If they gave awards for the preseason, Chip Kelly would have Coach of the Year locked down. Sam Bradford, meanwhile, made his case for Preseason Comeback of the Year on Saturday night.
Bradford lit up the Green Bay Packers' defense in one quarter of action, completing all 10 of his passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns. Bradford has directed four drives this preseason in his return from ACL surgery, with the Eagles scoring a touchdown on each one of them. The Eagles kept it rolling when Mark Sanchez entered the game, eventually racking up 39 points in the first half. (Things slowed down in the second half on the way to a 39-26 win.)
The Eagles play at a speed other teams simply aren't ready for in the preseason; that's why they scored 76 points in their first two weeks despite so-so quarterback play by Sanchez, Matt Barkley and Tim Tebow. Sanchez was much sharper Saturday night, but he is the clear backup to Bradford after a competition failed to materialize between them during training camp.
Kelly wasn't interested in having a true competition, giving Bradford all the first-team reps in practice. Bradford has steadily improved in practice, and played the same way in the preseason. His accuracy was especially impressive Saturday night against a Packers' defense that appeared unprepared.
DeMarco Murray also looked fresh with six carries for 28 yards, and Jordan Matthews continued to show he's the team's new No. 1 receiver with 51 yards in limited action. Just about the only Eagles experiment not working at the moment is Tim Tebow as a "two-point specialist." He failed to convert two tries in the first quarter after Bradford touchdowns.
Two-point conversions aside, this Eagles team is ready to roll into the regular season. Kelly's gamble to acquire Bradford this offseason is showing promising early returns.
