PHILADELPHIA -- Circumstances prevented Zach Ertz and Sam Bradford from developing an on-field relationship during the offseason. Midway through the Philadelphia Eagles’ season, Ertz said, the tight end and quarterback are finally getting on the same page.

“You can never emulate a game until you’re in a game,” Ertz said. “We didn’t get a preseason game in together. We didn’t really have OTAs. We really didn’t have camp. Going into that Atlanta week was the first time we were able to get into a rhythm.”

Bradford was held out of full-team work during OTAs and minicamp. When training camp started, Bradford began playing with the first team. That was when Ertz tore a core muscle and had surgery.

“I don't know if it's because of chemistry with Sam,” Eagles coach Chip Kelly said. “I just think with Zach, we all have to remember he had the core muscle injury and got cleared just the week of the first game. So I think he's starting to get healthier, which I think is the good thing.

“And I think he is starting to get more comfortable just with himself in terms of what he can do and what he can't do. So I hope there is a chemistry that those guys are developing, but I think a little bit is because of Zach coming off that surgery that he had in August.”

Ertz caught three passes in the season opener in Atlanta. He caught three more in the second game of the season, a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles are hoping for a better performance when they face the Cowboys Sunday night in Texas.

“I think that film will be watched one time, this week, and then we’ll move on from it,” Ertz said. “That wasn’t the team that we want to be. It was a very poor performance as a whole for our offense. Our defense played their butts off. Special teams had a pretty good game. As an offense, we sucked.”

Ertz caught five passes for 60 yards in the Eagles’ victory over New Orleans. He caught four passes the next week against the Giants and five more in Carolina. He has yet to catch a touchdown pass this season, but the numbers definitely suggest he is developing a better connection with Bradford.

“The last three games, I think we’ve taken a step,” Ertz said. “I want to be a focal in this offense. I worked so hard in the offseason to be a focal point of this offense, someone the coaches can trust to put at the forefront of this offense. I know we have a lot of weapons, with the running backs and tight ends and wide receivers.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself to go out there and make plays. I expect that from myself.”