Five Big-Picture Takeaways From Eagles Week 11 Loss to Buccaneers

Nov 22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez (3) is pressured by Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy (93) during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. The Buccaneers defeated the Eagles, 45-17. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

3.) The Eagles Long-Term Solution at QB Was Not in Attendance on Sunday

Unless the Buccaneers inexplicably decide to trade Jameis Winston to the Eagles, the franchise’s ‘answer’ at the quarterback position was nowhere to be found within the confines of Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday. A concussed Sam Bradford roamed the sidelines, likely to return to the same position this Thursday for a game against the Lions. Meanwhile, Mark Sanchez delivered the type of start that has come to be expected of the seventh-year pro. There was the occasional flash of competency sprinkled within Sanchez’s underwhelming start, but nothing to convince the coaching staff that he’s the answer.

Perhaps if Bradford had a full season under his belt, he’d have been able to put together a strong enough campaign to buy him some security in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, it seems as if the injury-prone label will continue to follow Bradford to wherever the next step in his career is. Even prior to his concussion, Bradford had only started to show signs of being a quality starter in Chip Kelly’s system. Needless to say, his stellar preseason performance against the Packers was more of an enigma compared to what he showed on the field when the games counted.

The Eagles saw first-hand what a franchise quarterback looked like on Sunday. Jameis Winston, as far as on the field and in the locker room situations are concerned, is everything one can ask for when it comes to the most important position in sports. For as impressive a physical prospect as Winston is at this point in his short career, what the league has seen in recent weeks is that the 21-year-old can be a leader of men and bring out the best in his team. The Bucs want to win for Winston and he has all the intelligence, charisma, and guts to do so. There’s nothing about Winston’s game that would indicate the pressure of being the 1st overall pick is getting to him.

The Eagles will not have the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Even if they did, there doesn’t appear to be a quarterback ready to take over a team like Winston already has. It’s hard to imagine that the Eagles will not select a signal-caller when the draft does roll around, but he will likely be more of a project than a week one starter. There are potentially some enticing trade/free agent options, but none will come without the same types of questions that came with Bradford. For all the criticisms surrounding Chip Kelly, it’s next to impossible to achieve the type of success he aspires to without landing a franchise quarterback. He wouldn’t be the first coach to fall victim to that fate.