Eagles vs. Colts: What Did We Learn?

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Eagles topped the Colts, 33-23, on Saturday night in their third preseason game. Here are ten things that we learned:

1. Sam Bradford is a Hall of Fame third preseason game quarterback. Last year, Bradford completed 10 of 10 passes for 121 yards and three TDs in the Eagles' third preseason game at Green Bay. He had a perfect 156.7 passer rating and was bound for Canton, per overly optimistic fans and analysts. Against the Colts, he was almost as good. Bradford connected on 17 of 20 throws for 167 yards and two touchdowns. His lone interception wasn't his fault. There was another receiver drop. As colleague Bob Brookover wrote, it was hard not to get excited about Bradford's performance. Of course, many will heed the words of Pete Townsend and The Who – coincidentally, the entrance theme for the Colts for pre-game introductions -- and won't get fooled again. But I'd say they would be doing Bradford a disservice. The Colts were without five starters on defense – cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Patrick Robinson, defensive ends Robert Mathis and Kendall Langford and linebacker Sio Moore. And they were hardly game planning for the Eagles. Taken in a vacuum, Bradford's outing had little meaning. But it was reflective of how he has pretty much played since the second half of last season – in those final six games, spring OTAs and training camp. Bradford has his liabilities. He is far too reluctant to take chances down the field. He doesn't have quick feet. He doesn't have the athleticism to create. But give him a clean pocket he can pick apart defenses. Of course, the whole "clean pocket" concept could be difficult to consistently maintain this season. But give Bradford credit. He's not a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback. He's not even close. Who cares? He's a legitimate starter and surrounded with talent, he can be very good. Love him or hate him, he's likely around for only one more season.

2. Doug Pederson is starting to display a knack for play calling. I don't want to get ahead of myself with the new Eagles coach, at least until opposing defensive coordinators start scheming against his offense. But Pederson has done a respectable job of dialing up plays at the right time. He's done a solid job of finding ways to utilize the skill sets of players like Josh Huff and Trey Burton. Maybe the bar was placed far too low and expectations were relatively non-existent about Pederson's offensive acumen. He doesn't always come off as the sharpest tool in the shed. And there is still genuine question about his ability to think on the fly and manage a game in tight quarters. But Chip Kelly was hailed a genius by some and yet, he couldn't find a consistent way to get Huff the ball in space. He couldn't find alternative ways to match Darren Sproles up against linebackers after defensive coordinators figured out his first one or two tricks. One of Andy Reid's strengths was creating mismatches, particularly with his use of Brian Westbrook. We've really yet to see Sproles in the new offense, but if Pederson has more tricks up his sleeve, he may be able to offset the lack of consistent downfield outside receivers. The Eagles are going to feature their tight ends. Pederson seems to be intent on using Burton more than Kelly ever did. The Eagles don't have game breakers, but they should have enough to piecemeal sustaining drives. It'll be up to Pederson to put his players in positions where they'll succeed.

3. Mychal Kendricks may be in the doghouse. He missed the first two preseason games as he nursed a hamstring injury. Kendricks didn't make a 100 percent commitment to playing against the Colts earlier last week, but he ended up being on the field for 30 plays. He wasn't part of the Eagles' nickel package, though. I'm not sure if he lost that job because Jim Schwartz had no other choice but to use Nigel Bradham – along with Jordan Hicks – as his linebackers after a week of preparation. But it's not as if Kendricks' struggles in coverage are any secret. He was one of the few starters on defense to play into the fourth quarter. Schwartz may have just been trying to get him more playing time if he's to not play in the fourth preseason game. Schwartz didn't answer questions after the game. Kendricks declined interview requests.

4. The defensive line is going to be good – and could be great. Fletcher Cox is the lynchpin. Schwartz has him primarily as the three-technique in the interior, which means he could have a boatload of one-on-one opportunities this season. There aren't many guards in the NFL that can consistently block Cox without help. But if opposing offensive coordinators are going to have to slide over help that will only free up Vinny Curry, Connor Barwin and Brandon Graham on the outside and Bennie Logan at the less-thankful defensive tackle spot. The Eagles were all over Andrew Luck. The Colts offensive line is among the worst in the NFL, but the Eagles' front dominated. Barwin and Logan had sacks, and so, too, did Beau Allen, who has shined during the preseason. Allen is a nose tackle by trade, but he played some one-gap football at Wisconsin. He showed fairly early during his rookie training camp that he had good get off and pass rush moves. The bigger surprise to me, among the former two-gap defensive ends, has been the play of Taylor Hart. He has taken to Schwartz's aggressive approach. He had a number of quarterback pressures and blew up a screen pass before leaving with a knee sprain. It would be a shame if the injury were serious, because Hart did everything he could to make the team. The depth inside – Mike Martin hasn't even played in a preseason game yet – was a concern, and it still may be if Hart is out for a significant time, but Allen and Hart are a solid 3-4 punch.

