Eagles Win Overshadowed By Key Injuries
The Eagles won today’s game against the Houston Texans, but the victory came at a very high price.
The Birds lost quarterback Nick Foles to a broken collarbone, Todd Herremans to his biceps injury and linebacker DeMeco Ryans to a torn Achilles.
These are enormous blows to this football team. With Foles going down, it robs the team of valuable opportunity to get a look at Foles to determine just what his future is going to be in this league and with this team. The third-year pro might not have been playing great football throughout the year, but there’s no doubt that he gave this team the best chance to win right now, and even though Mark Sanchez has looked good in the preseason and did some nice things today, Foles is a very big loss for this club.
It was very difficult to see DeMeco Ryans go down today. You have to respect Ryans for what he’s meant to this team, and all of the plays he’s made and intangibles that he’s brought to the table over the last few years. Now there’s a very real possibility that he’s played his last snap as an Eagle, leaving this defense without its anchor in the middle.
I mentioned before the game in my pregame article that I didn’t believe Todd Herremans was going to be able to play through that injury for long, and it turns out he couldn’t even make it through one game. Playing with one arm at a position like that just wasn’t going to work. The Eagles’ starting offensive line from a year ago that featured Jason Peters, Todd Herremans, Jason Kelce, Evan Mathis, and Lane Johnson will not play a single down together during the 2014 regular season.
Quick Thoughts
Offense
- Before Nick Foles went out, he was having another up-and-down game. Foles best moment came when he hooked up with Jeremy Maclin for a 59-yard touchdown strike, and his worst came when he tossed yet another interception, a pick-six that got Houston back in the game.
- LeSean McCoy registered another 100-yard day, picking up 117 for the day. However, Shady was once again unable to find the endzone.
- Chris Polk took the majority of work in the redzone, and picked up a touchdown and 50 yards on eight carries.
- Darren Sproles returned to the lineup, and chipped in 46 yards on four receptions, and 17 yards on the ground. He picked up several key first downs throughout the game.
- Jeremy Maclin had another enormous game for this team, coming down with 158 yards and two touchdowns on six catches, including a very difficult touchdown reception in the second half.
- Mark Sanchez threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns in relief of Foles, including a nice strike to Jordan Matthews in the second quarter.
- The Eagles just can’t stop turning the ball over. They committed four more today. Its miraculous that they continue to win despite all of these errors.
Defense
- Mychal Kendricks played a strong game today, recording 12 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble.
- Brandon Bair and Beau Allen combined to pick up a sack in the first quarter.
- It isn’t often that you see Connor Barwin get burned for a big play, but he certainly made a mistake today when he allowed Arian Foster to get loose on his touchdown reception.
- Barwin would later pick up a sack.
- Earl Wolff got the start at safety for Nate Allen, who was inactive today.
- The Eagles continue to give up too many big plays. They allowed DeAndre Hopkins to burn them several times, allowing 115 yards to the speedy wideout.
Special Teams
- Cody Parkey drilled his only field goal attempt, a 45-yarder at the end of the first half.
Final Thoughts
The injury toll was absolutely devastating today.
Where do the Eagles go from here?
It will be interesting to get a look at Mark Sanchez as this team’s starter. Can Kelly’s system bring out the best in Sanchez and restore his career?
Its very important that the Eagles’ running game become the primary focus of the offense again with Sanchez in. Chip Kelly showed signs of leaning that way today by using the talents of all three of his running backs.
The good news is that the Dallas Cowboys fell again today, giving the Eagles sole possession of first place in the NFC East. A tough Monday night matchup with the Panthers is on the horizon.
Bad break for Foles but the big lost is Ryan not Foles! Sanchez will probably give us just as good if not better play than Foles. He hasn’t played in a real game in almost 2 years so he gets a pass for today. But he needs to cut the turnovers down…but he is much more athletic than Foles so he is more than likely an upgrade at QB!
Mark Sanchez is a bottom third QB in the NFL. He was able to keep his head above water today because Houston was without both their starting cornerbacks. His arm is Ryan Fitzpatrick, Kyle Orton, Kirk Cousin, Matt Cassel like ( it is a bb gun )
Wow, Kool and I agree on something. Sanchez is not a downgrade from Foles given the way Foles has played this year. To be 6-2 when your QB leads the league in turnovers is astounding and proves that we’re winning in spite of him. The biggest loss yesterday was Demeco. That will hurt this defense a good bit.
Jets sanchez …71.9 rating after 4years 71 touchdowns 70 picks ..and a bad ending …after 63 games ..in ny…let him be the man ,let us redefine our team with more balance ,as the leaves fall..losing Demeco sucks ..Kendrick will step up ,but now Matthews and smith and Ochoa will fill out the stat sheet..Polk and sproles and shady are the 3headed attack that will keep marks attempts under 25 x per game ……6-2 ….and as always the unexpected week to week …why we love this shit…every damn thing matters
Uh…at this stage Foles gone isn’t really a huge loss. He’s injured, Sanchez will probably play pretty great and play poorly in spots. Regardless Foles will be handed the starting job when he returns and may have to compete for it in the off-season. It seems more likely than not that the Eagles will sign Maclin add another “burner” at WR in the off-season (Torry Smith or Randal Cobb or a trade for V Jackson) and possibly trade or release Cooper which will make Foles better.
With Maclin finally starting to really come on and stretch the field there will be more opportunity for other receivers, so it will be good to see how the offense evolves.
Nobody would even consider trading for Cooper with his contract.
Packers will 100% Resign WR Randall Cobb and let their lesser talented WR Jarrett Boykin walk after the season..
Eagles/Chip Kelly would never pursue a Vince Jackson for his brittle body and lack of Blacking Skills… Also he’s on the wrong side of 30 Years old
Torey Smith could be a candidate.. but Ravens very unlikely to let him go since all they really have besides Torrey Smith is 35 Year Steve Smith
Eagles resign Maclin. Huff replaces Cooper in 2016 when Cooper’s contract is no longer guaranteed. Matthews stays in the slot, he may stay on the field ahead of Huff if the eagles only go 2 wide outs in 2016 but returns to the slot in 3 wide out sets.
I think Matthews will move to the Outside by next Season and take Coopers Role in the Offense.. Then Huff will be groomed for Slot and they also Draft another Big WR to go along with Maclin,Matthews,Huff & Cooper..
