With Nick Foles out indefinitely due to a broken collarbone suffered last Sunday against the Houston Texans, backup quarterback Mark Sanchez will get the start on Monday Night Football against the Carolina Panthers.
Besides Foles, the Eagles don't have much to worry about. The rest of those on the team's injury report are listed as probable and should be ready to go tonight. Safety Nate Allen (hamstring), cornerback Nolan Carroll (groin), center Jason Kelce (hernia), linebacker Marvin Kendricks (calf), wide receiver Jeff Maehl (foot), guard Evan Mathis (knee) and wide receiver Brad Smith (groin) make up the rest.
The good news is that Sanchez will have a fully healthy lineup of starters on the offensive line. The bad news is that he hasn't started a game since Week 17 of the 2012 NFL season. However, Sanchez came on in relief last Sunday when Foles exited the game and was 15-for-22 passing with 202 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Eagles defeated Houston 31-21 and head coach Chip
Kelly called Sanchez a "hell of a quarterback."
But the Eagles face a different test on Monday night. The Panthers are just 3-5-1, but they're still fighting for their lives in the weak NFC South, which the Saints lead with a 4-5 record. Cam Newton is also a much more talented and effective quarterback than Ryan Fitzpatrick, who the Eagles faced last week. And just before their recent slide, Carolina had one of the best defenses in the NFL, so they're no stranger to competition.
The Panthers' injury report is thin as well, but they'll be missing starting guard Trai Turner (ankle) and backup cornerback Bene Benwikere (ankle). Wide receiver Philly Brown (concussion), defensive tackle Dwan Edwards (knee) and defensive tackle Kawann Short (ankle) are listed as probable and should be good to go for tonight. The team will have DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart ready to go and they'll need to be effective for the Panthers to have a chance because Cam Newton has been struggling with his downfield throws.
Carolina is slowly getting a number of players back from injury on the offensive side of the ball and with a number of talented players on defense, tonight should make for an interesting matchup. The Panthers haven't won on the road against an opponent with a winning record since 2011, so we'll see if Mark Sanchez can get the job done for the Eagles.
Tune in to ESPN at 8:00 p.m. for coverage of Monday Night Football.