5. Nelson Agholor can't be counted on – at least not yet. Maybe it's time to turn the page on the second-year receiver. The Eagles are unlikely to part with Agholor so early into his career and after the first-round commitment. They will incur a salary cap hit of over $2 million if they were to release him – and even more over the next two years. And it's unlikely another team would want to take on that contract considering his lack of production if the Eagles were to dangle him on the market. But has Agholor really done anything to merit a spot on the roster? He had another inexcusable drop against the Colts. I shouldn't even mention that Bradford's pass was a smidgeon behind him because it still hit Agholor square in the hands. But how aren't you ready for that ball? How are you still talking about technique stuff like snapping your head around after the game? Wasn't Agholor supposed to be one of the more pro-ready receivers coming out of the 2015 draft? It's not like he doesn't work at his craft, like, say, Dorial Green-Beckham. It's not like he doesn't have some talent. He made a splendid catch last week against the Steelers. But there's something missing. Agholor shouldered the blame for his drop that resulted in an interception, but he also focused on how he contributed in other parts of the game – as if it mattered. I wrote more on Huff, Agholor and how the receiver group may pan out in my column for the newspaper.

6. The first team offensive line looked better with Stefen Wisniewski. I still have to re-watch the entire game to get a better feel for whether Wisniewski made a difference inside, but the numbers speak for the o-line's steadiness against the Colts. In the first half alone the Eagles rushed 10 times for 55 yards. Ryan Mathews looked fast and powerful on his three carries for 31 yards, but he had plenty of space to run. Bradford was sacked only once – on the first play from scrimmage – but that was only because the Eagles had failed to pick up a blitz. Pederson may have to consider holding rookie Isaac Seumalo back from starting in Game 1. He said that the left guard shouldn't lose his spot because of his shoulder injury, but why is it necessary to throw the third round project into the fire immediately? The Colts, as mentioned previously, were without two of their top edge rushers. So the o-line performance should be taken with a fine grain of salt. But Allen Barbre has done well in his transition to right tackle. Jason Kelce has been a rock at center. I still have questions about Brandon Brooks and Jason Peters' ability to stay healthy, but the line is in a much more stable place than when Lane Johnson's pending suspension was first revealed.

7. The running game is a work in progress. I was hoping to see more of Wendell Smallwood in his first preseason game. He had a nice 35-yard kick return on his first touch. But the rookie, who missed the first two games with a quad injury, played only four snaps on offense and had only two carries for 11 yards before leaving with an apparent head injury. He looked fine after the game, but the Eagles didn't have an update on whether he now has to enter the concussion protocol. It's unlikely he'll play in the preseason finale. The Eagles are basically set with their top three running backs – Mathews, Sproles and Kenjon Barner. I don't want to go overboard on Barner's preseason, but he has been consistent throughout. He rushed six times for 39 yards. He's limited because catching the ball is a struggle, as is blocking, but the Eagles could do worse than have Barner backup Mathews.

8. Caleb Sturgis has likely won the kicker competition. It really hasn't been a close contest, and Cody Parkey all but destroyed his chances by kicking an extra point wide right against the Colts. Sturgis has been the more accurate kicker and he has consistently shown that he has the stronger leg. He missed last week because of a concussion and Parkey was solid handling all of kicking duties against the Steelers (he booted a 40-yard field goal). But Sturgis came back strong and split the uprights with a 47-yard field goal on Saturday night. He's also been much better in practice – at least during sessions open to the media – hitting on 92 percent of his field goal tries as opposed to Parkey's 77-percent success rate.

9. C.J. Smith may be a dark horse cornerback candidate. Schwartz mixed in various reserves with the first team defense. He gave Marcus Smith an opportunity to go up against left tackle Anthony Castonzo (Smith did OK) and he slide Smith into the lineup in the second quarter. Starters like safety Malcolm Jenkins have been raving about the undrafted rookie. He looked solid against the Colts. Could another North Dakota State product actually make the 53-man roster? It's going to be close. Leodis McKelvin, Nolan Carroll and Ron Brooks are assured spots. Eric Rowe would seem to be on the team, as well. But Jalen Mills hasn't done much since injuring his hamstring. He retuned on Saturday and played 13 snaps. Could Smith squeeze the seventh round rookie out or could Schwartz keep six corners? Aaron Grymes is out for the remainder of the preseason. His chances may have been fleeting. JaCorey Shepherd has been the Invisible Man. Denzel Rice and Randall Evans have been buried on the depth chart. But keep an eye on Smith when Saturday's cut down day arrives.

10. And some leftovers … Carson Wentz (fractured ribs) threw a bunch before the game. Pederson said there was a chance he could play in the preseason finale, but the Eagles want to be extra careful with the rookie. … Curry left with a knee sprain, but he said after the game that he was fine and would be back in a "couple days." … Tight end Chris Pantale returned after being examined for a head injury. Pederson still seems intent on keeping Pantale after Saturday. We'll see …