The defense will miss Ryans a lot I fear. Casey Matthews is listed as his backup which scares me to death.
The Foles injury is the more intriguing since the jury is still very much out on him and his future with team. My guess is that he will be out for 6-8 weeks, so I doubt he gets his job back this year. I can’t see him getting big money from anybody at this point, so I’m guessing he’s here next year. But I’m also kind of hoping that Sanchez plays considerably better than Foles was this season and keeps the job.
This is a win win IMO right now as long as Sanchez doesnt shit the bed. We get to go back to a more balanced run attack and take advantage of the 3headed monster we have back there. I like Foles and pass wise I dont think Sanchez is anywhere near Foles from a dropback standpoint. However Foles regressed and I think it had more to do with the pressure of living up to last year. I know more than once he said last year is behind but he was playing like a guy trying to do to much and live up to the hype.
It will help him to sit down watch tape and look at the offense from afar.
Sanchez isnt the future IMO however he can possibly show what the future can look like at the position with a more mobile option. Kellys playbook will be a bit more open now. Sanchez isnt an elite athlete but he is mobile and he does force the defense to respect the read option from the backside.
Time will tell. I dont see Sanchez going into Dallas and winning though. I just dont think he is that type of QB.
I dont see the Ryans injury being as big as many think. In many ways he reminds me of London Fletcher here in DC. I dont think he did anything great outside of being a true leader. From an athletic standpoint etc he didnt change or set the tone for the defense. He was a steady solid dude dont get me wrong but they missed Kendricks more. The explosive plays from Kendricks were missed.
devastating day – lost offensive and defensive captain.
Sanchez isn’t beating Seattle or Green Bay so the birds making the wild card is all but over. They have to hope Tony Romo doesn’t return to the Cowboy lineup. Without Romo Dallas will struggle to win behind Brandon Weedon. It is win the division or bust now. This is going to get ugly. The Eagles passing game is going to shrink since Sanchez’s arm is so much weaker than Foles.
haha unfortunately for you…Sanchez won’t be winning or losing on his own!
If the defense shows up and special teams shows up and scores points like they did for Foles the first 5 weeks of the season, then why can’t Sanchez lead the team to a win…you sounds like a dumb ass! you act as if Foles has been lights out…as if Foles has not led the league in turnovers this season…you sounds like a 100% dumb ass….you absolutely have no idea what the hell you are talking about.
E0S what the hell are you talking about? Sanchez arm is stronger than Foles and he has better mobility. The throws on the run GONNA get better and the leak outs will be crisper. There is a small threat of run. Sanchez can pick up 1st with feet. And why so gloom and doom? Just don’t watch if it is written we lose to GB and the Seahawks? This fanbase is infuriating at times
Mark Sanchez’s arm is below average – it always has been —
Sanchez arm is better than Foles
Nick Foles has about the 10th-12th strongest arm in the NFL — Mark Sanchez is about the 35th-40th strongest arm in the NFL. It is a huge difference. Mark Sanchez is not going to throwing out patterns to the far side of the field like Nick Foles does for 15 yard completions. The field just shrunk.
Are you kidding..Foles has a weak arm
So….when Maclin had to hold up for the bomb….that under thrown ball was because of Sanchez’s “strong arm”
Oh…and with such a strong arm….why, after the first under thrown ball, no other passing attempt over 10 yards for the rest of the day??
Fellas, Sanchez has never had a strong arm, and isn’t stronger than Foles either….and you guys know I DO NOT side with E0S…
Good points army prince! It’s time to rally around Sanchez now! Foles is done! Injury prone, poor play, and inconsistent! It’s time to turn the page on the Foles era and move on…Sanchez is getting a shot and if he blows it, then we may just have to draft a QB in next years draft
I was at the game today, and Foles seems to throw off of his back foot a lot. I think this is the reason for why he has been throwing more INT’s this year. And I do think Sanchez will be just fine in this offense. Kelly will come up with some nice plays for Sanchez and keep the ground game going. I do like Foles as our QB, but I do think Sanchez is a better fit for Kelly’ s up tempo style of offense. And losing Ryan’s sucks real bad. I just hope Kendrick’s is ready to be our new leader on defense
I can’t believe ppl are really saying Sanchez is a better fit than foles. Now foles is my boy but his inconsistency this year is killing me and makes it real hard to defend him. At the same time we win because of him not in spite of him. He has helped us win every game this year. He’s made the plays to put us in position to win games every time but no one wants to give him credit for that. Yet Yall want Sanchez who is horrible and has played some of the worst football we’ve all ever seen. I’m not hating on the man…thanks for helping us win but he is who he is. That athletic shit don’t mean nuthin to me. Who cares if he’s more athletic. Foles already proved that shit wrong in this offense last year and this year. Foles made them same scrambles that Sanchez did. I guess because he looks goofy and doesn’t have the pedigree of these other weak ass qbs nobody wants to give him credit. Trust me the games we win if we win with Sanchez will be in spite of him. Let’s just hope we can run the ball and stick to the run like we did last game
Didn’t Sanchez help us win this game after Foles threw a pick 6 to help Cards tie the game?
Let’s kill the double standard here.
The Eagles won today because Sanchez was the quarterback and didn’t leave points on the field in the red zone.
Teams repected the read option and couldn’t crash every play.
The ball left Sanchez hands without hesitation.
Give Sanchez his credit even if you like “Folds”.
I agree with you regarding Foles. I too like Foles, and want him as our franchise QB. But Sanchez is a good fit for this offense. He looked very sharp during the pre season and made few mistakes. Think about what Kelly can do when it comes to certain running plays for Sanchez and how they can take advantage at keeping defenses honest. That should open up the middle of the field and hopefully we can get Ertz, Casey and Celek more involved. I’m looking forward to what Kelly pulls out of his bag of tricks
Songs i gave him credit in my post. I still don’t believe in him. I’m not rooting against him but he is who he is. Hopefully he can help us win some games til foles gets back
He’s a quarterback that have won on every level and took his team to the AFC Championship twice with minimal offensive weapons.
That a pedigree.
He never had a chance with the Jets to be surrounded with great offensive minds like Chip’s team and still succeeded.
Foles looked suspect even last season yet the only thing people focus on is 27-2 and not the gross first half of games he played at the end of last season.
We won in spite of Nick Foles’s deficencies and that will become evident when Sanchez excels in Foles absense.
Let’s see if Sanchez gets the proper support when he not only winf the NFC East but win in the Playoffs.
