Preseason Instant Replay: Eagles 39, Packers 26

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GREEN BAY, Wisc. — Sam Bradford was dominant, the Eagles' first-quarter offense was a blur, and Chip Kelly should be feeling pretty, pretty good about this offense with the meaningful portion of the preseason over.

Bradford led the Eagles to three TDs as they built a four-score lead before the first quarter ended in an eventual 39-26 win (see 10 observations).

Preseason wins and losses are meaningless, we all know that, but the way the Eagles have dispatched of the Colts, Ravens and Packers has been impressive. They're 3-0 and have outscored their opponents, 115-53. They have 1,289 yards of offense in 12 quarters.

QB report
Bradford was 10 for 10 for 121 yards and three touchdowns. A perfect QB rating is 158.3 and his was 156.7.

They weren't all dinks and dunks, either. Bradford hit Jordan Matthews on passes of 27, 17 and eight yards. The two longest ones were pinpoint throws to areas where only Matthews, in stride, could make the catch. 

Bradford's pace in running the offense was nearly as impressive as his passing. The Eagles' offense was its usual uptempo self and the Packers had basically no chance of adjusting on the fly. 

Bradford took one hit on his 10 dropbacks. It came on his second TD pass, a three-yarder over the middle to Trey Burton on 4th-and-goal.

The starters never play in the preseason finale, so don't expect to see Bradford again until Sept. 14 when the Eagles open in Atlanta on Monday Night Football. 

Inactives
• Inside linebacker Kiko Alonso, who practiced all week and was expected to play, did not suit up (see story). One of the Eagles' prized offseason acquisitions, Alonso has not played a down this preseason. He suffered a concussion in practice on Aug. 4, returned on Aug. 19, and told reporters Thursday he was looking forward to making his Eagles debut in Green Bay. UPDATE: Kelly said Alonso was out with a nagging leg issue that's not related to his ACL, which sidelined him last season.

• Wide receiver Josh Huff, also an important player for the Eagles this season, was another inactive. A close friend of his died Monday in Houston, and Huff missed practice Tuesday and Wednesday before saying Thursday that a "heavy heart" could keep him out of the Green Bay game. Huff has just one catch for 12 yards in the preseason.

Injuries
• Right tackle Lane Johnson hurt his knee on a two-point conversion in the first quarter and did not return, though he appeared to be OK on the sideline.

• We'll know soon the whereabouts of Cody Parkey. Kip Smith handled all kicking duties Saturday night. UPDATE: Kelly said Parkey had a minor groin injury and would have kicked had it been a regular season game.

Special teams
After Kenjon Barner returned a punt for a touchdown in each of the first two preseason games, Raheem Mostert returned Saturday's opening kickoff 67 yards, setting the Eagles up from the Packers' 38 to begin the night.

Those two are battling for the fourth running back spot, should the Eagles carry four RBs on the 53-man roster.

Chris Maragos forced a fumble on the Eagles' kickoff following their second TD, but the Packers recovered.

The Eagles have made so many big plays on special teams the last two years that it doesn't seem fluky anymore. These guys are well-trained, and just seem faster and more prepared than their counterparts.

Tebow watch
Tim Tebow was unsuccessful on two-point conversion attempts following the Eagles' first two touchdowns. On the first, he ran into a wall at the 1-yard line. On the second, his quick slant was deflected.

Tebow entered the game at QB with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. After a few handoffs, he hit Rasheed Bailey for a first down on 3rd-and-5. The drive later stalled when he and running back Kevin Monangai muffed a handoff.

Concerns on D
The Packers moved the ball in the second quarter in an alarming way, breaking/eluding tackles over the middle and gaining plenty of yards after the catch. 

The Eagles' linebackers appeared to be at fault on most of the plays. 

DeMeco Ryans let Ty Montgomery get by him on a short pass over the middle that turned into a 52-yard catch and run.

Mychal Kendricks was called for pass interference in the end zone on a penalty-filled drive that ended with the Packers' first TD. Malcolm Jenkins was flagged for holding and Brandon Graham for roughing the passer earlier in the series.

Other standouts
• Burton looked explosive in the first half, catching two TDs and sprinting to the outside to pick up five on a 3rd-and-4 deep in Packers territory. He figures to play a large role with Zach Ertz sidelined by a core muscle injury.

• Barner made another splashy play, turning a short catch into a 50-yard reception.

• The first-team offensive line also acquitted itself nicely. The unit gave Bradford plenty of time to sit in the pocket and survey the field. Bradford appeared to be hurried just once.

The O-line also opened up sizable holes on both sides for DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews early in the game. Murray rushed six times for 28 yards and caught two passes for 12 yards. 

• The Birds' front 7 stuffed the run and set the tone early. Eddie Lacy and James Starks combined for five yards on nine rushes in the first half.

What's next
The Eagles wrap up the preseason next Thursday night at MetLife Stadium against the Jets.

But first, the Eagles must trim their roster from 90 players to 75 by Tuesday at 4 p.m.

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