Eagles QB Sam Bradford got through his first preseason game unscathed. Photo by Jeff Berkes / contrastphotography.com

Ask any NFL head coach and he will tell you that the win and loss column means nothing in the preseason and that would be accurate.

In 2004, the season the Eagles finished 13-3, won the NFC Championship and came within a field goal of a Super Bowl title, the Birds were 1-3 in the preseason.

The objective is to play well.

The Eagles have not only played well top to bottom, they have completely dominated two contending AFC clubs from their studs to scrubs.

After Saturday night’s 40-17 win over the Baltimore Ravens, the Eagles have outscored their first two opponents 76-27 and are 2-0 this preseason.

The Eagles defense was impressive again picking off Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco on the Ravens first two possessions.

Head coach Chip Kelly was particularly happy with his running game. All three feature backs – DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles -saw action and all played well.

” I thought they hit it,” Kelly said at his post-game press conference. “You watched those guys, they hit it and came out the other side a couple times. Ryan’s touchdown. J.P. [T Jason Peters] and [TE Brent] Celek did a great job on the back side, but that ball got to the secondary; he didn’t get touched. And DeMarco showed a little pop today, when you watched him hit it and come out the other side. I was happy with all three of those guys.”

Repaired starting quarterback Sam Bradford finally played and led the Birds on a 12-play, 84 yard scoring drive where Bradford went 3 of 5 for 35 yards.

He was hit hard a few times drawing a roughing the passer penalty against Pro Bowl linebacker Terrell Suggs who went directly after Bradford’s knees after the ball had left the quarterback’s hand.

Bradford and his teammates were not happy with Suggs.

Tackle Jason Peters was asked whether Terrell Suggs’ low tackle on Sam Bradford was intentional:

“I think so,” Peters said. “He was trying to take a cheap shot at the quarterback. I’m pretty sure he planned it, I mean we’ve practiced against them all week so he was probably thinking about it. He took off; he didn’t shake our hand after the game he just took off. So I didn’t get a chance to say something to him after the game.”
Bradford was asked whether or not Ravens’ OLB Terrell Suggs was going after his knee.
“You would have to ask him,” Bradford said. “But I think that is what he was trying to do. You know, it is a part of the game and you just have to move on.”

The quarterback was asked whether or not he was upset and said something to Suggs:

“I was a little upset,” Bradford conceded. “I’m not sure if I can repeat what I said to him but it’s a part of the game. I’m sure that is not the last time something like that is going to happen this year, but hopefully it doesn’t.”

Suggs was as unapologetic as one could be after the game; In fact, he put the possible consequences of his hit on Bradford knee on the Eagles coaching staff.

“When you run the read-option you have to know the rules,” Suggs said after the game. If you want to run the read option with your starting quarterback that has had two knee surgeries, that’s on you. That’s not my responsibility to update you on the rules. I could have hit him harder than that. I eased up. I asked [Referee] Jerome [Boger] if he knew the rules in preseason. He said he was going to look at it. On the read-option there I got the quarterback. It’s not my job to be reading. It’s his job to read me.”

Kelly said it was a good thing that Bradford took a couple hits and got it out of the way.

“He bloodied his lip a little bit,” Kelly said. “So I don’t know what hit that came on. But he did get a couple hits. No worse for the wear. Good step for him.”

Kelly said he was pleased with what he saw from Bradford tonight considering this was the first time he could see him perform at full speed with other guys coming.

“Yeah, I am pleased,” Kelly said. “You know, he’s progressing the way we logically had a plan with him. What we did in the OTAs and what we did leading into this game, we were not going to play him in the first game and wanted to really let him get his feet wet in terms of the training sessions that we had with the Ravens and then get him out here for 10 to 15 snaps. We got 14 in. We are pleased in his progress and we’ll sit down and watch film with him on Monday when those guys get back and then get ready for another big test when we go up to Green Bay and get ready to play the Packers.”

Kelly was asked about the first team defense and how they did.

“I thought they played well,” Kelly said. “When you look at what they did, I think the first two were interceptions and then after that, I think we had five stops. So I think they are starting to come together. Then when you can get [LB] Kiko [Alonso], [LB] DeMeco [Ryans] and [LB] Mychal [Kendricks] back in with them, I’m kind of hopeful that we’re going to be better than we have been there.”

Kenjon Barner scored on another punt return, his second of the preseason. He was asked about the advice RB Darren Sproles has given to him and how it has helped:

“I’m in Darren’s back pocket twenty-four-seven,” Barner said. “Anything that guy tells me, I listen to. For pre-game I was able to watch him and then go back and have about a five-10 minute conversation with him about where the ball was going to drop, how it was going to turn, who was booming it and who wasn’t. Sproles plays a big part in my success in the punt return because he’s always in my head.”

Are the Eagles peaking too soon?

Not according to pass rusher Brandon Graham, who is having the best camp of his career.

“We’re just enjoying ourselves right now,” Graham said. “We’re really worried about anything but taking care of our job and coming together. It’s looking good.”