Preseason Instant Replay: Eagles 40, Ravens 17

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BOX SCORE

Sam Bradford looked good and stayed healthy.

Mark Sanchez looked better than last week.

DeMarco Murray (five rushes, 17 yards) and Ryan Mathews (three rushes, 19 yards) both had rushing touchdowns.

Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond both had interceptions.

Kenjon Barner returned another punt for a touchdown.

The Eagles jumped out to a 24-0 lead and improved to 2-0 this preseason with a 40-17 victory over the Baltimore Ravens (see 10 observations).

QB report
Can't be disappointed with Bradford's debut (see story).

First and foremost, he survived two key hits. Terrell Suggs tackled him low and was flagged for roughing the passer (more on the "cheap shot" here). On the next play, Bradford was pancaked by 335-pound Brandon Williams.

Second, Bradford's only drive resulted in a touchdown. He completed 3 of 5 passes for 35 yards. His first pass was just a little too far for Riley Cooper, but it wouldn't have mattered had it been completed because Lane Johnson was flagged for holding.

Bradford converted two third downs, the first an 8-yard dart to Darren Sproles on 3rd-and-6, and the second a 15-yarder to Jordan Matthews on 3rd-and-5. Mathews on the next play easily ran in a 14-yard touchdown. Bradford also hit Josh Huff for 12 on a shallow cross.

Bradford's incompletions: one pass whizzed through Sproles' hands, another was over Seyi Ajirotutu's head. Bradford looked like he held on to the ball too long on the latter, which is when he was drilled by Williams.

Sanchez rebounded from a poor opener. He was crisp and decisive on his first series, completing 8 of 9 passes for 74 yards. Problem was, the one incompletion came in the end zone, when he led an open Jeff Maehl by too much on 3rd-and-goal from the 3. That said, moments earlier Sanchez had a TD pass to Matthews negated by a holding penalty (and it was) on left guard Julian Vandervelde.

Sanchez completed 14 of 20 passes for 118 yards — and at least three incompletions weren't his fault. One deflected off running back Raheem Mostert, who wasn't looking for the ball, and Ajirotutu and Nelson Agholor both had drops.

After a sharp showing against the Colts, Matt Barkley turned in a pedestrian performance, completing 6 of 14 passes for 86 yards. His protection was shaky.

And then there's Tim Tebow, who again received an amusing applause from the smattering of remaining fans. Tebow rushed three times for 31 yards — he missed his second preseason TD by a half-yard — and completed 2 of 5 passes for 13 yards. 

Key scratches
The only players listed before the game as inactive were tight end Zach Ertz (core muscle surgery) and linebacker Marcus Smith (hamstring).

Inside linebackers Kiko Alonso (concussion), DeMeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks (undisclosed injury) did not play.

Pertinent personnel notes
Andrew Gardner once again started at right guard and stayed there even when the first-team offense was replaced.

Jordan Hicks and Emmanuel Acho started at inside linebacker.

Eric Rowe ran with the first team at nickel corner.

Vinny Curry saw time at outside linebacker with the second-team defense.

Offensive hero
Gotta give it to Bradford. Granted it was only one series, but it was important that he come out, complete a few passes, take a few hits and leave the game healthy.

Offensive zero
Joe Flacco. Flacco finished 3 for 7 for 23 yards and two interceptions. The first wasn't terrible — it was deep ball that may have been slightly underthrown and was deflected — but the second simply sailed over Marlon Brown's head.

Defensive hero
Curry. Curry made an impact at both defensive end with the first team and outside linebacker with the second team.

Given the Eagles' lack of depth at OLB, they'll almost certainly need him to help out there. They can breathe a little easier now.

Thurmond and fellow safety Jerome Couplin also deserve to be mentioned. Thurmond for the one-handed pick off the Nolan Carroll's deflection, and Couplin for making several tackles, including a nice stop in the fourth quarter to force the Ravens to settle for a field goal.

Defensive zero
Suggs. On the Eagles' first offensive possession, Suggs went for Bradford's knees and was called for roughing the passer. He hooked Brent Celek and was called for defensive holding, and finally, on Mathews' touchdown run was flagged for being offside. The latter two were declined.

Special teams standouts
Barner in the second quarter returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown. Last week he scored on a 92-yard return.

This time, Barner fielded the ball just in front of his 30 on the right sideline, cut back at midfield, where he was touched by sliding linebacker Zachary Orr — the only Raven to touch him — and was gone.

Mostert has shown potential — he was 10 for 54 rushing and 3 for 44 receiving vs. Baltimore — but special teams have given Barner the edge in the competition to be the fourth running back.

Also in the mix is Villanova's Kevin Monangai, who rushed for 84 yards on nine carries, including a 1-yard score. 

Back to special teams: After a somewhat shaky performance against the Colts, Cody Parkey hit all three of his extra points and two of three field goals. He was good from 35 and 21 yards and hooked a 55-yarder left. 

Linebacker Bryan Braman started the game with a bang by leveling returner Asa Jackson on the opening kickoff.

Punter Kip Smith stood out because he hooked a 34-yard field goal through the uprights and ripping a low line drive that barely cleared the crossbar for an extra point. 

Roob knows
Taking Reuben Frank's element from Quick Slants on Comcast SportsNet:

• Barner has as many punt return touchdowns this preseason as Eagles had from 2006-2014 (Dexter Wynn in 2005, DeSean Jackson in 2008).

• The Eagles have scored 27 or more points in each of their first two preseason games twice since 1970. Last year and this year.

Injuries
Riley Cooper injured his thumb but X-rays were negative. Cooper was held out of the remainder of the game as a precaution.

Wide receiver Rasheed Bailey, a Philly native, suffered a shoulder injury and underwent X-rays. Results came back negative.

Up next
The "training camp" portion of the preseason is over. The entire practice is no longer open to the media.

The Eagles play their final two preseason games on the road, starting with the Packers next Saturday and the Jets the following Thursday.

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