Notes: Josh Huff Talks Snaps, Bradford Cleared

Josh Huff took his first target 39 yards to the house in the Eagles’ 45-17 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.

The second-year wideout didn’t see another target for the rest of the game, however, and he only played 14 snaps the rest of the way.

Much was made of Huff being limited in the 24 subsequent hours after the game ended, but when asked about it Monday, Huff did his best to downplay the significance.

“I don’t think you guys need to look too much into it,” said Huff. “It’s just the way the game played out.”

Huff admitted that “it hurts to be on the sideline like that,” and it hurt him to see the fans walk out of the stadium as the game became irredeemable for the Birds.

“It’s just embarrassing,” Huff said. “Obviously we’ve got to be better.”

Huff’s answer about the snap count mirrored the way his head coach answers similar questions, pinning his team’s personnel and play calls on the way “the game expresses itself.”

That head coach, Chip Kelly, has come under a little fire since the Eagles’ ugly loss to Tampa Bay, and Huff was asked today about the heat Kelly received in the media.

“We’ve been playing poorly. That’s the way it is,” Huff said. “[The team’s coaches] do an excellent job putting a game plan together, and going at it like that, and we work hard during the week, but come the game, it’s not there for us.

“[Our] offense is stagnant, and that puts pressure on the defense, special teams, etcetera. We’ve got to play smarter moving forward and stay close-knit, like we’ve been staying.”

BRADFORD CLEARED, LIMITED IN PRACTICE

After Sam Bradford was seen warming up and throwing during this morning’s practice, Birds 24/7’s Tim McManus has confirmed Reuben Frank’s report that Bradford was cleared for contact for the first time since his concussion. However, the quarterback was limited in Monday’s practice.

Sam Bradford did participate in team drills and has been cleared through NFL concussion protocol.

— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) November 23, 2015

Interestingly, this directly contradicted what Lane Johnson said in the locker room after practice, when Johnson said that Bradford didn’t participate in team drills.

“He was throwing a little bit, he looked good,” Johnson continued. “He’ll slowly get back into the swing of things, so we’ll see in the next few weeks how he progresses.

“[We’re] just rolling with [Mark] Sanchez until [Bradford] can go. He’s making a lot of progress since last week until right now.”

When asked who he thought would play quarterback for the Eagles on Thanksgiving, Johnson said he expected Sanchez to be the starter.

HICKS OFFERS REHAB UPDATE

In his first time speaking with the media since suffering a season-ending pectoral injury against the Cowboys, Jordan Hicks provided a number of updates on his condition and how his rehab is progressing.

Hicks, who had surgery the Wednesday after the win against Dallas, said doctors told him the rehab process will likely take three months, which lines up with what Najee Goode recently told Birds 24/7.

Goode, who was placed on injured reserve before the 2014 season began with a similar injury, said he felt fully recovered and able to play by December, which was three months after he suffered his injury early in September.

Hicks said Goode was one of the first people he talked to after learning his prognosis. For his part, Hicks has been able to participate in portions of practices and be involved in team meetings.

“I’ve been doing some cardio, just got off the StairMaster,” Hicks said. “I think next week we’re going to work some off-shoulder, off-arm stuff. We’re just progressing, taking it slow.”

This is Hicks’ third season-ending injury of his football career, after suffering a hip injury and a torn achilles during his time at Texas.

He said this injury has been the least painful one to deal with, and his previous injuries prepared him for how to deal with the mental aspect of a season-ending injury.

“It’s a lot different, because I’ve been through a lot worse,” Hicks said. “Something like this, where there’s really no pain, I can still move around, I’m still active out there on the practice field, and I still get an opportunity to learn, it’s a lot different.”

Since Hicks’ departure, the Eagles have lost two straight games and been gouged on the ground to the tune of 382 yards.

Hicks, who was a cornerstone of the Eagles’ linebacking corps when healthy this season, said it’s been difficult to watch his teammates get shredded on the ground.

“It’s tough to watch,” Hicks said. “Obviously everybody feels they can make an impact, but I’ve got full confidence in our guys, and I believe they’re going to get everything fixed. We’ve got good-character guys who can play at a high level. It’s just about execution.”