PHILADELPHIA (AP) The Eagles passing attack was supposed to be strong this season. It’s been a liability through the first three games.
Quarterback Sam Bradford, rookie receiver Nelson Agholor and 2014 draftees Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff have struggled as Philadelphia is off to a 1-2 start.
Matthews, primarily playing out of the slot, has 22 receptions for 231 yards; the rest of the team’s five wide receivers have combined for 13 receptions for 122 yards.
Agholor (four receptions, 36 yards) and Huff (four, 39) have nearly identical unflattering numbers. Veteran Riley Cooper had dropped (two) almost as many passes as he caught (three).
”Well, I think our passing game, we’ve just got to get the total game in sync,” Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said. ”There’s three components when you don’t complete a ball. It could be the protection, it could be the route and it could be the throw.”
Shurmur says the Eagles have had problems with all three components.
”Sam was off target a couple times the other day, and we had a couple untimely drops by guys that in the game were playing extremely well. We had a couple of wheel routes that might have gone for touchdowns had they been executed; where we caught one later, which did go for a touchdown,” he said. ”You’ve just got to just keep working and get everybody in sync and I think that’s going to be the challenge.”
Bradford, who has been ineffective in his return from his second torn ACL, has struggled the most on third down where he has completed just 25 percent of his passes for an average of 3.4 yards per completion.
The big surprise, however, is Agholor. The rookie from Southern California showed a lot of promise in training camp and preseason, but hasn’t gotten the ball much in his first three NFL games.
”Nelson has done a nice job when his opportunities have come up,” Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said. ”We just haven’t had a lot of opportunities to get the ball out to him.”
Tight end Zach Ertz, who has eight receptions for 93 yards, thinks it’s a matter of time before things get better.
”We’re going to get it together, soon,” Ertz said. ”There’s too much talent here. Nelson is a really good player. We just have to get him the ball.”
NOTES: Linebacker Kiko Alonso remained in Florida with Dr. James Andrews to rehab his sprained left knee. Kelly said there was no update and that he would remain in Florida until Friday. He will miss his second game this week. .Linebacker Mychal Kendricks and running back DeMarco Murray, who both missed the win over the New York Jets with hamstring injuries, are on schedule to return Sunday against Washington.
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