Bradford's injuries made all but inevitable

It was only a matter of time before Sam Bradford was going to get hurt. Whether it was his proneness for injury or having to play behind an offensive line that Chip Kelly neglected this offseason, the concussion and shoulder injuries the Eagles quarterback suffered on Sunday were a fait accompli.

Bradford left with a 16-13 lead, and the Eagles lost to the Dolphins, 20-19. Would they have won had he finished the game rather than Mark Sanchez? It's impossible to say, of course.

Bradford has thrown his share of end-zone interceptions this season. But he hadn't in nearly three games, and while that may seem like faint praise, his recent stretch of solid quarterbacking suggested that he was finally hitting his stride as the Eagles headed into the second half of the season.

"I think he was more confident in himself, more comfortable in the scheme," Eagles tight end Zach Ertz said. "I think we knew as an offense what his strengths were, and he knew what our strengths were. So I think there was some chemistry being built."

And now he's hurt, and the Eagles are in limbo land. Bradford has a left-shoulder sprain, according to an NFL source. It is possible he could play next week against the Buccaneers because the separation is in his nonthrowing arm. It could come down to his tolerance for pain.

But Bradford also suffered a concussion. A potential return in six days is out of his and the Eagles' hands. He will enter the league-mandated protocol starting on Monday and would likely need to be cleared to practice by at least Thursday if he's to have a chance to start on Sunday.

Bradford wasn't available to talk after the game. His belongings were still in his locker stall, but he wasn't visible in the Eagles locker room during media availability.

His teammates were left to talk for Bradford, and his offensive linemen, in particular, weren't proud of how they protected him. Bradford was sacked four times before he left with around five minutes left in the third quarter. He was hit several other times.

"He was rushed a lot. He was on the ground a lot. He wasn't able to finish the game," tackle Lane Johnson said. "So any time that's going to happen it's going to make it tough for him to get the passing game going, especially when the run game isn't going."

The patchwork line was great last week against the Cowboys. But with Jason Peters sidelined another week with a back injury, the Eagles had to rely yet again on Lane Johnson at left tackle and Dennis Kelly at right tackle.

With all due respect to Johnson, who may eventually develop into Peters' permanent replacement, and Kelly, who performed under adverse conditions in Dallas, that isn't a winning formula.

It was Kelly who was beat when Bradford was knocked out of the game. Dolphins linebacker Chris McCain rushed from the edge and got past the tackle when he cut inside. Kelly said he got a piece of McCain, but it wasn't enough, and Bradford didn't see him coming.

Bradford was hit as he threw, the ball popped out as McCain drove him into the ground, and Kelly recovered to fall on the football. It was, remarkably, his third fumble recovery of the game. The first two came when he covered for two other linemen.

Left guard Allen Barbre was beat inside by Dolphins end Derrick Shelby, and Bradford was sacked and fumbled in the second quarter. And center Jason Kelce airmailed a snap over Bradford's head. The interior of the line was manhandled, especially on run plays.

"We obviously didn't help the situation," Kelly said. "He's been very tough. He's played very well for us. It's really [bad] that I'm the one responsible for him getting hurt."

Bradford completed 19 of 25 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown before leaving. His first-half performance (124.2 passer rating) was a near reversal of how he's played in the first 30 minutes of games. He had a 62.9 first-half rating vs. a 95.4 second-half rating in the first eight games.

There were a few too many check downs again, but Bradford missed only four throws before the break. He overthrew a wide-open Ertz at one point.

"I think he was up and down," Chip Kelly said of Bradford. "I think the rush got to us a little bit, but I think the whole offense was like that."

Miles Austin dropped a deep third-down pass from Bradford that was in his bucket. There was one throw on a crossing route on which Austin wasn't even looking for the ball. He didn't appear to be ready when Sanchez tossed to him on the fateful interception.

"You are always supposed to expect the ball to always come your way," Austin said. "Their guy made a play."

Austin ran one of three routes to where Sanchez rolled out. How could he not have expected the ball?

The Eagles' outside receivers have been abysmal. The receivers caught only nine of 17 targets for 76 yards and a touchdown, while the Eagles' tight ends and running backs caught 24 of 31 targets for 316 yards.

Riley Cooper's lone notable contribution was taking an illegal shift penalty that brought back a Sanchez touchdown pass to Ertz.

"I didn't get lined up fast enough," Cooper said. "I wasn't set. That was my fault."

When this season is over and written - and the Eagles, inconceivably, are still very much alive in the NFC East race - what Chip Kelly did or didn't do on the offensive line and at wide receiver may be what ultimately did him in.

Trading for Bradford was worth the gamble, despite his injury history. Sticking him behind that line with those receivers was like betting on a losing hand. It was a done deal.

jmclane@phillynews.com

@Jeff_McLane