We have had four weeks of Eagles football. Four games that have been frustrating and ultimately disappointing, not just in an overall sense but when you look closer at Sam Bradford. However, Bradford finally started to look solid in the second half against the Redskins yet STILL fans and analysts were calling for Mark Sanchez to be entered into the game. It’s time to put an end to the debate.
I don't know if it's time to switch to Sanchez, but it is Chip's job to save the season, not Bradford's career. #Eagles
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) October 4, 2015
I don't want to be reactionary, but I honestly believe Mark Sanchez is better than Sam Bradford. Chip needs to make the move already.
— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) October 4, 2015
https://twitter.com/asvpxretro/status/650831679586566145
Mark Sanchez, come on down! You're the next contestant on The Price is Right!
— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) October 4, 2015
Every week is the same. Bradford throws one incompletion and twitter descends into rants about how keeping Foles would have saved the team and how Sanchez would be tearing it up if he was in the game. But when you look beneath the surface…he really wouldn’t.
Tonight Bradford struggled to begin with. His very first pass was underthrown before firing multiple incompletions. But then suddenly something changed. A cog clicked. Sam Bradford tapped into a previously untouched area of the brain and launched a 45 yard pass to rookie Nelson Agholor who hauled in a one handed grab. It was a sign of things to come.
Bradford would later find a wide open Riley Cooper 62 yards down the field for his longest pass of the day and the season before pinpointing Miles Austin on a 39 yard touchdown catch. An underthrow to Agholor and an overthrow to Matthews could have all but sealed the game if completed, but this is a Bradford we are not used to seeing in Philadelphia.
Yet still, going into halftime and even after the game..people are talking about Mark Sanchez. There’s one crucial reason why Mark Sanchez is yet to play a snap this season…turnovers. 11 interceptions on 14 touchdowns last season and 80 compared to 82 touchdowns on his career, Sanchez turns the ball over…frequently.
Where were the Sanchize lovers when he threw an interception with just over a minute remaining against Washington in December last year? Where were the Sanchez lovers when he fumbled four times in a season? The same analysts rooting for Sanchez now were the ones burying their heads in the sand when he threw that costly interception against Dallas which later turned into a touchdown in a 38-27 loss. The Eagles lead the league in turnovers last year..and Mark Sanchez has a certain inability to take care of the ball. Whether that’s throwing into double coverage, easy interceptions or simply fumbling.
Sam Bradford is now two games without a pick. Two games where he’s playing behind an Offensive line that offers as much protection as a bulletproof vest made out of paper.
One of those games was against a team who dismantled Andrew Luck. This Offensive line however is so poor at the moment that even the finest Quarterbacks would struggle. Sanchez put those numbers up when both Mathis and Herremans were still on the line. When Sanchez had enough time to evaluate his options and had a running game next to him that worked.
The ONLY benefit Mark Sanchez has over Sam Bradford is familiarity. He has been with the team long enough to know the plays inside out, the players inside out and what works. Having said that, Bradford is starting to build chemistry with his receivers and it’s beyond encouraging. It’s the first game where he’s not just throwing to two guys..every receiver and even the tight ends are getting receptions.
Today was the first game this season where Bradford did exactly what was asked of him. People criticised his lack of deep passes, he has three deep passes that go for touchdowns. They doubt his mobility, he runs for a first down. They doubt his toughness, he suffers a rolled up ankle and STILL finishes the game and puts up a score. Cut the guy some slack and appreciate that the team now have 15…FIFTEEN dropped passes from receivers and an Offensive line that is good at blocking as tonights commentator was at pronouncing “Morris”…
