Mark Sanchez Can Redeem Himself On Monday Night Football
By Ray Boyd
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- By now, you have heard that Mark Sanchez is making his first start of the season as the Eagles take on the Carolina Panthers. The general consensus around town in regards to Sanchez starting seems to be okay.
Panic has certainly not set in.
However, Sanchez will be taking the reins in an interesting position. He will make his Eagles starting debut on Monday Night Football.
Let's not fool ourselves by acting as if Sanchez is not used to the bright lights. He did spend his entire career playing in New York up to this point so attention is common place.
All eyes will be on Sanchez on Monday night, and when you look at his track record on Monday Night Football, it is clear that Sanchez will have to redeem himself a little bit.
In his career, Sanchez is currently 2-5 on Monday Night Football. His numbers on that particular night of the week are not anything that he or anyone else would want to brag about.
He currently has a 49.2 completion percentage on Monday night. In those seven contests, Sanchez has thrown just four touchdowns and has nine interceptions.
He is averaging 166.1 passing yards per contest and the last victory for Sanchez on Monday night was against the Dolphins in 2011.
Sanchez surely wants to forget his 2010 Monday Night Football match up against the Patriots in which he threw three interceptions in the Patriots 45-3 win. He also opened that season on Monday Night Football against the Ravens.
In that game Sanchez threw for just 74 yards as his team lost 10-9. That was one of three Monday night games where Sanchez failed to throw a single touchdown. At least he didn't throw any picks that night.
To qualify all of this, it is a small sample size. Sanchez has been a starter for the overwhelming majority of his career and it would unfair to characterize him based on a sample size of just seven games.
With that said, a pattern is a pattern and the Eagles have to hope to see a better version of Sanchez than what his Monday Night Football portfolio represents.
By the numbers, Monday night certainly has not been Sanchez's night. Eagles fans are hoping it is time for that to change.
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