Fans are concerned that Brady is going to be injured because the offensive line has struggled. All of that is secondary. On defense players like Dont’a Hightower, Jamie Collins and Patrick Chung are all questionable and may not play.
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This game was lost in the two areas in which it’s nearly always won: Tom Brady and special teams.
“The first interception was bad quarterbacking”.
I truly believe if the Eagles can get their run game going and keep Brady off the field they can actually win this game without those threats on the Patriots offense. He tried to force the ball to Amendola in the end zone, but the ball was batted up into the air. When Brady flung it, the Pats trailed 28-14. That’s 206 yards on three returns, resulting in three touchdowns.
New England’s second onside kick failed, but the Patriots (10-2) forced a third-down fumble to give Brady one more chance.
If the Patriots win and the New York Jets lose or tie Sunday – or if the Patriots tie and the Jets lose – then New England clinches the AFC East for the seventh consecutive year.
That said, Bradford is anything but the maestro that is Brady, who Kelly glowingly referred to Thursday as “that orchestra leader out there”. “I was actually trying to throw it away, and I didn’t throw it far enough…” Not sure if that explanation is legit.
Tom Brady is 4-0 against the Eagles.
And there was plenty of cause for frustration Sunday. They have a lot of good players at all those spots. “Him and his guys were ready to execute”. And every play is tough on offense because of the movement, the different looks that they give you and the talent that they have on that side of the ball. Chris Maragos burst through the middle of the protection untouched and blocked the punt.
Kevin McGuire is a Philadelphia area sports writer covering the Philadelphia Eagles and college football. Ebner, the personal protector, could only block one. Both kicks were made with his left foot. “He’s a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and it’s a huge challenge for us to have to go up and defend him, because he’s running the whole show”.
The Eagles also scored touchdowns on a return of a blocked punt and a punt return by Darren Sproles.
Slater summed up the night like this: “It’s very disappointing”.
“We came here and beat a really, really good team, beat the best quarterback in the league and that’s a tall task”. We would’ve kicked 3 points. Bradford is expected back for today’s Eagles games and not a moment too soon.
There is no telling what a win like this can do for them now as they head into a homestretch of a schedule that includes three straight home games, starting with the Bills and followed by the Cardinals and Washington.
As a special teams unit, this was an aberration. In nine starts before Sunday (he missed two games because of a concussion and separated shoulder), Bradford had thrown for 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. On some level, the frustration must also mount from the fact that Brady’s prolific machine of an offense has been reduced, by injury, to an average one.
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While it is hard to root against your team, especially with some time still left in the season it is certainly time to consider if that is the best option for the Eagles.
