3-Wide: Can Mark Sanchez lead the Eagles to a title?
3-Wide is a weekly feature in which theScore's NFL editors debate the hot topics around the league. Grab a cold towel and brace for hot takes.
Can the Eagles still win the NFC East with Mark Sanchez at QB?
David P. Woods: They certainly can. Sanchez may even represent an upgrade over Nick Foles. Let's not allow Foles' fantasy stats to confuse the bigger picture. Foles wasn't playing very well this season before his injury. Any competent quarterback can throw 13 touchdowns in eight games in Chip Kelly's offense. Foles missed far too many throws and his interception total, 10, is ugly. Sanchez lost his confidence on some very bad New York Jets teams, but there's reason to believe he could be in for a career resurgence. His mobility makes him a better fit for Kelly's scheme and he has the arm to keep the Philadelphia Eagles scoring. As long as Sanchez cuts down on the turnovers that plagued him with the Jets, he can be an upgrade over Foles and lead the Eagles to the playoffs.
Michael Amato: It's going to be tough, but it's possible if they lean on LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles in the running game. The Eagles have the benefit of playing in a division where everyone is banged up at the moment. The New York Giants and Washington Redskins don't figure to be a factor the rest of the way and the Dallas Cowboys have their own injury issues at quarterback. Philly will need to cut down on the turnovers, though, if they hope to win the NFC East. Their minus-10 differential is tied for second worst in the NFL.
Arun Srinivasan: The Eagles can still win the NFC East with Mark Sanchez, but it becomes significantly more difficult. The Eagles are slated to get Evan Mathis back from injury - widely considered to be the best guard in football - which will help. After a slow start to the season, LeSean McCoy is rounding into top form and Jeremy Maclin has been a top-five receiver this season. It doesn't appear that the Giants or Redskins will make up any ground on the Eagles, leaving just the Cowboys in their way. With Brandon Weeden under center for the time being and a defense that has been ravaged by injuries, Dallas has their own problems.
Who has been the most disappointing team this season?
Srinivasan: The San Francisco 49ers have been the most disappointing team this year, hardly looking like a team that was a few plays away from back-to-back Super Bowl appearances last year. The defense has been fine in spite of NaVorro Bowman's absence due to injury, although Justin Smith has had to anchor the pass rush. It's the offense, however, that has truly struggled. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been efficient but has made a series of late-game errors that have doomed his team - particularly against the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams. With three games left against division rivals the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers have little time to turn their season around.
Woods: The 49ers have completely lost their identity. An offensive line that was once the class of the NFL is now getting pushed around. Frank Gore isn't being used. Most concerning of all, though, is that Colin Kaepernick's development has plateaued. The most physically-talented quarterback in football isn't taking advantage of his God-given gifts. Kaepernick continues to make poor throws and isn't effectively using his legs to open things up for the offense. The 49ers came within inches of the Super Bowl last season. If current trends continue, they'll be lucky if they come within inches of the playoffs this season.
Amato: There are several teams worthy of the distinction, but you could make a strong case it should be the Bears. They have a roster loaded with talent, especially on the offensive side of the ball, and currently sit last in the NFC North. Not only that, but they've had three embarrassing losses and have yet to win a game at home. Expect major changes in the offseason if the Bears can't turn it around in their final eight games.
Will Andrew Luck break Peyton Manning's single-season passing yardage record?
Amato: He'll be close, but Luck won't quite make it. What's working against him is the standings. The Indianapolis Colts should have the AFC South wrapped up sooner rather than later and Luck may have the luxury of resting during the fourth quarter of a meaningless game or two down the stretch. That won't be ideal when it comes to chasing Manning's record, but it will be crucial to preserving his health for the postseason. Luck takes a lot of hits in the pocket and keeping him fresh for the playoffs is a wise move.
Srinivasan: Luck is currently projected to throw for 5,484 yards, seven more than Manning's record-breaking total last season. The Colts quarterback certainly has a good chance, as Indianapolis leads the league in time of possession, giving Luck plenty of chances to air the ball out at will. Indianapolis plays just one top-ten passing defense in the league in their remaining seven games. Luck leads the league in passing attempts and the Colts have shown no indication from steering away from their pass-happy game plan, so it seems apparent he'll break the record.
Woods: Perhaps the better question is whether we should care about passing records in a world where teams pass far more than ever before. My gut tells me Luck will fall short of the record this season because the Colts won't need to pass as aggressively late in the year, but he'll probably just break it next season. And then someone else will break it the year after that.