-story-headline-module">[h=1]Eagles' success depends on Bradford improving[/h]</section><section id="module-position-OjvpFmH_vDg" class="storytopbar-bucket story-byline-module story-story-byline-module">
Martin Frank, The News Journal 1:05 p.m. EST November 7, 2015
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<meta content="Sam Bradford, Jason Hatcher" itemprop="name">
Sam Bradford, shown getting sacked by Washington's Jason Hatcher in an Oct. 4 game, is on pace to throw 20 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions this season.<meta content="" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Photo: Mark Tenally, AP)
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PHILADELPHIA - NFL coaches have been saying for decades that there is no mistaking the importance of having an elite quarterback.
It has proven to be true so far this season as three of the top four rated passers in the NFL play on undefeated teams.
“The focal point of what you’re doing is the quarterback spot,” Eagles coach Chip Kelly said. “It’s the way the game is … Most of the time, the percentages are that when you get good quarterback play, you probably have a good football team.”
So where does that leave the Eagles as they’re preparing to play the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night? After all, Sam Bradford has admittedly been inconsistent and the Eagles’ offense has been as well, which explains their 3-4 record.
Kelly continued to back Bradford, who has thrown 10 interceptions in seven games. He’s on pace for 20 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions, and that is not a recipe for success.
Since 2005, there have been 10 quarterbacks who have thrown 20 or fewer touchdown passes and 20 or more interceptions. Only one of the 10 played on a team with a winning record. That was current Eagles backup quarterback Mark Sanchez. He was the rookie starter on the 2009 Jets when they went 9-7 and reached the AFC Championship game. That season, Sanchez threw 12 touchdown passes with 20 interceptions.
But the Jets had a dominant defense to bail them out that season. The Eagles do not. So if Kelly were to switch to Sanchez, he might be getting more of the same mediocre play. Kelly saw that last season when Sanchez started the final eight games in place of the injured Nick Foles. Sanchez threw 10 interceptions in nine games and led the Eagles to a 4-4 record.
There are some franchise quarterbacks on that list, too, such as Green Bay’s Brett Favre (20 touchdowns and 29 interceptions in 2005), Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger (18 and 23 in 2006) and Baltimore’s Joe Flacco, who played at the University of Delaware (19 and 22 in 2013).
The Packers went 4-12 that season, while the Steelers and Ravens were 8-8.
So Kelly might not have a choice but to hope Bradford finishes the season strong. For his part, Bradford knows he has to play better over the final nine games.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been a part of an offense where it seems to be all or nothing,” Bradford said. “When things are clicking, we’re out there and we’re rolling. But when things aren’t going well, I mean, it looks bad, and it is bad. Somehow, we’ve got to figure out a way to eliminate the self-inflicted wounds.”
Bradford, of course, isn’t the only one responsible for those “self-inflicted wounds,” as the Eagles call their mistakes. The receivers lead the NFL with the most dropped passes. The running game has been inconsistent, as has the offensive line.
But the responsibility ultimately lies with the quarterback.
“I think Sam takes an unfair amount of blame for mistakes that we’ve made, and me being the No. 1 person,” wide receiver Jordan Matthews said. “So I’ve always been like, he’s putting the ball on the spot. In order to have drops, it means it had to come to the receivers and the receivers had to get open.
“I think Sam’s been great, honestly. If you really put on the tape, we’ve got to continue to play better as a whole unit. I think the quarterback has done great. He’s put the ball in positions for us to make plays. We’ve got to go make the plays, point blank, period.”
Among NFL quarterbacks, Bradford is hardly alone in his struggles this season. Denver’s Peyton Manning (7 TDs, 11 INTs) and Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck (12 interceptions) are also on pace to throw more than 20 interceptions. The two QBs are the last in the NFL in quarterback rating among full-time quarterbacks. Bradford is third from the bottom at 76.4.
The difference is that Denver’s defense, ranked No. 1 in the NFL overall and against the pass, has bailed out Manning as the Broncos are 7-0. But the Colts are 3-5 after reaching the AFC championship game last season. They have made the playoffs in each of Luck’s three seasons.
San Francisco, meanwhile, benched Colin Kaepernick this past week for Blaine Gabbert, even though Kaepernick led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in the 2012-13 season and signed a six-year, $114 million contract extension in the summer of 2014.
Washington already has given up on Robert Griffin III, the No. 2 pick behind Luck in the 2012 draft. Detroit’s Matthew Stafford has thrown 11 interceptions and the Lions are 1-7.
Kelly said it’s not surprising to see so many perceived elite quarterbacks struggling.
“Some guys have come in and had great years and been one-year guys,” Kelly said. “And other guys don’t play until later in their career like Kurt Warner, [who] sat and was playing Arena League ball and everybody was saying, ‘What about him?’ Then [he] turns into a Hall of Famer.
“So how it happens _ I’ll let some people write books about that.”
At this point of the season, the Cowboys would love to have that problem of working through a franchise quarterback’s struggles.
They have lost all five of their games since Tony Romo broke his collarbone in the Sept. 20 game against the Eagles. Dallas tried Brandon Weeden for three games before turning to Matt Cassel, who has a 58.5 rating in two games as the starter.