If Sanchez win “one” playoff game that will automatically place him above Foles 27-2 season.
That will mean he came in after the starter went down and carried his team not only to the playoffs, but a playoff win.
After that there will be no more arguments about which quarterback should run Chip’s machine.
The bottom line is we weren’t winning a superbowl with Foles and the way he was playing.he had regressed.Now we have some kind of hope with Sanchez because he is a unknown. Maybe this system fits him.and if it doesn’t we weren’t winng with Foles anyway so we have hope. The bigger question is do the Eagles bring in a vet backup because there is one thing that is universal in Eagles land, nobody wants to see Matt Barkley.
Sanchez made some good throws and he made some bad throws. He had a couple of INTs dropped. His deep ball to Maclin was a duck, but his 2 TD passes were very nice throws. Sounds pretty similar to Foles to me. We will see how he performs next week. Hopefully he can be more consistent than Foles was, but I am not sold on him.
More importantly though they ran the damn ball. Hopefully we will see more Polk on short yardage.
Not sure how the defense will be after losing Ryans. That one hurts and presents another gaping off season hole or at least major question mark.
yes, but he played like that with no reps as the starter, when Foles played worse taking all the first team reps.
don’t forget the pick 6 Foles threw before getting mangled.
Its sad that year after year, we see these daily news folks and other media pundits jump on a promising young QB( and I mean promising) declare him the new Joe Montana, and throw him to the dogs to get completely destroyed in this the NFC East! Everybody saw that Kevin Cobb would get hurt under center because he just could not command the pocket, or roll out of it in trouble. He had several concussions before we traded him. There were several before him, but fast forward to Foles. We anointed him….. blindly once again ignoring his flaws, I endorsed his toughness, but also said that he would not hold up if sat in the pocket like that, and took the beatings he has taken.
AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO BE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE YOUNG MANS HEAEALTH INSTEAD OF HOPING THAT YOU ARE RIGHT ALL THE FRIGGIN TIME.!
Foles throwing motion, foot work, defense reading…. are all way too slow for this offense. We saw Chip speed the game up yesterday for the first time since game 1 . We saw the red zone problems disappear, and if you think Foles would have hit that throw to Maclin picking it off the turf where only he could catch the ball, Your kidding or out right lying to yourself. losing Ryans was the devastating thing yesterday, not Foles.
Denny, You gotta be more honest in your writing.
To the draft wonks I am asking a serious question…. Sanchez was I believe the fourth overall pick indicating that NFL level scouts saw a lot of potential and high talent, I guess a blue chipper. He goes to the championship twice, then the Ryan led jets become the most dysfunctional Organization in the league. He has a butt fumble. The question does he have the talent to lead this team to a deep playoff run? He has done it?
Sanchez??? Mark Sanchez??? From the Jets Sanchez??? That’s it! I am a Philadelphia guy all my life and it’s time I denounce my allegiance and defense of the so-called “INTELLIGENT PHILLY FAN…” The national press is right, Philly fans are not SMART, they are in fact the exact opposite as evidenced here by MARK SANCHEZ??? Good luck suckers… You’ll be sitting here 30 years from now just like the Flyers wondering where the Championships are… Mark Sanchez? That’s your answer? Oh My God in Heaven!
Sanchez took his team to the AFC Championship game….
TWICE
No, the jets defense and their run game took the Jets to the AFC championship game. Sanchez was a game manager. Dinks and dunks. When asked to do more in the offense, the turnovers began. I hope Mark can play well as it will mean more wins for the Eagles, but stop acting as if Sanchez has a track record based off of pure QB play. He doesn’t and stop trying to remake history to meet your agenda. You are the same guy who wanted either Manziel who can’t beat out Hoyer, or Tahj Boyd who flat out stinks!
yojoe, the national media has been very complimentary of Sanchez’s play yesterday. It’s not as if we Philly fans think Sanchez is Joe Montana but there’s certainly a case to be made that he is better than what we have in Foles. I was a huge Nick Foles fan but you cannot continue to roll him out there when he turns the ball over that much. He leads the NFL in turnovers; over guys like Geno Smith and EJ Manuel who were all benched for poor play. Why should Foles be any different? Let’s hope Sanchez plays well; he doesn’t have to play great. He just needs to be turnover free provided we go back to a more run based offense.
Foles wasn’t benched because despite his turnovers he was making a ton of big plays and has led this team to a 6-2 record. Guy was on pace to throw over 4500 yards. His arm is very superior to Sanchez, but I love my Eagles and have the same expectations every week, doesnt matter if Foles or Mark is the QB. The expectation is to win. Now if Mark gets hurt and Barkley has to play, then I will change my expectations.
MONDAY NIGHT!!!!!
If Sanchez light up the Panters on MNF …… that will be his come out party.
Sanchez rise from the ashes.
From Butt fumble to ass-kicking.
GO EAGLES!
BY THE WAY…….
What quarterback leads the NFL in turnovers?
Vick was killed for being a turnover machine.
Foles was celebrated for ball protection and not making turnovers in bunches last season, so on the flip side we must be honest with his play now that he’s a damn scared, turnover machine.
Fraud/KoolSongs.
Here is the difference, and I will dumb it waaayy down for your simple mind.
One QB has demonstrated that throughout a 13 year career.
One QB is in his 2nd year as a starter.
You eveluate these differently because there is still a possibility that the younger QB would be able to correct this problem, like many other good QB’s before him were able to do.
With respect to the older QB, he has a long track record and there is no reason or previous example to point to that would lead you to believe that his pattern would change.
Now go fuck yourself and leave this fanbase alone. You are an admitted Skins fan so your trolling on here is only proof of the loser that you are.
Yellafan…The bottom line is simple. If Sanchez takes this team to the playoffs he deserves the job! We can draft a young QB next year and maybe Foles can go somewhere else and catch on as a back up! No way do you give him a long term contract here….maybe we can trade him a get a 5th rounder!
If you are a true fan you are going to root for Sanchez and hope that he does well! Even if it means running Foles outta here…he’s done
Vick has hardly played this year.
