Eagles Rewind: Bradley helps defense kick it up a notch

His individual numbers don't necessarily show it, but when Stewart Bradley is at middle linebacker the Eagles' defense is decidedly different.

In the six quarters in which Bradley has played this season, the unit has allowed just 16 points. In the six in which he was sidelined due to a concussion it has surrendered 46 points.

Bradley recorded only four tackles in the Eagles' 28-3 victory at Jacksonville on Sunday, but his presence alone - upon further review - gave the defense a big body in the middle that took up space, gobbled up blockers, and could run with larger tight ends.

In defensive coordinator Sean McDermott's scheme, the middle linebacker isn't supposed to be the playmaker. The weakside linebacker is the freelancer and usually the pass rusher, as evidenced by Ernie Sims' dozen blitzes on Sunday.

The strong-side linebacker, Akeem Jordan in this case, is allowed more chances to find the gaps and make plays against the run game. Jordan, with five tackles and two for loss, had his best game of the season.

But Bradley is expected to do everything and therefore must defer to teammates sometimes. Mostly, he must be error-free. The week before, his replacement, Omar Gaither, was wildly inconsistent. By no coincidence he did not dress against the Jaguars.

Bradley, upon his return, helped solidify a group that held running back Maurice Jones-Drew to just 30 yards on 14 carries before the fourth quarter when the game was well in hand.

Bradley's four stops, all on Jones-Drew, came after the running back gained 5 yards. But the linebacker's duty there was to be the second line of defense if someone broke through, as Jones-Drew did, for instance, when defensive end Juqua Parker and cornerback Asante Samuel failed to wrap him up in the second quarter.

Here is a look at two other Eagles after a review of the tape of Sunday's game:

After the first two games of the season, some were suggesting putting out a missing-persons report on the tight end.

Through the first two games of last season, Celek had 14 catches for 141 yards and one touchdown. This season, he notched just five catches for 59 yards and was without a score. He wasn't being targeted as much and didn't appear to be getting open with as much frequency as a year ago.

Against the Jaguars, he had a more Celek-like performance. Even if the numbers weren't eye-popping - four receptions for 42 yards - Celek showed some of the brawn he is known for when he caught a 21-yard pass from Michael Vick on a seam route and took the requisite safety hit. Then, he bullied past players for 15 yards on a third-and-14 screen pass in the third quarter.

Celek suffered a bruised wrist on that first play and has been quietly banged up. It could be one reason he's taken a step back in the blocking department. He also dropped a short pass from Vick.

After Nick Cole was given the day off with swelling in his knee, Wells filled in at right guard and played for the first time as an Eagle. The results were mixed, although Vick had more time in the pocket from the second quarter on.

Wells was called for holding not long after he entered the game, and he got away with what looked like a hold a few plays later. There also were a few moments when he and center Mike McGlynn mixed up their blocking assignments. Still, for having never played in the Eagles' offense, Wells handled himself fairly well.

With Cole still hurting, Wells could see more action this Sunday against Washington.