Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback Sam Bradford hasn't played well through the first six games of the 2015 NFL regular season. Bradford has thrown nine interceptions, including 4 in the end zone. He ranks 22nd in yards per attempt, and is ranked 27th in passer rating.
He is ranked last in terms of ESPN's total QBR.
Eagles head coach Chip Kelly and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur suggest that some of Bradford's erred throws have come as a result of bad footwork.
Kelly contends that Bradford doesn't deserve all of the blame for his slow start.
"There's not one thing," Kelly said. "I think, at times, it's the rush will break down, so now he has to move his feet. We did have some inconsistency and some wrong routes run the other night, so that kind of puts him in a bad situation he's expecting the receiver to be here and he's not there anymore."
The Eagles running game has improved over the past couple of weeks. Running back DeMarco Murray had his first game with over 100 rushing yards as an Eagle in the team's 27-7 victory over the New York Giants on Monday night. Also, Ryan Mathews is averaging just under five yards per carry on the season.
Bradford knows that he must improve in order for the offense to be successful.
"It's not even a question," Bradford said after throwing three interceptions on Monday night. "It was just inconsistent, missing throws. There was some good, there was some bad. But I know for us to be where we want to be, I have to play much better."
The Eagles can't rely on their defense to be as dominant as they were against the Giants on Monday night.
If the Eagles want to be a playoff team, they will need Bradford to lead them there.
The Eagles offense looks to make some improvements against the undefeated Carolina Panthers on Sunday night. The Panthers sit at 5-0 mainly because of their aggressive defensive scheme. It will certainly be a good test for Bradford.
If Bradford plays poorly in an Eagles loss on Sunday night in Carolina, it will be interesting to see how many fans will be calling for backup Mark Sanchez. Sanchez threw for over 300 yards with two touchdown passes and zero turnovers in a Eagles 45-21 victory over the Panthers just last season.
Michael Malia is a contributing intern for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Facebook (Michael Malia) or Twitter @Michael_Malia.
