From the Desk of Eagles Outsider Barry Bowe
Six QBs
Six quarterbacks will draw the attention of a great deal of Eagles fans as the 2015 NFL season unfolds, so I’m going to keep my eyes on them and keep you posted as the season progresses.
- Sam Bradford
- Nick Foles
- Marcus Mariota
- Mark Sanchez
- Tim Tebow
- Matt Barkley
All six played this week.
Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford was a perfect 10-for-10 on Saturday night when the Eagles spanked the Green Bay Packers 39-26 on the green tundra of Lambeau Field. Bradford was on the field for three drives and he drove the Eagles to three touchdowns:
- Six plays covering 38 yards and culminating with an 8-yard pass to Darren Sproles.
- Eight plays for 55 yards and culminating with a 3-yard pass to Trey Burton.
- Four plays for 59 yards and culminating with 7-yard pass to Brent Celek.
Sam Bradford’s ten completions gained 121 yards for those three TDs and no INTs. His QB Rating was a near-perfect 156.7.
Nick Foles
Nick Foles was a nearly-perfect 10-for-11 on Saturday night when the St. Louis Rams lost 24-14 to the Indianapolis Colts. Three of his drives ended with punts, but he also led a 1-play drive that began and ended with a 44-yard TD pass to Chris Givens. That score put the Rams on the short side of a 10-7 deficit.
Nicky Football’s QB Rating was a sparkling 145.5.
Marcus Mariota
Marcus Mariota was cold and hot as the Tennessee Titans fell 34-10 to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Playing the entire first half, Mariota missed on his first three passes before going 7-for-8 to finish his outing with 99 yards – but no TDs. He was sacked once and ran three times for 22 yards.
Mark Sanchez
Mark Sanchez looked much better against the Packers than he had in his first two games. He went 13-for-19 for 150 yards and two TDs without an interception.
If Sanchez played this well every time out, he would provide excellent relief if Bradford goes down.
Matt Barkley
On the other hand, Matt Barkley did not play very well against the Packers. He was 5-for-9 for just 28 yards – without a TD or an INT. That said, from a purely football perspective, Barkley should be the Eagles’ third-string quarterback this season.
But will he?
Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow didn’t play very well against the Packers either.
In a case where numbers sometimes lie, he was a perfect 2-for-2 passing – but he gained just 15 yards thru the air. He ran the ball three times for four yards-gained net. With a long-gain of five yards, that means his other two carries were both losses.
Tebow failed twice when Chip Kelly tried gimmick plays on PATs after the first two touchdowns the Eagles scored.
- He ran what looked like a quarterback draw on the first try, but he was stopped a good yard short of the goal line.
- On his second try, he threw an incomplete pass that should’ve been an interception.
From a purely football perspective, Tim Tebow is the worst quarterback on the squad – and that includes G. J. Kinne who was just cut today after trying to make the team as a wide receiver this season.
But Chip Kelly seems to – pardon my French – have a hot nut for Tebow and wants him to make the 53-man roster.
High Noon
The Eagles play the New York Jets on Thursday night in the final preseason game. That game should be the high-noon showdown between Matt Barkley and Tim Tebow to see who makes the team and who doesn’t. They should be splitting all the playing time on Thursday night.
It should be interesting – and Chip’s decision should be equally interesting.
My money says that Chip tries to make some sort of deal to move Matt Barkley in exchange for a draft pick and that Tim Tebow becomes the Eagles third-string quarterback. If that happens, remember you heard it here.
In addition to being an official Eagles Outsider, Barry Bowe is also the author of:
- Born to Be Wild
- 1964 – The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant
- 12 Best Eagles QBs
- Soon-to-be-published novel Caribbean Queen
- Soon-to-be-published novel Stosh Wadzinski
- Soon-to-be-published novel Polish Widow
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