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Sam Bradford's debut with Eagles is half full

In his first regular-season game in 23 months, he started slowly but finished strong.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford (7) stands on the sidelines during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Monday, Sept. 14, 2015, in Atlanta.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford (7) stands on the sidelines during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Monday, Sept. 14, 2015, in Atlanta.Read more(Brynn Anderson/AP)

ATLANTA - Like Chip Kelly, Sam Bradford knows how good he can be if his body would only stop betraying him.

Like Kelly, he knows he can make the Eagles' spread-tempo offense sing. He knows he can be one of the league's very best quarterbacks.

If he only can stay healthy.

He felt it two years ago before tearing his left ACL for the first time. Felt the pieces of his game finally all coming together.

Felt it again last August after coming back from that injury, only to have the room go dark on him again.

"I think the most frustrating thing was that I really felt that the last couple of games before I got hurt , and then last preseason, I felt I was playing as well as I had ever played," Bradford said. "I felt I was seeing things really well and the ball was coming out quick and was coming out clean.

"I mean, I just felt really good. To get back and feel you're in a good place, to feel healthy, feel normal again, and then to have to start over again, it was tough."

It was. But he picked himself up and dusted himself off, and fought through the pain and the frustration and the lonely weeks and months of rehab and the why-me self-pity and is starting over once again with the Eagles.

And just like two years ago and just like last August, he feels the pieces falling into place again.

If he only can stay healthy.

Bradford made his first regular-season start in 23 months last night. Threw 52 passes in the Eagles' 26-24 loss to the Falcons, which was the fourth most in a game in his career.

Got knocked down several times, but always got up, though he did admit that he had an X-ray taken on an unspecified part of his body after the game.

"It was just a precaution," he said. "I took a few hits. They just wanted to get something checked out. They said everything was good."

Two weeks ago, in his final preseason tune-up, Bradford put on a clinic, completing 10 of 10 passes in Green Bay and throwing three touchdown passes in just three series of work.

There was every reason to believe he was going to have a big game in his first start with the Eagles last night. The Falcons had the worst defense in the league last season. Finished 32nd in yards allowed. Finished 32nd in passing yards allowed. Had just 22 sacks.

Bradford and the Eagles' offense, meanwhile, were coming off a preseason in which they averaged a league-best 404 yards and nearly 39 points per game.

But the offense had an uneven offensive performance against the Falcons. It played horribly in the first half, then came roaring back in the second. If not for Cody Parkey's 44-yard field goal miss late in the game, that might've been good enough.

Bradford completed 36 of 52 passes for 336 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He was just 15-for-27 in the first half, a red-hot 21-for-25 in the second half when the Eagles erased a 20-3 halftime deficit.

"It just felt like we were playing behind the sticks all day," Bradford said. "We couldn't really get anything going on first down. We were in too many second-and-longs. Some penalties put us in second-and-really-long, third-and-really-long.

"I think the difference between the first half and the second half was we were much more efficient on first down in the second half. We played from ahead of the sticks and got things going. Once we got it rolling, we kind of kept it that way."

The lowlight of Bradford's shaky first half came late in the second quarter when Falcons safety William Moore stepped in front of a pass for tight end Zach Ertz and intercepted it. The turnover set up a 22-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to Julio Jones that gave Atlanta their 17-point halftime cushion.

"That's something that just can't happen," Bradford said. "Especially with that little time left in the half. I've got to be more careful with the ball when we're backed up. Can't give them the ball with a short field."

The Eagles gained just 125 yards in the first half and had only six first downs.

Bradford's receivers weren't getting open. And when they were, they were either dropping passes or he was missing his targets.

The offensive line was having protection problems. Kelly called just seven runs in the first half, which gained just 8 yards.

Bradford and rookie Nelson Agholor were out of sync on a first-quarter back-shoulder fade that should have produced a first down, but instead resulted in an incompletion that forced the Eagles to punt.

Early in the second quarter, Bradford had Ertz open in the end zone, but threw behind him. A play later, he overthrew wide receiver Jordan Matthews in the end zone.

Then, Bradford and the offense came out after intermission and looked like somebody had sprinkled pixie dust on them.

Utilizing running backs DeMarco Murray, Darren Sproles and Ryan Mathews as receivers, Bradford completed nine of 11 passes for 91 yards a touchdown in the third quarter as the Eagles scored twice and closed to within three points, 20-17.

Sproles finished with seven receptions for 76 yards. Murray had four catches, including one for a touchdown.

"We had linebackers and safeties on Sproles almost all night," Bradford said.

Bradford obviously was disappointed that the Eagles lost the game. But he was pleased with the way they fought back in the second half, pleased to be back behind center.

"It was fun," he said. "Even though we lost tonight, just getting back out there and playing again . Especially the second half, that was a blast. Once we got things rolling and took the lead, I don't know if I've been that excited in a long time.

"It was good to get that feeling again. Hopefully next week, we can start a little faster and not dig ourselves such a big hole."

On Twitter: @Pdomo

Blog: ph.ly/Eagletarian.com