Eagles starters look sharp in win over Colts

INDIANAPOLIS - The regular season begins in two weeks, and the Eagles appear ready. By the time the Eagles starters exited the 33-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday night in the third quarter of the third preseason game, they held a three-touchdown lead and could begin thinking about the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 11.

Philadelphia should know to avoid overreaction in the preseason after the way last season ended up. But with the starters expected to sit the preseason finale Thursday, their final audition Saturday offered some reason for optimism about Doug Pederson's inaugural season.

Because if the Eagles can be competitive in 2016, the team will need to play like it did Saturday: with a defense that uses its front four to make quarterbacks wish they still wore practice jerseys, an efficient Sam Bradford who keeps the ball off the ground and away from the opposing defenders, and a running game that offers a legitimate complement to Bradford's passing.

"Now our starters can focus on the opening day and get themselves ready for Sept. 11," said Pederson, who believes the starters are ready for the season.

Bradford finished 17 of 20 for 167 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception - and the interception came on a dropped pass by Nelson Agholor. It was Bradford's first week getting the majority of the snaps in practice, and Pederson said that showed in Bradford's performance.

The Eagles averaged 5.5 rushing yards per carry in the first half, with starter Ryan Mathews rushing three times for 31 yards. And best of all was a defense that sacked Andrew Luck three times before halftime and held the Colts to 1.4 yards per carry during that period.

The defense started its dominance from the opening drive, when it forced a three-and-out and Connor Barwin sacked Luck with help from Brandon Graham's pressure. The Eagles gave the ball right back on the Agholor drop-turned-interception. The first-team defense held the Colts to a field goal, and it might have pitched its second consecutive shutout if not for the field position after the turnover.

"They're playing outstanding," Pederson said. "I think that's obviously the biggest bright spot for the training camp, and again tonight. . . .They're playing aggressive, tenacious football. That's Jim Schwartz-style of ball. That's what I wanted when I hired Jim Schwartz" as defensive coordinator.

The rest of the half belonged to the Eagles. The Colts punted four more times, and the Eagles scored on their next three drives. Bradford spread the ball to six targets, a welcome sign for an offense that lacks top-end playmakers.

"We were efficient on third down tonight, we were efficient in the red zone tonight, and those are two big areas for this offense," Bradford said. "In order to be successful, we have to do those things."

Tight end Zach Ertz's four catches led the way, but Josh Huff highlighted the receiving corps with two catches for 60 yards. Huff even took an end around for a 9-yard touchdown run, and his 70 all-purpose yards was a tribute to Pederson's offensive creativity.

There were also encouraging signs from newly acquired wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, who posted up in the end zone for a 4-yard score. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound receiver dwarfed a 6-foot, 190-pound cornerback, a welcome sight for Bradford and Eagles fans salivating over the red zone possibilities with Green-Beckham.

Those fans can be similarly jazzed about the defensive line. Barwin, Bennie Logan, and Beau Allen were all credited with sacks, and Graham and Fletcher Cox also were close enough to smell Luck's deodorant. That helped the secondary, which stayed with the Colts' top receivers and added a turnover in the second half with Nolan Carroll's second interception in as many weeks.

"We've played well as a group, but that's about it," Jenkins said. "We've still got a long way to go. . . . You don't get too excited off what you do in the preseason. Everything's vanilla. Not much of a game plan. But when it comes to how we competed and how we played, I think everybody's pretty encouraged."

Bradford's final pass of the game came on the opening drive in the third quarter, when he culminated a nine-play, 68-yard scoring drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Trey Burton. He exited with the Eagles holding a 24-3 lead. It was a worthy encore to last year's third preseason game against Green Bay, although he should hope for a better start to the season.

After that scoring drive and Carroll's interception, the remainder of the game was mostly for evaluating the bottom of the roster. The important developments happened when the starters were on the field, and they left Pederson feeling confident. Because the offense looked the best it has all summer, and the defense continued what's already been an impressive preseason.

In two weeks, the Eagles will show whether any of it mattered.

"We all realize the regular season is a different animal," Bradford said, "and we're going to have to take it to a different level."

zberman@phillynews.com

@ZBerm www.philly.com/eaglesblog