Eagles find their groove in rout of Saints,
Bradford, Murray key 519-yard output to end slump in victory
Was the frustrating first quarter of the season a mirage? Or were the Philadelphia Eagles just fortunate Sunday to face an opponent with bigger problems?
Either way, the Eagles team that shellacked the New Orleans Saints 39-17 sure looked more like the one that raised expectations in the preseason, driven by a high-octane offense that controls the tempo and has weapons to spare.
“Schematically, nothing really changed, to be honest with you,” Eagles receiver Riley Cooper told USA TODAY Sports. “We kept it pretty, pretty much the same. Some different things in the run game a little bit, a few tweaks in the pass game, but nothing (major).
“Watching film, it wasn’t the play-calling. It was a player execution problem. Today, we kind of just went out there, knowing our backs were up against the wall, and just came out swinging from the first play. This game couldn’t have come at a better time.”
The Eagles ran 79 plays, racking up 519 yards and 34 first downs. They gained 186 of those yards on 34 rush attempts behind an improved showing by their offensive line.
They turned a 10-all game in the third quarter into a rout with help from a defense that forced four turnovers.
They might have broken it open sooner, if not for two interceptions Sam Bradford threw in the end zone, coupled with a failed fourth-and-7 on the opening drive that Cooper said sent a message nonetheless about how Eagles coach Chip Kelly intended to play.
“Obviously, it’s not going to be like this every week,” said Bradford, who rebounded to finish 32for-45 passing for 333 yards with two touchdowns. “But to know that when we’re clicking and when we’re on that we can go out and do that, I think that’s just going to give us confidence now to go out there and do it more often.”
Not every matchup will be as favorable as Sunday’s against a bumbling Saints defense coordinated by Rob Ryan, whose blitzing, man-heavy scheme plays into the hands of an offense that relies on rub plays, crossing routes and perimeter runs.
“They have some good talent on the back end. But I know sometimes they play a little bit out of control,” said receiver Josh Huff, who caught a 41-yard touchdown pass and was one of 10 Eagles to make receptions. “We were able to take (advantage) of that on some plays we had deep downfield and across the field.”
Not every opposing offense will be down two starters along the line, impacting the protection that broke down as the Eagles sacked Drew Brees five times, three by defensive end Fletcher Cox, who created turnovers on two of them, the latter during the key swing in the third quarter.
But after a week spent focusing on everything the Eagles had been doing wrong during their 1-3 start, there figures to be some affirmation in turning on the tape and seeing what happens when they do things right.
“Ten people would be doing it perfectly, someone would screw it up. Just one person,” Cooper said. “If that one guy would’ve read that block right, went around, pulled, got that guy, boom, it would’ve been out the gate. That’s why we weren’t getting everything going.”
Were these the real Eagles on Sunday? Or will they regress to maddening form next week against the New York Giants?
There’s something to be said for a team with so many new parts on offense having time to play together and for coaches to figure out how to use them. DeMarco Murray’s 120 yards from scrimmage on 27 touches Sunday nearly matched his season total entering the game.
“I think everyone is continuing to get a feel for each other,” Murray said. “But I think gradually, you have to be confident, you have to continue to work hard and just do the little things right. I think that will roll over into big things for us and make us play well.”