The Philadelphia Eagles announced that quarterback Nick Foles will not need surgery for his broken collarbone, and is expected to miss six to eight weeks while he heals. However, Foles hopes he's back sooner than later.
Nick Foles expected to miss 6-8 weeks with broken collarbone
Mark Sanchez will start while Foles is out.
Bob Levey
Eagles QB Nick Foles does not need surgery on his fractured collarbone, source says. Best possible news. Hope is he's back in 6 weeks.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 3, 2014 Foles underwent an MRI Monday after breaking his collarbone in the first quarter Sunday against the Houston Texans. For reference, Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone in the same week last season and sat out seven games, returning for the regular season finale.
Foles hasn’t been nearly as consistent as he was in his breakout 2013, a run sparked by a midseason injury to Michael Vick. So far this season, Foles has thrown for 2,163 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He had just two interceptions all of last season.
Sanchez, the controversial former New York Jets starter who came to Philly in free agency, overcame a pair of interceptions to lead the Eagles to a 31-21 victory over the Texans after Foles went down. Sanchez went 15-for-22 for 202 yards, with two scores and two picks. His second passing touchdown of the day was an 8-yard strike to Jeremy Maclin that effectively iced the game by pushing Philadelphia's lead to 10 points with just under four minutes remaining.
Sanchez earned the Eagles’ confidence with a stellar preseason showing, one so good it prompted trade rumors that he could be dealt to a quarterback-needy team like Houston.
"He's good," running back LeSean McCoy told ESPN after the game Sunday. "Even when he came here it's hard to look at him as a backup because of (the) success he's had and experience. I think today wasn't really something surprising to the team."
“I think we’ll do some damage if Nick can’t go,” McCoy continued. “He’ll step in there and do a great job.”
If the 6-2 Eagles hope to hold on to their lead in the NFC East, they'll need Sanchez to live up to expectations while Foles is sidelined. It doesn't hurt that their primary competition, the 6-3 Dallas Cowboys, are dealing with an injury to their own starting quarterback. Sanchez's first start since the 2012 season will come Monday night of Week 10 against the Carolina Panthers.
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