One thing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles have in common is their recent wins over the Dallas Cowboys. The Bucs are starting to find their rhythm and are hoping for a better follow-up performance to their win than the Eagles delivered last week against the Miami Dolphins.
Buccaneers vs. Eagles 2015 live stream: Game time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Mark Sanchez will try and lead the Eagles to a rebound performance against the Bucs.
The Eagles lost in spectacular fashion last Sunday, allowing the Dolphins to fight back from an early deficit to win the game 20-19. During the game, quarterback Sam Bradford went down with a shoulder injury and it was later announced he also suffered a scary concussion that left him with little recollection of the first half of the game. Such a serious concussion, along with the new, stricter concussion protocol by the league, could mean Bradford will miss several weeks.
Head coach Chip Kelly said in his press conference earlier in the week that he is "very confident in Mark Sanchez." Judging by the replies on Twitter, he may be the only person to feel that way. Sanchez led the Eagles for a good portion of the 2014 season, but his eight games as a starter only resulted in a 4-4 record. Despite having lost the job to Bradford over the offseason, Sanchez has a better QB rating than his successor, but also more interceptions.
It might not matter who is under center if the wide receivers play like they did against the Dolphins. Wideouts Miles Austin and Riley Cooper both took flak for their missed routes and seemingly lackadaisical effort. They lined up for a combined 97 snaps with neither recording a catch in Week 10 -- Cooper in fact, hasn't made a catch since Week 6. In addition to no receptions, Austin had a dropped pass and Cooper was flagged for an illegal shift, negating a Zach Ertz touchdown catch.
With the passing game such a giant question mark for the Eagles, the run game needs to be a more stable source of production. Running back Ryan Mathews was sidelined last weekend with a concussion, the third of his professional career, meaning the workload will fall to DeMarco Murray and Darren Sproles. Those two names shouldn't cause any concern, but have certainly left fans discouraged with their breakout potential this season.
The Buccaneers are no strangers to offensive woes, but with more time under center, rookie Jameis Winston is starting to create a cohesive group. Winston is finally starting to distance himself from his missteps in college and is considered one the better younger quarterbacks in the league.
He is also earning a reputation as the real leader of the Bucs, who are currently only two games back in the playoff picture. Winston gave a postgame speech following their last-second win over the Cowboys that could get even the most veteran player in his corner. His stats do less to convince people than his tape does, but he has over 2,100 passing yards and 10 touchdowns this season in addition to nine interceptions. He has also rushed for 118 yards and four scores.
If the offensive line can create more time for the young quarterback, it has the weapons downfield to make plays. Wideouts Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson have a combined 61 receptions for 981 yards and three touchdowns so far this season. Other stars in both the air and ground game are running backs Doug Martin and Charles Sims. Martin has a total of 894 offensive yards and four touchdowns, with Sims recording 553 total yards and two touchdowns.
Both teams are clinging to hopes of finishing strong in their divisions and still have the postseason in their sights. Can Sanchez turn the Eagles’ offense around? Will Winston motivate his team to a two-game winning streak? We’ll find out soon Sunday in Philadelphia.
How to watch
When: 1 p.m. ET
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
TV: FOX
Announcers: Dick Stockton, David Diehl, Kristina Pink
Online: NFL GamePass
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