Bradford: 'I Put More Pressure On Myself Than Anyone On The Outside'

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There is no quarterback controversy in Philadelphia, but that hasn't kept the natives from being restless in Eagles Nation.

Sam Bradford's six starts have been roller coaster adventures with frustrating interceptions combined with glimpses of what made Bradford a first round draft choice for St. Louis. Still, many fans aren't thrilled with the play of their quarterback even after a 20-point victory over the Giants on Monday night. With the Eagles at 3-3, Bradford has thrown nine touchdowns but has also been picked off nine times. Bradford said he could have been sharper over the first six games, but hand't planned to make a grand assessment of his performance at this point of the season.

"I'm not really sure where I thought I would be six games in," said Bradford. "I think you have expectations. You want to come out. You want to play well. You want to play to the best of your abilities. As far as trying to predict how the season's going to go and where you're going to be, I think that's hard to do."

Some wondered at the start of the season if the combination of rust and fear of injury would slow Bradford's progress. Bradford entered the off-season recovering from his second ACL tear. While Chip Kelly understands Bradford and the rest of the offense can improve, he doesn't think a fear of another injury is in the mind of his quarterback. He believes Bradford is already past the mental hurdle of his recovery.

"I think he is now," Kelly said. "I don't see him favor his leg or think about his leg in terms of anything we're doing from a training standpoint or from a game standpoint. I don't see him kind of doing anything from that standpoint."

Kelly has been quick to point out other players have also made mistakes on offense. Running Back DeMarco Murray agrees with his head coach and said they have put their trust in Bradford.

"He's a smart guy," said Murray. "He's a tough guy, and I think he'll continue to make a lot of plays for us. As running backs and receivers, we've got to trust him to trust us and make plays when the ball is in our hands. I think he's done a good job for us. We all have to work to continue to improve and continue to get better on certain things."

RELATED: Ray Didinger believes Sam Bradford should be playing for his job against Carolina.

Only a better performance by Bradford can quiet the criticism from the fan base. It won't be easy for Bradford and his teammates this week when they take on the unbeaten Panthers. However, Bradford understands the passion of the Philadelphia fans and isn't letting outside pressure affect him as he looks for a better performance this weekend.

"I think it is different," Bradford said. "This is a great sports town. The people are passionate here. They really care. As far as the external pressure, I think I put more pressure on myself than anyone on the outside could put on me."

In:
• NFL