Romo is not eligible to return from injured reserve until Nov. 22.
“There’s no question about it, having a good quarterback improves your chances of winning,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “And Tony has been a really good quarterback for us for a number of years. And one of the things that we emphasize, like many teams around the league, is the next guy has to step up and play. And that applies to that position.
“It’s always a team effort … But certainly that position is significant.”
The dropoff in quarterback play for Dallas has been dramatic. Romo led the Cowboys to a 12-4 record last season. He also led them to wins in their first two games this season, including the 20-10 win over the Eagles on Sept. 20. Romo suffered his broken collarbone in the third quarter after the Cowboys had built a 13-0 lead.
Eagles running back DeMarco Murray knows about Romo’s importance as the two were teammates for Murray’s first five seasons in the NFL.
“He’s the pride of that team, the pride of that offense,” Murray said. “Obviously, there are a lot of guys there. He controls the show up there. He’s a great player.”
Often, an elite quarterback can overcome deficiencies elsewhere on offense. Former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, for example, never had an elite receiver until Terrell Owens arrived in 2004. Yet McNabb led the Eagles to three straight NFC Championship games before that throwing to receivers like James Thrash, Torrance Small, Greg Lewis and Todd Pinkston.
Bradford has dealt with underwhelming performances by his receivers this season, too. But he still has the second half of the season to prove whether he’s elite or not. It’s just that Kelly most likely didn’t expect Bradford to be among the worst-rated quarterbacks in the NFL, along with Luck and Manning.
Bradford said he didn’t expect to be there, either.
“I think all three of us probably want to get our names off that list,” he said with a laugh.
The Eagles, for one, are depending on it.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
RECIPE FOR DISASTER
The following is a list of quarterbacks since 2005 who have thrown 20 or fewer touchdown passes and 20 or more interceptions.
Year QB Team TDs INTs Record
2013 Joe Flacco Ravens 19 22 8-8
2013 Eli Manning Giants 18 27 7-9
2013 Geno Smith Jets 12 21 8-8
2011 Josh Freeman Buccaneers 16 22 4-12
2011 Rex Grossman Bears 16 20 5-11
2009 Mark Sanchez Jets 12 20 9-7
2009 Matthew Stafford Lions 13 20 2-14
2007 Jon Kitna Lions 18 20 7-9
2006 Ben Roethlisberger Steelers 18 23 8-8
2005 Brett Favre Packers 20 29 4-12
<section id="module-position-OjvpFmGMrf0" class="storytopbar-bucket story-headline-module story-story-headline-module">[h=1]Eagles' success depends on Bradford improving[/h]</section><section id="module-position-OjvpFmH_vDg" class="storytopbar-bucket story-byline-module story-story-byline-module">
Martin Frank, The News Journal 1:05 p.m. EST November 7, 2015</section><section id="module-position-OjvpFpjQ5W8" class="storymetadata-bucket expandable-photo-module story-expandable-photo-module"><aside class="single-photo expandable-collapsed" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" itemscope="" itemprop="associatedMedia">
Sam Bradford, shown getting sacked by Washington's Jason Hatcher in an Oct. 4 game, is on pace to throw 20 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions this season.<meta content="" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Photo: Mark Tenally, AP)
</aside></section>
PHILADELPHIA - NFL coaches have been saying for decades that there is no mistaking the importance of having an elite quarterback.
It has proven to be true so far this season as three of the top four rated passers in the NFL play on undefeated teams.
“The focal point of what you’re doing is the quarterback spot,” Eagles coach Chip Kelly said. “It’s the way the game is … Most of the time, the percentages are that when you get good quarterback play, you probably have a good football team.”
So where does that leave the Eagles as they’re preparing to play the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night? After all, Sam Bradford has admittedly been inconsistent and the Eagles’ offense has been as well, which explains their 3-4 record.
Kelly continued to back Bradford, who has thrown 10 interceptions in seven games. He’s on pace for 20 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions, and that is not a recipe for success.
Since 2005, there have been 10 quarterbacks who have thrown 20 or fewer touchdown passes and 20 or more interceptions. Only one of the 10 played on a team with a winning record. That was current Eagles backup quarterback Mark Sanchez. He was the rookie starter on the 2009 Jets when they went 9-7 and reached the AFC Championship game. That season, Sanchez threw 12 touchdown passes with 20 interceptions.
But the Jets had a dominant defense to bail them out that season. The Eagles do not. So if Kelly were to switch to Sanchez, he might be getting more of the same mediocre play. Kelly saw that last season when Sanchez started the final eight games in place of the injured Nick Foles. Sanchez threw 10 interceptions in nine games and led the Eagles to a 4-4 record.
There are some franchise quarterbacks on that list, too, such as Green Bay’s Brett Favre (20 touchdowns and 29 interceptions in 2005), Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger (18 and 23 in 2006) and Baltimore’s Joe Flacco, who played at the University of Delaware (19 and 22 in 2013).
The Packers went 4-12 that season, while the Steelers and Ravens were 8-8.
