For Eagles, things can only improve

THREE DECADES AGO, noted 20th-century philosopher and synth genius Howard Jones unwittingly supplied the Eagles with the only logical motto for their remaining nine games:

Things can only get better.

At 3-4 and 1-2 in the NFC East, the reconstructed Birds, minus their top receiver, running back and guard from the 10-win 2014 team, have only one bad loss among them, and even that one is easily explained.

Before they happened, it might have been hard to swallow losses at Atlanta, now 6-2 overall and 29-15 at home since 2009, and at Carolina, now the only unbeaten team in the NFC. Dallas returned as the common-sense favorite to repeat as East champs, and would remain so if not for injuries to Tony Romo and Dez Bryant.

Even a loss at Washington made sense in retrospect. Before the Eagles' defense surrendered the game-winning, 90-yard drive, it had been on the field 144 minutes in the first four games compared with 90 minutes for the offense. In effect, in Game 4 the Birds' D was playing Game 5.

That was then. Now, not only do the Eagles face a soft second-half schedule, but they also should be better on their own merits:

* Sam Bradford should be better. He played well against the Panthers, though he didn't receive enough blame for the interception he threw. When protected and when aided by a running game, Bradford has shown glimpses of the elite pedigree that made Chip Kelly eager to have him replace Nick Foles.

"That was his best game," offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said about Bradford's outing in Carolina.

Shurmur saw past Bradford's numbers (26-for-46, 205 yards, the interception). He saw Bradford quickly processing play-calls, correcting teammates and making fast, fluid reads - logically. After all, when he began this season Bradford not only hadn't played in the NFL in 21 months, he hadn't played a snap in Kelly's unique offense.

There is a learning curve.

"He's more familiar with the concepts and progressions," Shurmur said.

That familiarity led to better decisions, even though Bradford's efforts were not supported. The Eagles dropped at least seven passes; nine, if you grade the receivers harshly.

"We shouldn't have nine drops in a month," Shurmur said.

They won't this month, because . . .

* The receivers cannot be this bad.

Like errors in baseball, drops are contagious. It's just one of those inexplicable sports phenomena. You might expect Jordan Matthews to have this sort of sophomore slump, but even Darren Sproles is dropping passes. What's he in, a grad-school slump?

Elsewhere:

* The offensive line will be better.

Anyone who expected this line to be proficient immediately was, at best, deluded. You do not replace a Pro Bowl guard like Evan Mathis with a journeyman like Allen Barbre and get instant cohesion and effectiveness. Star left tackle Jason Peters is a year older and has constantly been hurt, and Jason Kelce appears to believe that he has to justify his Pro Bowl reputation and his $37.5 million contract on every snap (especially the three he snapped early). Matt Tobin is better at right guard than Andrew Gardner, who is hurt, and who never should have been starting, anyway.

"Much better," Shurmur said of his line. "We're a little more coordinated in our blocking schemes."

Occasionally, the blockers actually get beyond the line of scrimmage, which has meant increased production from the running backs.

* The new backs are fitter.

As it turns out, DeMarco Murray apparently was injured all along. His fractured training-camp participation and his abysmal production through the first five games were never blamed on injury until Wednesday, when Shurmur admitted that the bye week had finally helped Murray get fit.

"He's much healthier than he was early in the season," Shurmur said.

Perhaps that means the hamstring injury that cost Murray the game at the Jets hobbled Murray, the offense's most accomplished addition, much longer and more significantly than anyone previously said.

Murray last season led the league in rushing . . . by 26 percent. He managed 130 yards on 49 carries in his first four games. He has 177 yards on 39 carries in his last two games.

As significantly, fragile backup Ryan Mathews has had an extra week to heal his latest groin issue. Mathews is averaging 6.107 yards per rush, a hair behind league leader Todd Gurley's 6.117. This week of restoration should make Mathews good for at least . . . what? Ten carries? Fifteeen?

* The defense is gloriously overpopulated.

Injuries to Kiko Alonso, Mychal Kendricks, DeMeco Ryans, Brandon Bair and Cedric Thornton sped the development of Jordan Hicks, Marcus Smith and Taylor Hart. With all due respect to Hicks, a precocious rookie, it cannot be overstated how dynamic the defense becomes when Alonso, Kendricks and Ryans play. Only Ryans (hamstring) is likely to miss Sunday night's game at Dallas, and he should return the following week.

The Eagles have forced 19 turnovers, most in the league. Alonso's interception in his Eagles debut and Ryans' pick in Game 6 were the most dynamic.

The Birds also have discovered that cornerback E.J. Biggers is a competent professional.

All of this allows the Birds to render inactive Smith, Hart and rookie corner Eric Rowe.

It is an embarrassment of riches coordinator Billy Davis can employ to great effect, especially now that he realizes free-agent cornerback Byron Maxwell isn't that good.

* Byron Maxwell isn't that good.

This was obvious to anyone who watched Maxwell play in Seattle, except, apparently, the Eagles' brain trust, which paid him $63 million.

Anyway, Davis is giving Maxwell help and limiting his responsibilities - he no longer shadows the opposition's top receiver, as he did Falcons stud Julio Jones (nine receptions, 141 yards, two TDs); and, so, Maxwell is more effective.

With the offense seasoned and with the defense healthier and correctly assigned, Bradford on Wednesday succinctly distilled the Eagles' situation:

"I don't think we've played our best football yet. It could be a lot worse."

It will only get better.

Blog: ph.ly/DNL