Songs I’m convinced foles bound and gagged your family and butt rammed them ..why so personal? You’re a one trick pony ,as you dick ride every qb other than foles..to say sanchez has a stronger arm …shows your stupidity …what he does possess is better mechanics at the moment ..he steps into his throws and appears to scan the field ..perhaps if we can have intelligent conversations instead of your drivel agendas…sanchez didn’t operate the offense behind 4 displaced backups..would you grant me …that that makes one feel pressure that often isn’t there ? Perhaps creating ,bad habits ? God almighty ..he had no running game as well ,also contributed to his stature …I’m not making excuses for thugs ,just observing football…the eagle organization benefits ,if foles is the guy …they can impact there draft ,as the holes on the defensive side of the ball are apparent …if you were truly an Eagle fan ..you’d drop to your knees ,that Foles returns,and shows a better comprehension ,from observing …if we are going to be fair ..his maclin throw was a thing of beauty..I believe you said he lacked the ability to throw deep…ask Djax if that’s true ..you’re a one trick pony..no surprise you’d saddle up on in sanchez..this teams identity just changed for thee good ,they will put pressure on defenses ,by high paced pounding of the rock with there 3headed monster …it’s a lethal combo …tough ,between the tackles running by Polk ,a shady rebirth ? Or a healthy Kelce and Mathis? And sproles can have 3-5 game changing touches ..that’s 30 plus touches using clock and shortening the game for the defense…next Man up is Sanchez..I’m all in on him ..but I’m not beheading Foles in a public lynching..
And we are back.. Sheesh… That didn’t take long…. The all Qb convo all the time is back. Vinnie gets his old job back as leader of the clowns.
Foles will be back either late this year or next year needing to prove worthy of the big contract. I say he does.. And he is our guy moving forward. Sanchez will play well behind a solid O line. And the birds will stay atop the NFCE this year. The quick passes by Sanchez is what this O needs right now (I miss the stats from vinnie about the quick releasss) and the run game will get back on track.
Let the Qb battle stuff go. That’s for the simpletons. Root for your Eagles.
In chip we trust.
More important is that Chip seemed to remember that his system runs best with a strong RUNNING game. And we all know that a QB’s best friend is a strong runnning game.
If this team will work hard to get Shady, Sproles and Polk all involved and churning, then Sanchez or whomever they have at QB will benefit. Establish a running game and make your QB issues irrelavent.
Thats the only silver lining I can see with Sanchez Green. Hes going to have to prove alot…but I think he opens up the bootleg/rollout game and you know once he holds the read option and gets 20yds on a run Foles detractors are going to go nuts.
Sanchez either shows how good Foles is in this system or shows how bad his flaws are in this system.
hahaha…..wow…
I can’t believe some of you cats with this Sanchez nonsense….you’ve got to be kidding me…he’s thrown more INTS than TD passes for his career. Be careful what you wish for!
However, the offense should fit Sanchez well….He doesn’t have to throw passes 10 plus yards down the field…(just like Foles)…the game plan can be the same, with a little more read option. How the Eagles protect Sanchez is key…if he gets “happy feet”, shit could get uglier than we’ve seen this season.
But all you cats making excuses for Foles….need to stop it!
On the money Real.
Sanchez fits the offense well….but hes still Sanchez. That ball he threw under duress that was dead to the MLB was very New York Jetsish Sanchez.
On the money on Foles as well. It cant be defended for once again throwing a backfoot duck bomb. When Foles is on he throws beautiful passes(The get no better than he got crushed on the sideline out pass to Maclin vs Washington) but when hes been bad hes been WTF bad this year.
A little time on the bench helps him IMO. However the door is open for Sanchez. I think we see Foles back by the end of the season.
Apparently Denny thinks we need to see more of this fuckery from Foles to make a decision on his long term presence. Agreed though, Sanchez will benefit from this offense, but is not the long term answer.
season is over — the Eagles are no longer a super bowl contender. You can’t lose your offensive and defensive captains and win.
Mark Sanchez is a scardy cat. NYC press stomped all the confidence out of this guy. Houston didn’t have either starting cornerback.
the only way to win with Mark Sanchez is to slow everything down and hope you win a defensive field goal game ( which is the complete opposite of Chip Kelly).
Only fools would think Chip Kelly’s offense is good for Mark Sanchez. 3 yards and cloud of dust and use the entire play clock to run 3 more yards is the Mark Sanchez formula to win which is the anti-Chip Kelly approach.
Mark Sanchez is a mental midget, damaged goods, A scardy cat, flinch and curl up fragile minded loser. Matt Barkley will be the QB within a month.
I told you guys months and months ago that Foles is not quick/fast enough to run this offense to the level we need it to be
Foles has sucked so much this year, it was time for a change
I honestly think that if Foles would have remained in the game we would have lost
Think about the clutch TD that Sanchez threw to Maclin, he rolled out to the right and threw a strike to Maclin in the corner.
Sanchez is quick in the pocket, can run away from trouble, has a fast passing release, makes quick decisions and gets the ball out and Foles doesn’t.
I’m not here to anoint Sanchez as the next Joe Montana like many on here wanted to do with Nick Foles. Im here to say that it appears to me that Sanchez runs this offense better than Foles. I saw it in preseason and I seen it yesterday
Let’s continue to run the ball and we’ll see how good Sanchez can be. Ignore the INTs yesterday, they werent his fault both were on the receivers
I think its Sanchezs job to lose..
History. All I look at is history.
I do not “hope” QBs will suddenly change…because it rarely happens.
So what is Sanchez’s history?
70 tds 71 ints. His career int% is 3.8%
Yesterday He threw 2 tds and 2 ints. Exactly as his historical 1:1 td INT average. Yesterday he had 2 picks (one could/should have been caught, but it was high) and threw 2 other balls directly into the hands of Texans. Luckily, they were dropped. Both were within 10 yrds of the LOS.
Completion %.
Mark Sanchez has a career completion %.
Yesterday he was 15 of 22 (68%). WOW! Amazing right? Well…..he came in and you’ve got to know the Texans were thinking “run” and the birds immediately went over the top….Sanchez went 3 for 3 on the first drive all hyped up.
But what happened in the 2nd half after things had settled down a bit……how’s he do?
7 of 15 for 80 yrds 1 td 1 int. Should ths have come as a surprise? No, because its exactly along his career average.
Finally Mistakes. When pressure rises Sanchez makes mistakes. The list of gaffs is too long to mention. How’d he do in this regard yesterday? Well, there were the two short passes right into the arms of Texan defenders, there were two bobbled snaps (albeit one was high) there was the bobbled handoff….and there was the “tuck rule incompletion/fumble” thing he did. YOu do remember don’t you? Sabnchez double-clutched and then “threw” the ball into the ground 5 feet in front of him. They called it “incomplete” and I am pretty sure it was only the “tuck rule” that kept it from being a fumble….that being said, it was completely lucky it wasn’t called as intentional grounding.
