The Sports Xchange

Philadelphia Eagles teammates questioned the hit of Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs on quarterback Sam Bradford, calling it a “cheap shot.”

Bradford was making his debut with the Eagles on Saturday night after being acquired in an offseason trade with the St. Louis Rams and playing in his first game action since tearing the ACL in his left knee for the second time in 11 months on Aug. 23, 2014.

Suggs was penalized for coming in low and hitting Bradford in the knee on a read-option play in which Bradford handed off to running back Darren Sproles.

“You would have to ask him,” Bradford said after Eagles’ 40-17 preseason win over the Ravens in Philadelphia. “I think that’s what he was trying to do. But it’s part of the game. You’ve just got to move on.

“It got our guys fired up. There’s no doubt about that. I thought we responded well after that, put together a nice drive. When things like that happen in the game, you can’t dwell. You’ve just got to keep going. I was a little upset. I can’t probably repeat what I said to him.”

Eagles left tackle Jason Peters said Suggs’ hit was intentional and dirty.

“He was trying to take a cheap shot at the quarterback,” Peters said. “I’m pretty sure he planned it. I mean, we’ve practiced against them all week, so he was probably thinking about it. I really don’t know him personally. He talks a lot and I think he’s that type of player — who is dirty and will take shots on the quarterback.”

Eagles center Jason Kelce, after he thought about the hit, said Suggs was probably following directions.

“That’s something they’re probably coached to do and something he’s told to do on the read-option,” Kelce said. “It’s not particularly dirty for him to hit the quarterback. I just thought it was just a little weird that he went right at the knee area. I don’t think, looking back on it, that it was anything malicious. I think he’s just playing the game.”

Suggs defended the hit on Bradford and said it was a legal play.

“When you run the read option you got to know the rules,” Suggs said after the game. “If you want to run the read option with your starting quarterback that’s had two knee surgeries, that’s on you. That’s not my responsibility to update you on the rule.

“I could have hit him harder than that. I eased up. I asked (referee) Jerome (Boger) did he know the rules in preseason. He was like, ‘Yeah, I know.’ Just making sure. He said he’s going to look at it. It’s the read option, I got quarterback. It ain’t my job to be reading. He’s reading me.”

Eagles coach Chip Kelly said he didn’t see the play and only heard about it from offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, who sits at the press box level.

Bradford went 3 of 5 for 35 yards and led the Eagles on an 84-yard drive in his only series.