RADIO
Obviously, the relationship between a quarterback and his receiving core is of the utmost importance. While there are many reasons for the Philadelphia Eagles’ poor play this season, many NFL and fantasy football analysts feel the team’s troubles might have something to do with a lack of communication between the quarterback and body of receivers.
Take for example the play of the Eagles’ quarterback, Sam Bradford. Brought in to replace Nick Foles, Sam Bradford’s play out on the field this season has evidenced the fact that he’s clearly not on the same page as his receivers. In last night’s Week 7 loss to the Carolina Panthers, Bradford completed 26-of-46 passes for a measly 205 yards, zero touchdown passes and an interception. Regardless of who you are or the system you play in, when barely completing 57 percent of passes, success will be hard to come by. Pocket awareness seems to be yet another issue for the former Sooners’ standout, seeing as how the Eagles’ offensive line allowed Bradford to be sacked five times during last night’s fixture.
While Bradford’s interception wasn’t entirely his own fault—Jordan Matthews dropped a pass that was slightly underthrown, then subsequently picked off —the fact that his touchdown/interception ratio heading into the Eagles’ Week 8 bye is 9:10 isn’t too promising for hopeful fantasy owners. Needless to say, last night Bradford’s receivers did little to help their struggling quarterback overcome his season-long slump. Whether it was Darren Sproles struggling to run for additional yards after making a catch or Zach Ertz dropping a potential touchdown pass, Bradford’s receivers have failed just as much as he has this season.
Perhaps worst of all, during last night’s losing effort, Bradford failed to connect with Riley Cooper throughout the entirety of the game. Despite rumors of being unable to play due to knee discomfort, Cooper was physically present during the game, but went unnoticed by Bradford without a single pass heading in his direction. That said, when Nelson Agholor returns to the lineup, it’s likely Cooper be limited to a blocking role, thus nullifying any sort of real fantasy value altogether.
