*This was a win-or-bust game for two floundering teams with high expectations and it wasn't even close. Chip Kelly and the Eagles prevailed, 39-17. Here's what we learned ... *
- This game had the ingredients of a vignette that will later be neatly tucked in a What went wrong in the Sean Payton era longform. Aside from a fairly lively discussion between Payton and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan on the sideline, the game had the look and feel of a Zeppelin rapidly falling to earth. Drew Brees was swarmed constantly, trapped into making horrible throws and boxed in by bizarre play-calling when he actually got the ball moving.
- We cannot simply say that this is how Chip Kelly planned it. There are a lot of variables here, including a disastrous Saints defense. However, the idea of the power spread with DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews firing at 100 percent is terrifying for teams that slip behind more than 10 points against the Eagles. This was the best performance Philadelphia's offensive line turned in all year and it showed.
- Sam Bradford became the first player this season to toss two red zone interceptions in the same half and the Eagles still won by more than 20 points. We might have been closer to the second coming of the Mark Sanchez era than we thought. But for now? We have Sam Bradfordshowing some poise.
- Despite Murray's big day, Ryan Mathews seems like a more natural fit for the type of spread Kelly wants to run. He averaged nearly 10 yards a carry on Sunday and had a bullish second burst that isn't necessarily back in Murray yet.
