NFL Philadelphia Eagles

Can Mark Sanchez Continue Career Renaissance This Thanksgiving?

Mark Sanchez Philadelphia Eagles

Thomas B. Shea – Getty Images Sport

The Philadelphia Eagles are aiming to win their ninth game of the season this Thanksgiving at Jerry World, and Mark Sanchez is hoping to continue his career renaissance. Sanchez has performed admirably ever since taking over for an injured Nick Foles in Week 8 against the Houston Texans. Against Houston, he completed 15 of 22 passes for 202 yards and two TD’s to lead the Eagles to victory.

Sanchez hasn’t earned a winning record as a QB since his 2010 season in New York, but he now finds himself at 3-1 on the year at the helm of a legit Eagles squad. His only loss as an Eagle came in Week 11 against the Green Bay Packers, when Aaron Rodgers and Co. put up 53 against Philly’s defense. The former Jets QB never finished a season with a completion percentage above 57 percent, but he’s completed 62.3 percent of his 146 attempts as an Eagle in 2014.

Of course, Sanchez’s recent run of success doesn’t come from completely out of nowhere. Chip Kelly’s frenetically-paced offense gives a QB much more room to succeed than the offenses Rex Ryan could put together in the Big Apple, and Sanchez hasn’t been playing against the NFL’s elite defenses. None of the teams he’s beaten as an Eagle has a defense that ranks higher than 26th overall in yards allowed.

The former franchise QB in New York is now in control of a playoff-ready Eagles team until Foles’ collarbone is fully healed. The upcoming Thanksgiving game against the Dallas Cowboys could go a long way in deciding how the quarterback formerly known as “Sanchize” will play out the rest of his career. The Cowboys look like one of the best teams in football despite almost losing to a struggling 3-8 New York Giants team this Sunday, and Jerry Jones‘ club is determined to make a playoff run this year.

Philly will play two of their next three games against Dallas, with a matchup against the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in-between. Can Sanchez continue to impress, or will the division rival Cowboys bring this intriguing comeback story to an end?

Doug LaCerte is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DLaC67, “like” him on Facebook and add him to your network on Google.

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