So what am I saying……I am saying the Sanchez we all know was there on display yesterday.
2 ints and 2 more thrown directly to the opposition – just like his career
50% completion in the second half – just like his career
Several mistakes as pressure mounted in 2nd half – just like his career.
Is it any wonder why Kelly took the ball out of his hands and ran (not read option) 80% of the time in the 4th Q?????
I wouldn’t be quick to hitch my wagon to Mark Sanchez.
I HOPE he does well, but history tells me otherwise.
It’s fine to get excited about Sanchez. He’s a great number 2. But he is a number 2.
I still really like Foles and hope that he can come back and help this team win at some point this season. I’ve seen too many good things from him to be ready to jump ship on Foles as some of you have here.
You dont jump ship on Foles would be foolish. Ride out Sanchez hope you stay in the hunt.
Panthers are a good team for him to show how starting he will operate. Good defense, not a crazy pass rush and their offense shouldnt be able to score alot.
My worry is under the big lights in Big D on Thanksgiving day to Romo and friends. Or when the Seahawks come to town.
I think Sanchez is serviceable. Especially if Chip relies on the run more. As the offensive line comes back and gels I think Shady, Sproles and Polk should be able to really do well and open the passing game up for Sanchez.
Chip is Andy Reid 2.0. Remember evertime McNabb got hurt AR would change his philosophy and start running the ball and everyone would say why dont you do that with Mcnabb? It works. Chip will follow the same blueprint.
Dag you are right on that one. That is why his backup QB’s were generally successful (and usually got paid well elsewhere like Feeley). Foles had already thrown 13 passes by the time he was injured in the 1st qtr, Chip was using the same pattern as he did against the Cardinals. You are right on this one dag, get back to the basics and run the ball. It sets everything else up if you are effective running the ball.
When you guys get a belly full of Mark Sanchez you might not be so happy.
If Sanchez was better he would have been starting. A lot of you guys have been complaining about Foles lack of arm strength…. well now we have a QB who can’t throw a 20 yard out pattern unless the receiver has two steps on the defender.
My hope is that Sanchez is the best QB in the NFL, but I have seen enough of him to know that NY drafted Geno for a good reason. Let’s hope we can continue winning with Sanchez and Barkley.
I don’t get the foles arm strength nonsense. The kid has a real good arm. He’s not flacco but it’s still good. He’s more of a touch passer so he puts air on a lot of his balls but that’s because he makes that choice to do that. How can u question his arm after that td to maclin?
injuries giveth…. and injuries taketh away… as Foles got the job thru Vick’s injury ( he didn’t earn it in training camp last yr ) what we all now know is the season Foles had last yr was ” fools gold” as this yr has shown all of us who Foles is. “not good enough” the bottom line is that the QB had to winn that home playoff game vs the Saints or win at least 1 of the 2 games @ SF and Ariz.. Since he didn’t win any of those games and his inconsistency this season…. I’VE SEEN ENOUGH OF FOLES…. Sanchez like him or not does have playoff experience… and would be a better stopgap in our search for a franchise QB
Well Done!
Paulman’s Early List of 2015 Free-Agents for Eagles to Pursue
WR
Cecil Shorts – Jaguars (reports are he wants to play for a Winner)
Danarius Thomas – Broncos (most likely resigned by Denver)
Jarret Boykin – Packers (Packers most likely to resign Cobb, letting Boykin walk since they Drafted 3 Wr’s om 2014)
Torrey Smith – Ravens (most likely resigns with Ravens)
WR/TE
Niles Paul – Redksins (With Redskins already having $$$ committed for Garcon,Robers,D-Jax & have TE J Reed to lock-up they may not be able to Re-sign Paul
OLB
Justin Houston – KC Chiefs
KJ Wright – Seahawks ( I wanted the Eagles to Draft him 4 Years ago, can play Outside or Inside like he does with Seahawks)
Arthur Moats – Steelers
Sam Acho – Arizona Cardinals
Jerry Hughes – Bills
Brooks Reed – Texans (the Eagles token Signing of an ex-Texan player)
ILB –
Michael Wilhoite – 49ers (has filled in nicely for Injured Bowman)
Dan Skuta – 49ers – Could be a Starter on many Teams
Kelvin Sheppard – Colts – (Solid Depth)
CB
Bryan McCann – Arizona (Cardinals have crowded Secondary)
Buster SKrine – Cleveland (Quality player)
Walter Thurmond – Giants (Nice Nickel/Depth Player)
Byron Maxwell – Seahawks (have lots of Players to pay $$$ before him)
Safety
Tushaun Gipson – Cleveland (Best Strong Safety on the Market)
Sherrod Martin – Jaguars (Solid Depth and replaces Nate Allen)
Chris Harris at cornerback from Denver is worth a look — he took a 2 million dollar restricted free agent contract this off season but he is an unrestricted CB this offseason.
Those CBs are trash. You either go after a top FA if there are any available or draft a rookie within the first two rounds to start. Carroll can be a starter next year.
Safety market looks doodoo again this year….another area they will have to look at in the draft.
on a another one of my side-notes
I think Sanchez taking the reigns of the Offense for the injured FOles is just what this OFfense needed… Now Coach Kelly and OC SHurmur will probably have to be a little more creative, run more bootlegs, bubble screens, run the ball more and just have some new wrinkles in it which is not a bad thing..
The big plus that Sanchez does have over Foles is the getting of the ball, 3 step Drop and letting it rip decisively.. Do note that this is a fantastic opportunity for Sanchez to prove to the many other Clubs out there that are looking for QB’s that he can still be a Quality Starting QB so the Incentive and Motivation for him are all there and make the Perfect Storm for a strong finish with Sanchez at the Helm
Here’s what Kelly thinks.
3rd Q
sack
run
short pass
run
short pass
incomplete short
short pass
incomplete short (off hands of defender)
run
Incomplete short (off hands of defender)
Punt
And after that???
run
run
run
run
run
run
interception
run
run
pass short
pass short
run
run
run
run
scramble
pass short
run
run
pass short
run
Pass short
run
run
run
After the 1st drive of the 3rd when Sanchez put 2 balls on the defenders hands and did the “tuck rule” gaff….it was 18 runs and 6 passes…one of which was intercepted.
