The Eagles lost their quarterback, and then lost a fourth-quarter lead to the Miami Dolphins in a 20-19 setback. Here's what we learned:
- Sam Bradford exited the game with a left (non-throwing) shoulder injury and a concussion midway through the third quarter. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport later reported Bradford suffered an AC joint sprain. The Eagles led 16-13 at the time, and proceeded to blow many opportunities to put the game away. Mark Sanchez moved the ball in spurts, but he went Full Sanchez by throwing a crushing interception into heavy traffic with under five minutes remaining. The 4-5 Eagles only trailed by one point at the time, and Sanchez also failed to drive for a game-winning field goal with plenty of time remaining. Every fan who wanted to see Sanchez all season did not enjoy getting their wish.
- Ndamukong Suh earned his paycheck Sunday. He finished with eight tackles, three quarterback hits, three tackles for a loss and a sack. After the Eagles scored touchdowns on their first two drives, the Dolphins held Philadelphia to only three points on their next 12 (!) possessions. Bradford and Sanchez were both under plenty of pressure. DeMarco Murray (61 yards on 23 carries) was held in check. Miami's defense was the difference.
- Miles Austin is killing the Eagles. He had a drop on a deep pass and made little effort on Sanchez's fourth-quarter interception. He also wasn't aware of the ball coming his way on the Eagles' final drive. Murray also had a bad drop in an ugly final sequence that included a poor Sanchez pass and an offensive line breakdown.
- The Dolphins are 4-5 and only one game out of a playoff spot in the AFC. But they didn't particularly look like a good team offensively, especially Ryan Tannehill. The offensive line and Tannehill just couldn't identify free blitzers. The go-ahead touchdown was a stroke of luck that bounced off Connor Barwin's helmet.
- If nothing else, the Dolphins are record setters. They gave up a safety for the third-straight week, tying an NFL record. The last team do it was the 1980 Seattle Seahawks.
- Mychal Kendricks adds so much juice to the Eagles' defense. Fletcher Cox, Malcolm Jenkins and Kendricks all played well in a losing effort.
