Eagles coach Chip Kelly addresses Sam Bradford picks

CHIP KELLY talked at length Tuesday about how his team's defense is coming together, especially about growth in the secondary. He also talked about how the Eagles' offensive line is coming together, the dominant running game we'd all expected to see finally emerging.

But several questions were about the quarterbacking of Sam Bradford, which after a couple of baby-step-forward weeks against Washington and New Orleans, regressed to the tune of three interceptions Monday night against the worst pass defense in the NFL.

Nobody changes QBs after a 27-7 victory, so it wasn't a surprise to hear Kelly declare, "Sam's our quarterback. We have full confidence in Sam."

But Bradford has nine interceptions now to go with his nine touchdown passes, and that ratio won't win you anything in the long run. There are three types of Bradford picks: the horrible miss, usually an underthrow; the ball the receiver bats to a defender; and the one where the receiver is running a certain pattern and Bradford was expecting something else.

Asked what the coaches can do to get this turned around, Kelly said: "It's drill work. Obviously, a lot of situations we do in the training, like (with every team), are controlled situations. When it comes to the game, it's an uncontrolled situation. We need to simulate it as best we can, but you also can't go live, full-go, and have a rush get after him and try to hit him in practice, just because you don't want to lose your quarterback in practice."

Kelly called the INT where Riley Cooper broke off his route and Bradford threw deep to the Giants' Brandon Meriweather "just a miscommunication between the two of them. It's a 'read' route . . . Riley was a little late (making the decision to break off). Sam thought he was going to run through, Riley decided to stop. You could see both sides of it."

Kelly agreed with a questioner that Bradford was not this bad with the interceptions in St. Louis - in 2013, the year he suffered his first ACL tear, he'd compiled 14 TDs and four picks in seven games. Kelly affirmed that he believes Bradford can get back to that level. But why is he so inconsistent right now?

"That's a great question," Kelly said. "There's not one thing." Kelly then talked about Bradford having to re-set because of pressure, and how receivers sometimes run the wrong route.

Kelly seemed to be on much firmer ground when asked what he has seen from the secondary, since that rough start in the season opener at Atlanta.

"I think they're kind of growing as a group," Kelly said. "I think early, when you get a group together, they're just worried about doing their job (individually) . . . Now it's kind of looking at the overall picture and where do they fit into the overall concept of what's going on back there? I think there's a better understanding.

"We've got two really intelligent safeties (Malcolm Jenkins and Walter Thurmond) that get everybody lined up, and that really helps. And then, a guy that I don't think gets enough credit, (corner) E.J. Biggers, who has done a really nice job for us. He's a real, real smart football player, and (that) allows Billy (Davis) to do some different things, callwise, because E.J. can handle it, callwise.''

Kelly said that with Thurmond and Jenkins able to play interchangeably, in-game adjustments are made more easily, as was the case Monday night.

Chip Kelly said Eagles coaches spent the daylight hours Monday watching Carolina film, to get ready for the short prep week . . . Kelly called Carolina's Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis "the best pair (of linebackers) we'll play, because they can run sideline to sideline" and don't come off the field in nickel.

Blog: ph.ly/Eagletarian