Not one pass went further than 5 yards down field.
Kelly knows what he has in Sanchez. A guy he has to do everything to keep from doing damage.
I wouldn’t be quick to hitch my wagon to Mark Sanchez.
Lol
Man even after being in Houston for the game, I just can’t go all in on Sanchez. History says he’ll find ways to screw this up but having said that Foles was killing me. Even Monday night isn’t that big a deal because Carolina stinks. Question is did the offense get better because Herremans came out or Sanchez was running the offense?
LOL I’ll take him over Weeden thats for damn sure.
Agreed.
The running game was aided by both. As long as they can run the ball he will be fine. Its when teams sell all out on stopping the run can he make more good plays then bad ones.
The one thing he has going for him is if he breaks one or two read option runs then teams will be screwed because you will have to respect it even if he isnt an elite athlete.
Lets just hope we will be awesome running the rock and in that aids the playaction/screen game….Sanchez isnt half bad if he has that going for him.
Lets look at QB’s that some are considered “Game Managers” that gave led Teams to SB Games & Victories over the last 25 Years or so that got 2nd chances with other Clubs later in their Careers and had Success.
Jim Plunkett – Raiders
Doug Williams – Redskins
Rich Gannon – Raiders
Brad Johnson – TB Bucs
Trent Dilfer – Baltimore Ravens
Drew Brees – NO Saints
So my question is , Why not Mark Sanchez?
Another question does anyone think Golson from ND can play or is he just too small?
hell no too small and is a mental midget the only qb i like in 1st rd is mariota has it all
Golson is far from a mental midget. But yes he is too small. Huge ND fan and I wasnt sold on Golson but the kid can ball….a bullshit pick call from an ACC ref and Notre Dame and that kid would be the talk of the town.
maybe this yr but in his career he has showed shit in big games and in the navy game he should have thrown at least 3 picks he’s erractic at times then amazing reminds me of cam newton except smaller
I like Winston better Z, he’ll be a better pro once he gets away from the college atmosphere. Dude wills that team to win games.
I like winston to and thats one thing he has over mariota and thats will and heart someties mariota looks emotionless but winston can be a headcase sometimes and some of his throws are between like 3 defenders but i just love mariotas game overall
Big, perfectly stated, he wills his team to win games.
Winston would excel with us! He is a winner!
Has to bring back Teams every week at the College Level when having Superior Talent at FSU.. Word is that he doesn’t prepare
Hard enough and relies too much on his god-given talents that gets you by at the College Level but many concerns about his
Work ethic, smarts and maturity for many NFL Scouts..
He’s still young and has enormous talent and upside,
But could be another major underachiever if he doesn’t mature in a hurry..
We heard the same drivel about kelvin Bryant, Teddy bridgewater, who is the best QB taken last year, and yes Bryant, he’s a wr, but still some of the same concerns. Fact is he (Winston) is young, and young people can be knuckle heads. I was. Let’s stop pretending and acting like he is a mature grown man when he is not. He can’t even drink legally yet. I find it funny…oh, he has maturity issues…oh my god…he stood on top of a table in the cafeteria and was cursing…stop it. Look at the way we curse, swear and act a fool on gcobb, but try to hold Winston to a higher standard…sheer hypocrisy. Winston is throwing to two freshman wide receivers, and Nick O’Leary is good at what he does, but nothing special. The fact is, the defense allows opposing teams to score, Winston has the ability and will to bring the team back. That is a plus. Also, he has that “it” factor truly! Winston is a leader of men on the field, as he gets older, he will mature with the right locker room and coaching. The good thing is both of his parents is in his life. If Jameis Winston was available to the Eagles to draft, I’d do it in a heartbeat as he would be better than any QB on the eagles team altogether, Foles, Barkley and Sanchez! Enough with the choir boy nonsense, we have one in Foles. Get me an assassin with the will and determination to kill his opponents, fire his team up and make them do what is needed to win.
As far as preparation, his record speaks for itself as he opposes superior defenses that clearly see Winston with a target on his back. I believe he prepares just fine and have not heard anything to the contrary, please site your source paulman, I am talking about people in the know, not talking heads who don’t. Another stigma on a young QB who happens to be AA (yes I went there because I read it and hear it to many times, he does not prepare hard enough, he relies to much on his athleticism. Winston is not even a runner, he stands in the pocket and delivers strikes, so what are you talking about? Amazingly, the same thing was said about Bridgewater by some on here last year, he runs and relies on his athleticism, I stated then too, Bridgewater is a pocket passer (stigma). Paul you thought based on his combine performance he was like a third rounder ignoring his game tape..how foolish. Just stop the nonsense. Luck gets praised for his athleticism, but Winston…it’s a knock.
I never said J Winston was a scrambler, he’s a Pocket QB just like Bridgewater is and like Jason Campbell was.. I also stated that Bridgewater would Drop from an Early 1st Round Pick to a Late Round 1st/Early 2nd Round due to a Poor Combine and even a worse Work Day, which is on him and not anyone else me that he caved under the bright lights… Many concerns about his thin 200lbs Frame.. He’s a good kid, smart kid who works hard and is in a perfect situation with QB Coach Norv Turner that will help him tremendously..
I also Stated that Derek Carr was the most NFL Ready QB in this Draft from Year 1, but that Bridgewater probably has the most upside for 2-3 Years down the road… It appears I was spot on with my assessment..
I never said you said he was a scrambler, I clearly stated that you said he relies on his god given athleticism and does not prepare well enough due to this reliance. I asked you to give your source for this information you put out…a credible source..not a talking head. I notice you failed to do so though. My point bout him not running, but staying in the pocket delivering strikes demonstrates not relying on athleticism to run as soon as pocket breaks down or first receiver is not open, he goes through his progressions and reads the defenses. That demonstrates preparation. The team has one what 24-25 in a row. he has not lost, there is some preparation…a lot of it going on.
As far as Derek Carr is concerned, we do not know as the team overall sucks. The Raiders have played some games that they should have won. Carr did not exactly help in those efforts. As far as Bridgewater…lol..how are you spot on, we won’t know til 2-3 years down the road….I don’t even know how you can make that projection/assertion..based on what? …hope. Please, entertain me with your analysis that has lead you to your conclusion on Bridgewater and Carr.
team has won…not one…my mistake.