So Kelly might not have a choice but to hope Bradford finishes the season strong. For his part, Bradford knows he has to play better over the final nine games.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been a part of an offense where it seems to be all or nothing,” Bradford said. “When things are clicking, we’re out there and we’re rolling. But when things aren’t going well, I mean, it looks bad, and it is bad. Somehow, we’ve got to figure out a way to eliminate the self-inflicted wounds.”
Bradford, of course, isn’t the only one responsible for those “self-inflicted wounds,” as the Eagles call their mistakes. The receivers lead the NFL with the most dropped passes. The running game has been inconsistent, as has the offensive line.
But the responsibility ultimately lies with the quarterback.
“I think Sam takes an unfair amount of blame for mistakes that we’ve made, and me being the No. 1 person,” wide receiver Jordan Matthews said. “So I’ve always been like, he’s putting the ball on the spot. In order to have drops, it means it had to come to the receivers and the receivers had to get open.
“I think Sam’s been great, honestly. If you really put on the tape, we’ve got to continue to play better as a whole unit. I think the quarterback has done great. He’s put the ball in positions for us to make plays. We’ve got to go make the plays, point blank, period.”
Among NFL quarterbacks, Bradford is hardly alone in his struggles this season. Denver’s Peyton Manning (7 TDs, 11 INTs) and Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck (12 interceptions) are also on pace to throw more than 20 interceptions. The two QBs are the last in the NFL in quarterback rating among full-time quarterbacks. Bradford is third from the bottom at 76.4.
The difference is that Denver’s defense, ranked No. 1 in the NFL overall and against the pass, has bailed out Manning as the Broncos are 7-0. But the Colts are 3-5 after reaching the AFC championship game last season. They have made the playoffs in each of Luck’s three seasons.
San Francisco, meanwhile, benched Colin Kaepernick this past week for Blaine Gabbert, even though Kaepernick led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in the 2012-13 season and signed a six-year, $114 million contract extension in the summer of 2014.
Washington already has given up on Robert Griffin III, the No. 2 pick behind Luck in the 2012 draft. Detroit’s Matthew Stafford has thrown 11 interceptions and the Lions are 1-7.
Kelly said it’s not surprising to see so many perceived elite quarterbacks struggling.
“Some guys have come in and had great years and been one-year guys,” Kelly said. “And other guys don’t play until later in their career like Kurt Warner, [who] sat and was playing Arena League ball and everybody was saying, ‘What about him?’ Then [he] turns into a Hall of Famer.
“So how it happens _ I’ll let some people write books about that.”
At this point of the season, the Cowboys would love to have that problem of working through a franchise quarterback’s struggles.
They have lost all five of their games since Tony Romo broke his collarbone in the Sept. 20 game against the Eagles. Dallas tried Brandon Weeden for three games before turning to Matt Cassel, who has a 58.5 rating in two games as the starter.
Romo is not eligible to return from injured reserve until Nov. 22.
“There’s no question about it, having a good quarterback improves your chances of winning,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “And Tony has been a really good quarterback for us for a number of years. And one of the things that we emphasize, like many teams around the league, is the next guy has to step up and play. And that applies to that position.
“It’s always a team effort … But certainly that position is significant.”
The dropoff in quarterback play for Dallas has been dramatic. Romo led the Cowboys to a 12-4 record last season. He also led them to wins in their first two games this season, including the 20-10 win over the Eagles on Sept. 20. Romo suffered his broken collarbone in the third quarter after the Cowboys had built a 13-0 lead.
Eagles running back DeMarco Murray knows about Romo’s importance as the two were teammates for Murray’s first five seasons in the NFL.
“He’s the pride of that team, the pride of that offense,” Murray said. “Obviously, there are a lot of guys there. He controls the show up there. He’s a great player.”
Often, an elite quarterback can overcome deficiencies elsewhere on offense. Former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, for example, never had an elite receiver until Terrell Owens arrived in 2004. Yet McNabb led the Eagles to three straight NFC Championship games before that throwing to receivers like James Thrash, Torrance Small, Greg Lewis and Todd Pinkston.
Bradford has dealt with underwhelming performances by his receivers this season, too. But he still has the second half of the season to prove whether he’s elite or not. It’s just that Kelly most likely didn’t expect Bradford to be among the worst-rated quarterbacks in the NFL, along with Luck and Manning.
Bradford said he didn’t expect to be there, either.
“I think all three of us probably want to get our names off that list,” he said with a laugh.
The Eagles, for one, are depending on it.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
RECIPE FOR DISASTER
The following is a list of quarterbacks since 2005 who have thrown 20 or fewer touchdown passes and 20 or more interceptions.
Year QB Team TDs INTs Record
2013 Joe Flacco Ravens 19 22 8-8
2013 Eli Manning Giants 18 27 7-9
2013 Geno Smith Jets 12 21 8-8
2011 Josh Freeman Buccaneers 16 22 4-12
2011 Rex Grossman Bears 16 20 5-11
2009 Mark Sanchez Jets 12 20 9-7
2009 Matthew Stafford Lions 13 20 2-14
2007 Jon Kitna Lions 18 20 7-9
2006 Ben Roethlisberger Steelers 18 23 8-8
2005 Brett Favre Packers 20 29 4-12
