Eagles News: Philadelphia needs Sam Bradford to step up

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Can He Do It? - Iggles Blitz
The more Bradford plays, the better he should get. He’s in a new system. Familiarity should breed success. If the Eagles have any realistic hope of making a run after the bye, Bradford has to play better, and that starts on Sunday night. Dallas only has one INT since the first Eagles game, and that came last week when a DL tipped a short pass to himself. Opposing QBs have a rating of 94.0 when playing the Cowboys defense. That isn’t to say the Dallas defense is bad. They are 8th in yards allowed. But that number can be deceiving. They are 21st in yards per play. Dallas leads the league in time of possession, meaning their defense is on the field less. This is a game Bradford can play well in. This is a game he must play well in. The Eagles need to get their offense going and a big part of that is the QB.

Five matchups to watch Sunday night between the Eagles and Cowboys - PhillyVoice
In the first Eagles-Cowboys matchup Week 2 this season, the Cowboys dominated the Eagles' offensive line, and they didn't even have their best pass rusher, Greg Hardy. In three games so far this season, Hardy has 12 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble, and an athletic interception of Russell Wilson that almost won them the game. Hardy has a unique blend of power, speed and athleticism for a guy his size (6'5, 280), and he is a disruptive force along the Cowboys defensive line.

Did Chip Kelly make a mistake with Sam Bradford? - CSN Philly
That trade could be a defining moment for Kelly and his now-unchallenged power as franchise poobah. At the moment, consummating that trade by including the second-round pick is indefensible. If Bradford doesn’t play better over the second half of the season, what then? Do the Eagles admit the mistake was a bad gamble and step away from Bradford, or do they then double down, re-sign him, and re-roll the dice? Those are both bad options. The only way this thing ends well for Kelly and Bradford is if Bradford suddenly starts playing well and consistently and morphs into a better-than-competent quarterback.

All-22: Lessons From the First Dallas Game - Birds 24/7
The Eagles’ players and coaches have been candid about one thing all week: they don’t like turning on the tape from their Week 2 loss to the Cowboys. "It was bad," Sam Bradford said Wednesday. "I think we’ve come a long way from that game. So many negative plays in that game that just put us behind. We struggled to establish any sort of rhythm." The Eagles totaled 226 yards on offense (including just seven rushing yards), gave up a blocked punt returned for a touchdown and gave the ball back to Dallas after forcing two turnovers. Still, it's beneficial to watch the film to see how the defense can build on their performance and the offense can avoid another disaster.

Nelson Agholor returns, looking to break out - Inquirer
Agholor is set to return on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. If he is productive, he could provide the biggest boost to the Eagles offense of anyone during the back half of the schedule. "All I know is I need to capitalize on all my opportunities - no matter how many it is, I need to capitalize on every single one," Agholor said. "You can't really be frustrated. You just need to be real with yourself. Any time I look at the film and I look at the opportunity here or there where I may have missed the ball or didn't create the separation I would have liked to, I just think, 'You've got to take advantage of it.' Because those might not come."

Eagles' DeMarco Murray will make Dallas Cowboys pay Sunday - NJ.com
Fresh off the bye and healthier than he's been all season, at least according to offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, Murray begins what will be a big second half of the season by putting it to his old team in prime time. Neither Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, nor Murray, would say it. But this is his game, Sunday. He's going to get the ball and he's going make the team that didn't pay him, pay for it. A 100-yard game, a touchdown, or two, and a win over the Cowboys and Eagles' fan might start wearing those No. 29 jersey they bought this offseason in public again.

Smithology: Monkeyin' Around - PE.com
As the Eagles and Cowboys go head to head in Arlington, Texas on Sunday night, Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant is scheduled to make his second start since coming back from a broken bone in his foot. Just before making his return to the field, Bryant made a new friend in the form of his pet monkey, which he creatively named Dallas. But Bryant’s new little buddy got me thinking about who the best monkeys are in cinematic history. I came up with my own list, but I needed to hear from the Eagles as to who their favorite movie-star primates are. My list included the following movies: Planet of the Apes, Dunston Checks In, MVP: Most Valuable Primate, Grandma's Boy, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Jumanji, Zookeeper and Ed. All films with quality simian characters. As it turns out, my list was missing some important names …

The Broncos defense is so good it's boring - SB Nation
How did the Broncos shut down Aaron Rodgers and the Packers so effectively? By using the simplest defensive concept of all, explains Stephen White.

Eagles and NRG are working together to give away tickets, prize packs, and more
Check this out, Eagles fans! And stay tuned to BGN for more info on contests involving free tickets.

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