His Own Coach’s have stated this about Winston..
That he needs to work more on studying Tape, on his Mechanics and go through his Reads and that he has a tendency to fall back to his younger ways of just winging it…
If so…constructive criticism, Winston is not a finished product, no college QB is/was, not even Luck…. but I never heard or read it. I am looking for that written, If the coaches said it, it was written about. However, that does not equate to him relying on his athleticism, the tape dispels that notion. Johnny Manziel is an excellent example of a QB relying to much on his athleticism and not studying tape. Manziel said that at the end of preseason.
Only criticism I can find of Winston’s preparation is directly related to his off the field issues as it relates to not putting him and his team in an awkward position and distractions. Nothing related to how he prepares as far as watching tape. If it was said that is big news and would be written about. I follow Seminoles football closely and just never heard anything about preparation. Which coach or coaches said it. I’m just saying, if you heard it, a reporter heard it and it would have been written about or the clip would be easy to find. It would be on ESPN archives or something. Ok..lol.
You guys Crack me up with all the Sanchez hate…
Christ, the guy hasn’t played in 2 Years in a NFL Game and he leads them to a Lead on the road and we are wondering why Chip Kelly is running the ball more late in the game… No Shit Sherlock…
Let’s give Sanchez a full week or Starters Reps and see how he does over the next few games.. My guess is that it will be pretty similar to how Foles has played the entire year which is up and down with some nice plays and drives, but also with a couple of head-scratcher’s throws.. Sanchez does get rid of the ball quicker, can run the read option a good 2 steps quicker and Sanchez can throw on a rolling Pocket where Foles cannot .. Lets see how creative out Genius Coach Kelly can be with a more mobile QB than Foles
I agree with u pman the offense can do more now cuz sanchez has more running ability then foles and he throws the quick screens to the receivers a lot better then foles
The eagles entered Houston a super bowl contender who were supposed to get Kendricks, Kelce and Mathis back for a serious playoff run while Nate Allen was hurt ( plus)
now…
left Houston with a trio of garbage back in the picture of Andrew Gardner/ Matt Tobin, Casey Matthews, Marcus Smith, Acho and worse of all MARK SANCHEZ.
Kiss my ass with Sanchez this dude has made a career of being mediocre yes he showed up yesterday but guess what he played right to his career numbers 2 TD’s 2 picks. Career totals 71 TD’s 70 picks.
Sanchez through 20 passes yesterday.
2 were picked. 2 more were right into defenders arms. Had they been caught (and they should have ebbn) he’d be throwing a pick every 5 passes!
Plus He threw that into the dirt double clutch thing
Plus he bumbled 2 snaps
Plus he botched a handoff
Plus only one pass traveled over 10 yards in the air….and it was under thrown
Plus his own coach took the ball away from him over the last quarter and a half after watching what some of you simply seem to ignore.
None of this was a suprise, because this is how Sanchez has played every other game of his career.
Will 50% 2 tds 2 ints work next week? Probably because its Carolina…..but if he has to play after that……..
ok vinnie u have stated these stats multiple times at the rate foles was throwung picks it doesnt even matter but the running game is back si shut da hell up and root for the team not player u sound so agenda ridden
The Eagles won Vinniedaloser…Sanchez made enough plays to win the game! Foles is done…its unfortunate that he got hurt…but we now have to go off of the body of work that he put forth this year to assess his viability
Foles is not the guy!
Sanchez yesterday was better in the redzone, better on third down conversions….this is after not playing in a game for over 2 years…
we need a new QB…Foles is not the guy, I really dont think Sanchez is the answer long term…he’s just better than Foles…but we need a QB..we should have drafted one this year…but that’s hindsight
“Kiss my ass with Sanchez”
Classic…lmao
threw
After reading some of these posts I can understand why eagles fans are derided as low class, idiots
I’ll stay away from agenda. But what about football acumen you seriously lack to state Sanchez has better arm strength than foles, it’s not close, Sanchez cannot make the sideline out throws
Do your research you dumb bastards, there is an objective measure that scouts use to evaluate arm strength, a radar gun. Foles Had One Of The Highest Exit Velocities Of Any Qb All Time, I Believe 66 mph
The truth about arm strength is this…Both Sanchez and Foles graded out as having a velocity of 57 at their combines…which is considered a strong arm…Players like Cousins and Weeden measured out with a velocity of 59.
Arm strength is overstated especially in Kelly’s offense…Majority of passes we’ve seen this year have been short to intermediate. The decision of what QB will finish the season will lie primarily on how well Sanchez takes care of the ball…
thats exactly right its about the right decisions not arm strenght but sanchez in past hasnt made great decisions but its not the terrible offense of jets we actually run a real offense here
You hit the numbers right, I’m surprised by Sanchez number, but hopeful that based on his velocity he can make the big throws
the upside with Sanchez may be that he’s not coached until now and finally has a system with weapons.
time will tell. But I stand behind my comment that there a lot of ignoramus eagles fans on this site that don’t know jack about football
And arm strength is overrated? Must disagree, you need a big arm to play qb in the nfl, that throw by foles to Maclin, only a qb with a hose like foles has can make that throw
Sheesh Vinnie.. Way to get behind your team. I haven’t seen this kind of man love since some cat on here was Gaga about Kolb. What was that cats name… Oh yeah…. That was you too.
Listen sis… All of us love Foles (outside of songs) but try and watch all the players.. Root for all the Eagles. I’ll never get you.
he loves his white boys lol
The all of us love Foles line is BS.
In here yesterday and today there were posters giggling with Glee that Sanchez is in.
Sanchez.
Foles out – Sanchez in is a bad thing for the Eagles (Foles foibles notwithstanding).
Looks like Foles is going to be out 6-8 weeks, My feeling is, that could be it for the season. And I hate that.
Sorry. I will apologize for being upset that I think the Eagles season is finished with Sanchez taking over.
Look….maybe they can run it 40x a game and keep the ball out of Sanchez’s hands (that they should have been doing the past 6 weeks)….and maybe that will work…….but I doubt it.
The problem with you saying things like this is that it is EXACTLY what some of us have been saying for years… A good run game and a God D makes ANY Qb better.
Ya…but even with a great running game (only after Sanchez went in…with Foles it was 13 throws 2 runs)…..even with…what was it 40 carries for 192 and 20 throws…..
