clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Eagles News: Brian Dawkins thinks Sam Bradford is playing nervous

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 9/25/15.

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Let's get to the links...

Former Jets player Bart Scott bashes Chip Kelly and his 'scientists and stuff' - PhillyVoice
"I'm rooting for the Jets," said Scott, "and not just because I played for the Jets, but because I love a good car crash. I love a good accident waiting to happen. You have one guy who thinks he's the smartest guy in the world. Trust me, I played for Brian Billick, so I'm used to being around guys that believe that they're really smart, and Brian was. But come on now, are you kidding me? This guy needs to figure out what time to get a protein shake because obviously he's giving the protein shakes at the wrong time, with his scientists and stuff that he has back there, because his teams aren't ready to play in the first half."

Brian Dawkins says Eagles' Sam Bradford is playing 'too nervous' - NJ.com
"I need his eyes to shrink a little bit more," Dawkins told Mike Missanelli this week during a radio appearance with Mike Missanelli on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia. "In other words, he's playing too nervous. The dude has talent. "People say preseason doesn't matter, the wins and losses don't matter. But, the accuracy of a quarterback does. It's now about taking steps forward and believing that the offensive line can protect him and the receivers have to catch everything."

MythBusters: Has the NFL cracked the secrets of Chip Kelly's playbook? - SI.com
So, what's the problem: Predictability, DeMarco Murray or the line? Right now, it's all of the above. In the NFL, schematic breakdowns don't generally have one root cause. If the players were executing Kelly's run concepts, the predictability wouldn't be as much of a problem—Dallas' running game and Seattle's defense are two recent examples of relatively simple playbooks that have worked on the field because everything is in line. Both units are struggling a bit now with personnel movement and execution issues. That said, Kelly would do well to tailor what he's doing to the players he's got. Especially in Murray's case, that simply isn't happening now.

Execution? Yes. But How Much is Scheme to Blame? - ChipWagon
Let me start by saying that I truly believe the biggest issue of the 2015 offense so far has been execution. And it's not just on the questionable starters Barbre and Gardner. As we've shown, the veterans are making tons of mistakes. We've shown numerous examples of where, if the personnel just did their jobs the way they were assigned, the offense would look a lot better. I wish I could say that that's all it is, but I have major reservations about Sam Bradford and we'll have to wait for a bit of a larger sample size to make radical conclusions there. But is it really that simple? Does it really come down to just execution, or does Chip, for the perhaps the first time in his NFL tenure, have to take a long, hard look in the mirror and see if the problem lies within the schemes and gameplans he, Shurmur and others have drawn up thus far in 2015. I do believe that time has come because some of the decisions Chip has made in regards to personnel and scheme just aren't making much sense to me. I thought I'd share a few thoughts heading into the Jets game.

Why the Eagles are failing on offense - PFF
Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers playbook from 1966 essentially had seven basic run plays in it. There were a couple more specialist goal-line things, and passing plays built off each one, but that’s about it. The NFL at that time was about execution — become really, really good at running just a few things and you will punish the opposition over the long-term who won’t execute as well. Chip Kelly right now seems to be going out of his way to prove that it doesn’t work that way in today’s NFL. Renowned as a creative coach and schematic mastermind, Kelly’s offense is unraveling before our eyes, and there was no better demonstration of that than against the Cowboys on Sunday.

Eagle Eye: How To Beat The Jets' Defense - PE.com
The New York Jets are going to be a tough test for the Eagles on Sunday afternoon. A lot of the focus has been put on head coach Todd Bowles and his defensive scheme. This is a pressure-based defense that uses primarily man coverage on the back end. It’s a scheme that the Eagles have seen each of the past two years with Bowles out in Arizona. They’re extremely talented at all three levels of the defensive unit, and it all starts up front. For the past year, I’ve said numerous times that I would put the Eagles' three-man defensive line of Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan and Cedric Thornton against any other in the league. I would put this Jets unit right up there with them in the same tier.

All-22: Inside the Eagles’ Defensive Success - Birds 24/7
As the Eagles jogged off Lincoln Financial Field for halftime on Sunday, their fans showered them in boos. The offense ran just 16 plays for 21 yards in the first half. DeMarco Murray rushed the ball five times for one yard, and Sam Bradford’s longest first-half completion traveled a single yard past the line of scrimmage. Somehow, the Eagles only trailed the Cowboys 6-0. Although Chip Kelly’s offense was expected to carry the defense this season, it has been the other way around. While the offense has struggled six out of the eight quarters so far this year, the defense—particularly against the Cowboys—has given the Eagles a chance to win both games.

All-22: Guards not only problem for Eagles' O-line - CSN Philly
At this point, Allen Barbre and Andrew Gardner are becoming sympathetic figures. Tasked with replacing Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans, the journeymen guards are easy scapegoats on an Eagles offensive line that has been completely unable to clear paths to run the football. Let’s clear something up right now. While neither Barbre nor Gardner has done an extraordinary job at left and right guard, respectively, they are far from the only problem, much less the source.

Blocking must improve no matter who's carrying ball - Inquirer
Mathews was a 1,000-yard rusher twice in San Diego, and the logic behind his decision to join the Eagles made sense in the context of Kelly's first two seasons as head coach. A fast, run-based offense. Lots of plays, lots of opportunities, lots of yards. Murray surely saw the same potential upside. But those expectations were rooted in the belief that Kelly's scheme and system would continue to keep teams off balance, that Bradford would present a downfield-passing threat, and that the Eagles could handle the slanting penetration by defensive linemen that so far has disrupted the running game. For two weeks now, it hasn't mattered who's been carrying the ball for the Eagles, and if they can fix some or all of those problems, it still won't.

How long will the NFC East be terrible? - SB Nation
The NFC East looks awful, but are its problems systemic or an inevitable ebb?

Download the Eagles Almanac - $15

Social Media Information:

BGN Facebook Page:

BGN Twitter:

Philly sports attire: Check out Philly Phaithful!

Manager: Brandon Lee Gowton

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Bleeding Green Nation Daily Roundup newsletter!

A daily roundup of all your Philadelphia Eagles news from Bleeding Green Nation