Good afternoon, Eagles fans. It's Thursday, which means the Eagles and Cardinals will take the field under the lights in just three days! For now though, check out the top Eagles content in the December 17th edition of the Read-Option ...
Similar Career Paths For Bradford, Palmer - Alex Smith
Both quarterbacks have battled through ACL injuries ...
"Palmer tore his left ACL in early November of 2014, and missed the remainder of the season. It was the same knee that Palmer injured in 2006 with the Bengals. Despite two knee surgeries in the past 10 years and just 22 starts with the Cardinals over his first two seasons in Arizona, Palmer has come out with a vengeance in 2015, putting up MVP numbers in the process.
Sam Bradford can relate to Palmer's injuries better than most. While he's never reached out to the veteran signal-caller, he doesn't deny that the two share a similar career path and that Palmer is proof that players can overcome a significant injury.
'Obviously I've watched him,' Bradford said on Wednesday. 'He's been a great player for a long time, but it's been pretty cool to see someone come back from the ACL and have the success that he's had and just prove that it can be done, regardless of what people say or think.'
Palmer's impressive stats have clouded the fact that he had his struggles in Arizona upon first arriving there in 2013. Through his first seven games with Arizona, Palmer led the team to just three wins. He threw 13 interceptions and just eight touchdowns during that span. He threw for fewer than 200 yards in a game on two occasions.
Like Palmer, Bradford won three of his first seven games with his new team. He threw 10 interceptions and just nine touchdowns. In the four games since, he's gone 3-1 (having the lead in the Dolphins game before leaving with an injury), and it's clear that he's gotten more and more confident in the Eagles' offense.
'I think everyone adjusts to different situations a little bit differently,' Bradford said. 'It takes a certain amount of time, but (Palmer's) been a couple of places and he's had success in this league, and he's probably playing the best ball of his career right now in Year 13 or 14, but it proves that it can be done.'"
Tweet Of The Day
Caption This: Use The Force
Check out the latest Caption This photo gallery ...
Get your dose of laughs from this week's Caption This gallery of the Bills Vs. Eagles game. View the full gallery here...
The Last Word: Jenkins The Pioneer
Find out more about the Eagles' dominant safety ...
"Dave Spadaro: Malcolm, I noticed in your bio that you met your wife on Facebook ... that sort of thing is not supposed to happen. Was there such a thing as catfishing at the time?
Malcolm Jenkins: Catfishing wasn't a thing back then. So, here's how it happened: Back then on Facebook they had this little thing where you could "poke" somebody just to contact them. Then I sent her a message and we started talking. We talked for about three or four months – I was a senior at Ohio State and she was at Southern Mississippi. And then I got drafted in April by New Orleans, which was an hour and 20 minutes away from Southern Miss and so we started hanging out and that's when I knew, I guess, that I wasn't being catfished.
DS: Among your many claims to fame you can say that you were among those who invented Internet dating, no?
MJ: I don't know that I invented it (laughing), but I was one of the successful early stories behind it. I guess I was a pioneer of Internet dating.
DS: How is the bow tie business? I'm willing to give you a chance to plug the business right here, with the holidays and all upon us.
MJ: Business is doing very well. The post-Thanksgiving period obviously is huge for all retailers and we're doing well. We've had a lot of orders, mostly people who want cool gifts from neckties, bow ties and pocket squares. It's just a cool gift. People who want to prepare for the new year and the big plans they have to start the new year in style, hey, why not come to Rock Avenue Bow Ties (wearerockavenue.com)? And we also do a lot of business for Ohio State fans who have that special Buckeyes fan in their lives.
DS: Why is it cool to wear a bow tie?
MJ: Because most people are intimidated to wear them. You automatically stand out when you walk into a room wearing a bow tie. It's kind of style for people that don't mind being different, being that life of the party. That's why I wear them.
DS: Have you run across former Eagles linebacker, Dhani Jones? He had the bow tie thing going way back when here.
MJ: When I started my company, Dhani was somebody that I talked to to gain some ideas and get some wisdom. He's played in this league and he has his company as well. We did an event in New Orleans when the Super Bowl was down there and it was cool to become friends for a little bit."
Chip Kelly 1 On 1: Building Off Of Buffalo
Other Views
Arians: Bradford One Of The 'Best Ever' QB Prospects - Paul Domowitch, Daily News
"'It's not just getting healthy (for Bradford)," said Arians, whose 11-2 Cardinals will face the 6-7 Eagles at the Linc on Sunday night. It's finding your rhythm in that offense. Same thing with Carson here. As you're learning, you're playing slower. As you get a feel for it, the game slows down and your athletic ability can take over.
'And Sam is blessed with a ton of athletic ability. I had him rated as one of the best ever to come out. He just got unlucky with injuries. But he's beginning to flourish in that offense now.'
Eagles coach Chip Kelly traded Foles for Bradford, who was coming off back-to-back ACL injuries, because he didn't think Foles could take the Eagles from good to great. He believed Bradford could. If his knee could stay in one piece. So far it has.
'That was a major decision to go away from Nick (Foles) and go with Sam,' Arians said. 'Those are decisions you make as a head coach.'
Arians completely understands why Kelly made the ballsy move. He made it for the same reason he went out and got Palmer, albeit at a considerably cheaper price. Because without a top quarterback, you're doomed to failure in the NFL.
'You're tied to the hip of your quarterback no matter where you're a head coach,' Arians said. 'That relationship and how well that guys plays, your job pretty much depends on it. You can have the greatest defense, and you can run the ball. But if you don't have a quarterback, you're not going to go anywhere.'"
Murray Perfect On Third Downs - Brandon Lee Gowton, Bleeding Green Nation
"He's been completely perfect in one area: third down conversions. On 15 third-down runs this season, DeMarco Murray has converted every single one for a first down. He's rushed for 91 yards on those 15 attempts, which is an impressive 6.1 average. Murray also converted his one run on fourth down, which brings him to 15 for 15 on third/fourth and short. Only one of his third down runs wasn't from third/fourth and short.
Murray's success on short-yardage conversion isn't limited to this small sample size. He converted 41 first downs on 57 third/fourth and short attempts during his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys. The 6-0, 217 pound Murray has been able to effectively use his size and strength to his advantage."
