From the Desk of Eagles Outsider Barry Bowe

Week 11

Here’s my QB Watch Week 11.

One of my quarterbacks was hurt and one was on his bye week:

1. Sam Bradford sat out with injuries.
2. Johnnie Manziel and the Cleveland Browns sat out their Bye Week – wouldn’t surprise me if Manziel spent the week in Las Vegas.

Two dressed but didn’t play:

1. Jeff Fisher benched Nick Foles against the Ravens.
2. Thad Lewis dressed for the Eagles for the first time – but didn’t play.

So just three of my quarterbacks played:

1. Mark Sanchez
2. Marcus Mariota
3. Jameis Winston

SAM BRADFORD

Sam Bradford came up lame against the Dolphins two Sundays back with the combination of an injury to his non-throwing shoulder and concussion-like symptoms. He sat out against the Buccaneers this past Sunday, but he returned to practice this week on a limited basis thus far.

It’s not yet known if he’ll play against the Lions on Thanksgiving.

MARK SANCHEZ

Mark Sanchez looked good as he led the Eagles 86 yards down the field at the beginning of the game for a touchdown. The score came on a 39-yard pass and scamper from Sanchez to Josh Huff.

Huff looked great on that play and made you think he might really be good after all. But then Huff transformed into the Invisible Man and disappeared from the game. A combination of three things must’ve happened:

1. Chip Kelly never called Huff’s number.
2. Huff never got open again.
3. Or Sanchez never looked for or saw him again.

Sanchez then reverted to Mr. Enigma. There were times when he looked good and times when he looked bad:

• He passed for 261 yards – which was 15 more than his adversary Jameis Winston.
• He threw for three TDs.
• He threw three interceptions that thwarted drives.

The 45-17 thumping dropped the Eagles to 4-6.

Maybe Sanchez will start against the Lions on Thursday and maybe he won’t. Either way, it doesn’t matter if it’s Sanchez or Bradford – or Thad Lewis for that matter. I hate to even think this – but I can see the Eagles losing out and finishing 4-12.

THAD LEWIS

Third-stringer Thad Lewis dressed for the first time in his short tenure with the Eagles but never saw the playing field. If Braford doesn’t dress against the Lions, Lewis will suit-up for the second straight week.

NICK FOLES

Jeff Fisher benched Nick Foles for last Sunday’s Rams-Ravens match-up. It was a cut-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face move by an over-rated coach with a history of ham-stringing his quarterbacks.

In my opinion, Foles would have led the Rams to an easy victory over the slow-starting and plodding Ravens. But no – Fisher started Case Keenum, who was 2-and-8 as a starter in his career prior to last Sunday’s start.

He’s now 2-9 after the Rams lost 16-13 immediately after Fisher ignored the fact that Keenum suffered a concussion late in the fourth quarter and allowed his wobbly quarterback to remain in the game.

Keenum fumbled two plays later, the Ravens recovered, and kicked the game-ending field goal 54 seconds later.

The loss dropped the Rams to 4-6 and probably eliminated them from playoff competition.

CLICK HERE to read all about the Problem with the Rams.

I’m guessing that Foles will start when the Rams take on the Bengals in Cincinnati on Sunday – but it’s too late.

MARCUS MARIOTA

Marcus Mariota almost led the Titans (2-8) to victory over a ripe-to-be-plucked Jaguars (4-6) team. He, in fact, scored his first NFL rushing TD with a daring 23-yard dash and head-first dive into the pylon. That score pushed the Titans into a 13-9 lead midway through the third quarter.

The Jags reclaimed a 19-13 lead in the fourth quarter with a touchdown and a field goal – which gave Mariota one last chance to pull out a win.

With 2:19 remaining in the game, the Titans took over on their own 20-yard-line. Needing a touchdown and extra point to win, Mariota drove the Titans 57 yards to the Jags 23. But with just :05 remaining, the Jags sacked Mariota as he fruitlessly looked for an open receiver in the end zone.

Mariota finished 22-for-35 (63%) for 231 yards – but neither a TD nor an INT. He did run five times for 29 yards and that aforementioned TD.

Next up are the Raiders (4-6).

JAMEIS WINSTON

Winston enjoyed his best game as a pro as the Buccaneers lambasted the Eagles 45-17 last Sunday:

• 19-for-29 (66%)
• 246 yards
• Five – count ‘em – five TDs.

That tied the record for most TD passes in a game by a rookie.

I’ve not been a fan of Winston thus far – but I may have to change my opinion. My stumbling block right now is that he racked up those numbers against a defense that looked like it quit early in the game. We’ll see what happens in the games ahead – but my mind is now open.

Next up for Winston and the Bucs (5-5) are the Colts (5-5) in Indy.

Week 11 QB Chart

Cumulative Chart for 2015 Season

In addition to being the official Eagles Outsider for BlameMyFather.com, Barry Bowe is also the author of:

• Born to Be Wild
• 1964 – The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant
• 12 Best Eagles QBs
• Birth of the Birds
• Soon-to-be-published sexy, police procedural Caribbean Queen
• Soon-to-be-published novel Stosh Wadzinski
• Soon-to-be-published novel Polish Widow