The Philadelphia Eagles only strengthened their lead in the NFC East with a pure routing of the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football. There was concern entering the game simply because starter Nick Foles was out after suffering a broken collarbone and Mark Sanchez was making his first start since 2012. However, there were clearly no issues as both Sanchez and wide receiver Jordan Matthews enjoyed breakout games in the win.
Sanchez's comeback tour got off to a solid start on Monday night as the quarterback finished the game with 332 yards and two touchdowns, but the key stat was the quarterback produced zero turnovers. After much was made of his final two seasons with the New York Jets, highlighted by the infamous buttfumble and 52 turnovers, the strong performance against the Panthers was welcomed by Sanchez and Eagles' fans alike.
"After playing for a while, you learn a lot," Sanchez said, via the Philadelphia Daily News. "Made a lot of mistakes. Played a lot of games where I'm throwing interceptions and hurting the team. The most important thing I've learned is to take care of the ball, communicate really well and establish our tempo. If we can do those things we will be generally successful."
Sanchez benefitted from a breakout game from Matthews as the rookie receiver told the media that he was simply doing his best Jeremy Maclin impression. Matthews had 138 yards off seven catches for two touchdowns. Mainly unfazed by his big game simply saying he was following the game plan put forth by head coach Chip Kelly.
"It's just Coach Kelly calling plays and getting me in position to go out there and make plays," Matthews said. "Mark [Sanchez] trusted me and gave me opportunities. When you have those situations, when your coach and quarterback both trust you and have your back, you have to have theirs too. I knew I had to go out there and make some plays. That is what I tried my best to do."
The chemistry between Sanchez and Matthews was clear as the two spent time working together in training camp. Fantasy owners would be wise to take notice. Sanchez will remain the starter for the duration of Foles' injury and possibly longer if he is getting the Eagles' wins. The chemistry with Matthews could easily continue during the next few weeks making the rookie a must-start in any fantasy leagues.
