Biggest Takeaways from Philadelphia Eagles' Week 5 Win

The Philadelphia Eagles were down. They were down, but not out.

Thanks to a 39-17 victory over the New Orleans Saints, the Eagles' 2015 season is saved, for the time being at least. The Birds' record improves to 2-3, just one game back of first place in the weak NFC East, and optimism abounds after a game they just as easily could've won 54-10.

That presumptive final score is based on two potential scoring drives that ended in red-zone interceptions and a missed extra point by the Eagles, plus a garbage-time touchdown by the Saints. No harm, no foul—but it all serves to exemplify just how thorough a beatdown this truly was.

The offense clicked. The defense dominated. The Eagles won. There's still work to be done, but the main takeaway from Sunday's win is that the team's potential can still be fulfilled. That, and five more observations from a pivotal Week 5 victory that improved Philadelphia's record to 2-3.

Sam Bradford Progressing

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Sam Bradford followed up his best game as a member of the Eagles with an even better one.

Skeptics of Bradford will focus on the two red-zone interceptions he threw, both of which were woefully underthrown passes. And yes, consistency remains an issue for the sixth-year veteran coming off of back-to-back season-ending ACL injuries.

Outside those two throws, however, Bradford gave by far his most complete effort of the season. He was 32-of-45 for 333 yards and two touchdowns—good for a 71.1 completion percentage and 7.4 average—not to mention he had a score negated due to a penalty for the second consecutive week. This comes on the heels of a 15-for-28, 270-yard, three-touchdown performance against Washington last week.

As if all of that weren't enough, Bradford grew as a leader on Sunday, pulling the offense aside for a rousing pregame speech. He truly is doing everything he can to make this team his.

Bradford has been far from perfect this season, but he seems to be improving on a weekly basis. That's all anybody can ask for at this point.

Offensive Line Gaining Confidence

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As much credit as Bradford deserves both for his leadership and play on the field, the biggest difference for the Eagles offense was up front. Not only did the linemen protect the quarterback, but they cleared the way for a solid ground attack that had been missing pretty much all season.

In all, Philadelphia ran 34 times for 186 yards—a robust 5.5 average—and two touchdowns against the Saints. Not only did the ground attack provide 11 of the club's 34 first downs, but it made moving the sticks easier by shortening the distance on third downs as well.

DeMarco Murray had his first meaningful production of the season, gaining 83 yards on 20 carries. Ryan Mathews was very effective as the change-of-pace back, adding 73 yards on eight rushes. Darren Sproles was effective as well, picking up 27 on five attempts.

Overall, the running game was still a little too hit or miss. Then again, considering this is a patchwork unit dealing with injuries to some key starters, any improvement is welcome. Add the fact that the defense barely pressured Bradford all day, and it was an all-around solid effort.

In summary, it was a performance to build on up front—exactly the kind the unit needed.

Philadelphia's Defense Is Legit

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If Drew Brees didn't throw a touchdown pass against the second-string defense as time expired, the Eagles would have held a future Hall of Fame quarterback to 10 points.

Think about that for a moment. The Saints managed 10 points while this was still a game. By comparison, Brees was sacked five times and the New Orleans offense committed four turnovers. The only reason they were in this game at all is because the Eagles let them hang around.

The fact of the matter is this is becoming par for the course in Philadelphia. Since the first half of the first game of the season, the Eagles defense has been responsible for just eight touchdowns and seven field goals—77 points—over 18 quarters of football. That's 4.3 points per quarter, or just north of 17 per game.

Not only are the Eagles tremendous at keeping opponents off the board, but it's an opportunistic defense as well. Thirteen turnovers created in 2015 ties the unit for second in the NFL. They won't just stop you, they'll take the ball away, too, if the offense isn't careful.

This is not by accident. The organization has invested a lot in upgrading the unit. This has been one of the better front sevens in the league for years. Now that the secondary is starting to catch up, Philly's defense is flat-out dangerous.

Playoff Spot There for the Taking

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Playoffs? We're just trying to win a game!

Well, the Eagles won a game on Sunday, and while many an observer will be hesitant to discuss the long-term ramifications of victory, it's clear this team is still in the mix. Thanks to Washington and Dallas Cowboys losses, only the New York Giants are ahead of the Birds in the NFC East, and the division rivals are on a collision course for next Monday.

The Eagles control their own destiny.

Not only is the East a train wreck this season, but the conference as a whole is uninspiring. The Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals have a combined 18-1 record. Other than those four teams, only the Giants have three wins.

In other words, if the Eagles beat New York, they're not only sitting pretty in their own division, but a wild-card berth isn't off the table, either. There is plenty of reason to sit back and wait and see where this season is headed.

The Saints Are Not Good

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On the flip side, if there is one negative and only one negative from the Eagles' victory on Sunday, it's that they beat an obviously inferior opponent. Say what you want about Brees, Saints head coach Sean Payton and their Super Bowl victory—this roster is a joke.

Brees is aging and probably injured. The franchise traded away most of its offensive stars. The offensive line was wrecked by injuries. The defense isn't anything to write home about. Oh, and $27 million in salary-cap space was literally wasted, according to Evan Woodbery for NOLA.com.

Not surprisingly, the Saints are 1-4 and in far worse shape than the Eagles.

So even though a lot of good came from the victory, you can forgive people for not getting overly excited about Sunday's outcome. It was an important win, and blowing a team out in the NFL should always inspire some measure of confidence.

Then again, New Orleans is currently among the dregs of the league, a group many felt the Eagles belonged to only a few hours ago. So how much stock should be put into this victory?

Perhaps not much at all.