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Eagles season may hinge on which Sanchez shows up

Mark Sanchez's first day as a 28-year-old started in the afterglow of his first win as the Eagles' starting quarterback. He threw two touchdowns and did not turn the ball over in a Monday Night Football rout of Carolina, provoking interest in Sanchez throughout Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez (3) in action against the
Green Bay Packers during an NFL football game Sunday Nov. 16, 2014, in
Green Bay, Wis. (Matt Ludtke/AP)
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez (3) in action against the Green Bay Packers during an NFL football game Sunday Nov. 16, 2014, in Green Bay, Wis. (Matt Ludtke/AP)Read more

Mark Sanchez's first day as a 28-year-old started in the afterglow of his first win as the Eagles' starting quarterback. He threw two touchdowns and did not turn the ball over in a Monday Night Football rout of Carolina, provoking interest in Sanchez throughout Philadelphia.

He celebrated with cheesesteaks along East Passyunk Avenue, stopping for photographs with fans. The footage made the evening news. One game does not earn a statue, but Sanchez checked enough boxes to qualify as a Philadelphia fascination.

Six days later, he turned the ball over four times during the Eagles' lopsided loss in Green Bay. Sanchez does not need to be welcomed to the NFL - New York already helped him with that - but he knew enough to keep both extremes in perspective.

"That's the turnaround in this league," Sanchez said. "That's how quickly things go from great to awful."

The Eagles' internal evaluation of Sanchez does not ride the same pendulum, but the clock is ticking. Nick Foles was seen throwing this past week, and he's been able to do cardiovascular work to stay in shape. Foles is not close to returning, and his broken collarbone needs to undergo another evaluation in the next few weeks. At that point, the team will determine when he returns. The Eagles have kept Foles on the active roster, leaving open the possibility that he could return.

Until then - and perhaps beyond - it is up to Sanchez to keep the Eagles afloat. They are 7-3 entering Sunday's game against the lowly Tennessee Titans. Then they have a critical three-game stretch that begins on Thanksgiving in Dallas before a visit from the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and another meeting with the Cowboys.

The Eagles are in the thick of playoff contention, but a Green Bay hangover could be crippling. For them to keep pace with the other top teams in the NFC, Sanchez will need more outings like his first start and must avoid those like last week's.

"This whole thing, you just have to remain levelheaded," Sanchez said. "Understand that all that we want - all the hopes and dreams and aspirations for this season - are all right out in front of us. But not to be focused on the big picture. Focus on this week."

Keeping possession

The turnovers were the most alarming part of Sanchez's performance in Green Bay. He was plagued by turnovers at the end of his Jets tenure, including an NFL-high 52 in 2011 and 2012. He was charged with four last week, bringing his total to six in 11 quarters this season.

"We've got to keep it off the turf and keep it away from the defensive backs," Sanchez said. "When we protect the ball, we've been very successful."

Sanchez's two fumbles were not reminders of his 2011-12 form. One was a mishandled exchange with LeSean McCoy, and the other was a poor snap by Jason Kelce. But the two interceptions came from his right arm, including an ill-advised pass right to Packers linebacker Julius Peppers and another forced pass on a route in which Jeremy Maclin slipped.

Coach Chip Kelly ardently supported Sanchez leading up to the Tennessee game, and the coaching staff continues to cite Sanchez's experience as an asset.

"He's been very successful in what he's done, and I thought he played really well against Green Bay," Kelly said. "He made a really bad decision on the pass where Peppers dropped into coverage, but besides that I thought he did a really good job."

Completion percentage is also a measurement to watch. Sanchez completed 80.6 percent of his passes in the preseason and 68.2 percent in three quarters in relief of Foles against the Texans, but he was below 60 percent in his two starts.

Sanchez studied each incompletion to identify the cause. He found a time when he threw off his back foot, and he noticed corner routes on which he must be more precise, when a few inches was all that separated an incompletion from a potential touchdown. But Sanchez also saw crossing patterns that were on point, and he believed he can learn from those also.

"There's good and bad," Sanchez said. "You correct the bad. You reinforce the good."

Kelly likes to note that the Eagles are not a fantasy football team, so what constitutes a good performance by his quarterback is not always quantifiable in the box score.

Kelly said "a million different factors" go into a good performance, from how Sanchez completes the ball to how he moves the team to the decisions that he makes. Sometimes, a good decision can be an incomplete pass, which would hinder the completion percentage.

Sanchez said a good performance is a win, and the statistical measurements that matter usually create the victory. Among those are taking care of the ball and efficiency in the red zone. The Eagles had no turnovers against Carolina and four against Green Bay; they went 4 of 4 in the red zone against Carolina and 1 of 4 against Green Bay. That's why the Eagles' performance can change depending upon how Sanchez plays.

"If it's the [Sanchez] at quarterback from two weeks ago, [there's no change]; if it's the Mark at quarterback from a week ago, then you have a problem," said former NFL quarterback Trent Green, a CBS Sports analyst who will be broadcasting Sunday's game. "That's the big question for Mark, is the consistent level of play. . . . He'll have games where you're like, 'He looks like he has it figured out,' and he has other games where he makes decisions where you're like, 'He has enough experience he shouldn't be making that decision.' "

In studying Sanchez, Green has noticed more confidence than during his Jets tenure. Sanchez likes Kelly's system, and the Eagles have actually been able to accelerate the tempo with him at quarterback. But he must show that the Packers game was not representative of who he is.

"If it was a situation in that Green Bay game where we literally just couldn't compete and we can't fix these mistakes and we're doomed, then we'd be worried," Sanchez said. "But all this stuff is fixable."

Big tests ahead

The Eagles coaching staff will go from Lincoln Financial Field to the NovaCare Complex after the game Sunday and immediately start preparing for the Thanksgiving matchup with Dallas. The coaches usually put their game plan together on Mondays, but they will need to present it to the team on Monday this week with only three practices before flying to Dallas on Wednesday.

In the locker room, the Eagles are confident that they can keep winning with Sanchez at quarterback. The schedule will test that belief: The combined record of the next three opponents is 20-10.

Sanchez insisted he is "not worried about" what will happen upon Foles' return. Foles might not be healthy enough to play until the end of the regular season, and if the Eagles keep winning and earn a playoff berth, they could keep Sanchez at the helm.

"Let's say Mark rattles off five or six wins here, and then you go into the playoffs and all of a sudden you're presented with, do you play someone who hasn't played in a couple months . . . or do you go with a hot hand?" Green said. "As a backup, all you can control is the week-to-week. And then at the end, it's whoever is making the decision. And hopefully you make it a difficult decision for him."

There are too many variables for even Kelly to consider at this point, because Foles' recovery is an unknown and the Eagles' playoff hopes could depend on how Sanchez plays. As Sanchez has already seen, the fortunes can change each week.

"This is a really fun job when you're winning," Sanchez said. "So just keep on winning."

@ZBerm