Even with that Sanchez had 2 picks, 2 more should have been picks, 2 botched snaps, a botched fumble and that double clutch throw at his feet thing.
Good times.
..”2 picks and 2 more shod have been picks”… The whiny butch is back!!
Listen sis.. We all watched you throw the last starter under the bus and we let you cry cause u made a good point or 2 during your 3 year pms run but it has to stop here. Foles did not look stellar this year. Most of us back him.. But he was not the fast acting Qb were were expecting to see. Where were your stats then? Where were your non stop stats about releasing the ball in under 2 seconds?
The backup is in for now… And I suggest you get on board or get the f off our site.
after all those injuries in houston they should really get a new field out there it cost us our d captain and it cost texans their running game with foster even freaking mccoy said its a terrible field but great stadium
hey vinnie u can get dick hard again report is foles doesnt need surgery possibly back for last two games of season there u go u feel better u fucking dick riding fuck
Perhaps I am wrong….lets hope (though I doubt it)…but that’s not early enough….
That’s a great point z ilents, that turf cost the Eagles their defensive captsin good insight
No need to get into a qb controversy, Sanchez is the man for better or worse, media talks about it, but eagles fans don’t care
If Sanchez can deliver, he’s the man, we are pulling for Sanchez
Forget Foles! If you are a true Eagles fan you are going to pull for Sanchez to do well! If Sanchez does well-no job for Foles…
Its that simple! Foles wont be signed to a big money contract now…he is too injury prone we will have to draft a QB!
We are pulling for Sanchez. He will put the eagles in a good position to make a deep run in the playoffs before he turns it over to the future. Nick foles, once healthy
Deal with reality you ignoramus
Yes jake. Dead on. Root for the Eagles.
Jakdog your a fool! If Sanchez takes us to the playoffs-Foles is out! He had a shot to prove last year wasn’t a fluke and what did he do? Lead the league in turnovers, worst in the redzone, throwing off the back foot and he’s hurt-again! He’s like VIck in that he can’t stay healthy…he’s been hurt and missed games every year!
No way is he the future! We need to draft another young QB and its Sanchez’s job to lose. He gets us to the playoffs and he becomes your starter next year…Foles maybe able to catch on with another team that needs a backup….but he’s finished here
Let’s bring in
LB Brian Urlacher
Jonathon Vilma
Injury prone … Kool….sanchez has a better arm …songs ..great minds think alike ..
I don’t think anyone’s rooting against Sanchez. It’s just he has no upside. We’re just going off his days with the jets. He wasn’t lighting it up with them even in the 2 afc championship runs. He was bailed out because of that running game and that defense. U can’t defend that td int ratio. I keep hearing he gets the ball out fast or has good feet but what does that mean when he turns it over a million times. Hopefully We are wrong and he can help us win every game down the stretch. He just has a lot to prove. It’s a reason he was cut and couldn’t get a starting job
You must be new here.
No doubt skepticism prevails with Sanchez because of his history, we can hope, but ultimately it will be a drop off from the production of foles
Stevo I’ve been reading for years I just don’t post much
If Sanchez simply avoids leading the league in Turnovers our production will automatically be better! Manage the game make the same easy throws Foles was making to wide open receivers, give, us some effective read option plays that will open up the running game even more…and this will get us in the playoffs and guarantee Sanchez the starting job next year with us looking for another young QB to groom and Foles looking for a job as a backup somewhere else
Says the guy who posted this week that he’d prefer Eli “8 for 22 vs the Colts” Manning over Foles.
Foles won games – that’s what Sanchez needs to do. I don’t give a shit if Sanchez throws 5 INTs a game if he can go 14-4 in 18 starts like Foles did we will have nothing to worry about.
As far as turnovers go – Sanchez threw more INTs in his last year as a starter than Foles has thrown in his career. Lets hope that improves….
Look at all the ILB’s lost to Injuriy this Season
Pats – Jerrod Mayo (Out for the Season)
Bills – Kiko Alonso (Out for the Season)
Giants – Jon Beason (Out with Various Injuries)
Redskins – Brian Orapko (Out for Season)
Steelers – Jarvis Jones (Out for Season)
49ers – Navarro Bowman (Out so far this Season)
Texans – Brian Cushing (Out for a few weeks)
Bengals Vontaeze Burfict & Ray Melauagua
Lions – Steven Tulloch (Out for 4 Weeks)
Cowboys – Sean Lee and now Justin Durant on Season Ending IR
SD Chargers – Manti Teo’ (Out for most of this Season)
Bottome line is that there have bewen many Injuries all across the NFL this Year and it appears to really have hit LB Corps so there is simply not a whole lot of Depth out there…
Patriots made 2 nice Moves picking up OLB Akeem Ayers from Titans
and ILB Cassilla from TB Bucs in Trades to add some veteran, quality Depth
while the Eagles have not brought in any outside Players to add to the Roster which is the way Chip Kelly Operates.. He is going to play his Back-ups, Call up Practice Squad Players and stick with who he knows
from the Summer time
Terrelle Pryor announces he is going to work out for Eagles…on his Facebook page
Nice… Add him as 3rd QB as they IR Foles for the Season here soon
Argh!!!………… it keeps getting worse, Terrelle Pryor? WTF… @#% howie & jeff
How many # 2 or # 3 QB’s are out there at this point ?
Bring him in and if he learns the System then you have a Back-Up QB
for 2015 Season… Remember Sanchez is only on a 1 Year Deal and could leave after the 2014 leaving the injured FOles, Stiff Barkley and who else..
Bring Pryor in and sign him to a cheap 2 Year Deal and cover your Depth at QB that have some NFL Experience…
If they do sign Pryor, you can be assured that Foles will be shut down
for the remainder of 2014 and that Barkley will no longer be in the plans come the Off-Season..
Sanchez isn’t going to leave to go anywhere. After the next 5 games they’re going to be able to resign him to a 3 year $6million deal.
He’ll beat Carolina because they suck so the 2 ints won’t hurt.
They’ll get crushed in GB with Schez throwing 3 ints
Win vs Tenny ’cause they suck
Sanchez on Thanksgiving will be a complete disaster (ending his FA aspirations)
And he’ll get embarassed by Seattle putting the final nail in his dreams.
Eagles go 2-3 over his 5 (not absolutely terrible). He’ll be 55% 10tds and 13 ints.
Why?
Because that’s his historical average.
thank u for your insight vinnie now go choke on some more foles cock u are a shitty fan