Sam Bradford is a liability for the Eagles

There are two inescapable truths to be taken from the Philadelphia Eagles’ 27-7 win over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. The first is the new Star Wars movie looks amazing. The second is that Sam Bradford is a bad quarterback.To their credit, the Eagles are a much better team than many believed them to be at the beginning of the season. Their defense shined in an otherwise grim and dingy affair. Philadelphia now finds itself at 3-3, tied for first place atop the NFC East standings. Somehow despite a 1-3 start, the Eagles now look like a division champion – albeit a wholly unexceptional division. In that sense, things are going quite well. However, take a few steps back from the immediate picture and it becomes clear this team as currently comprised isn’t capable of competing outside of their division.Bradford threw three interceptions and was sacked once on Monday night. He 280 yards, a touchdown, and a 61.3 passer rating. Bradford wasn’t bad enough to lose the game, mostly thanks to the performance of those around him. 

Monday’s game showcased the Eagles’ stout and resilient defense, which forced two interceptions including one returned for a touchdown. We also saw DeMarco Murray rush for over 100 yards and a touchdown, which seems as rare as a blood moon these days. Between Murray and their defense, Philadelphia were able to overcome Bradford’s shortcomings.Coach Chip Kelly, mad genius or reckless lunatic that he is, trusts his system over all. Average players executing his system well will be successful, he believes. While that may be true, the system doesn’t work when you give the ball away. Three interceptions and four turnovers total may not be enough to undo the Eagles in the NFC East but against stiffer competition, in the playoffs, or in Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers, Bradford’s mistakes and shortcomings will catch up to them.Kelly has an accomplished quarterback sitting on the sidelines. He has a player who has been to two conference championships and proven capable of navigating one of the most perilous divisions in football. This player is Mark Sanchez, and though his career will likely forever be defined by the time he fumbled a football by running into another man’s posterior, he cuts a far more compelling figure than Philadelphia’s starting play caller.Sanchez isn’t an elite quarterback. But he’s competent. He doesn’t share Bradford’s proclivity for getting picked off (The Eagles’ starter is averaging 1.5 picks per game). He’s also been to the playoffs before. If Kelly truly believes that it is the system that wins football games, why not utilize the less turnover prone quarterback? If you’re not sold on Sanchez, ask yourself what Bradford has done to establish himself as the better option? Through six games, Bradford has proven a liability. There is no question Monday’s win came despite his play. The question for Kelly now becomes how many more times is he willing to risk results and the integrity of his system on Bradford when there is a more reliable option a few feet away.