Eagles Wake-Up Call: Sanchez, Act II, Scene III

The narrative can turn so sharply in a matter of a week in the NFL, and that is part of the reason why this league is king. Sixteen games per team, a million variables and story lines galore based on how each Sunday unfolds.

This time last week, it was all about Mark Sanchez’s redemption. He had survived the difficult times in New York and, now armed with the innovative Chip Kelly as his head coach, was poised to create a second act that surpassed the first. After a blowout loss to Green Bay, such talk has disappeared for the moment and suddenly everyone is scrambling for Nick Foles health updates.

“That’s the turnaround in this league.” said Sanchez. “That’s how quickly things go from great to awful. It’s important with young guys to make sure that they don’t follow that roller coaster, that they don’t fall into that trap of the peaks and valleys, that they stay steady, and we have a lot of good veteran leadership that can keep us that way.”

Sanchez went 26-of-44 for 346 yards with two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions against the Packers Sunday. The week prior, he ended with over 300 yards and no turnovers for the first time in his career. As much as Sanchez has been pumped up and deflated over the past week, the truth almost always lies in between. The USC product has demonstrated the ability to run this system at a quick tempo while making the proper reads. He has also shown that his turnover habit isn’t quite kicked.

While his performance against the Packers surely brought up some old, familiar, less-than-comforting feelings, Sanchez sounded upbeat about the team’s — and his own — ability to snap back this week against the Titans.

“I’m confident in this system, I’m confident in Chip, and he’s thrilled about…all of us just want to get back on the field. So we’ll get back out on the field and correct it,” he said.

“You’ve just got to remain level-headed and understand that everything we want, all the hopes and dreams and aspirations for this season are all right out in front of us, but not to focus on the big picture but focus on this week and we’ll be ready to go play.”

WHAT YOU MISSED

“I don’t know what else to say about how piss-poorly I’ve played so far this season.” A frustrated Josh Huff opens up.

Sheil’s position-by-position review of the Eagles’ performance against the Packers.

Billy Davis contemplated pulling Bradley Fletcher on Sunday.

The Eagles placed Earl Wolff on injured reserve Tuesday and signed Roc Carmichael.

“I think that was a pretty short Sanchez honeymoon, Philadelphia. Media weighs in on the Eagles.

Sheil gives us five leftovers from Kelly’s day-after press conference.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Bob Ford on the work that lies ahead for the Eagles.

The Eagles, just 26 regular-season games into The Chip Kelly Experience, are already a good football team. They are far removed from the disconsolate lot that closed out the 2012 season under Andy Reid with just four wins. If the upward trajectory continues, they will be a great football team eventually, but that isn’t the case quite yet and the hardest part is still to come.

To do the epic stuff that lies ahead, they will need to upgrade some of their more basic players. The quarterback position is the most obvious one – and not just because of the recent comparison offered by Rodgers – and they also are leaking air on the offensive line, in the running game, and, at least against a team like Green Bay, are still capable of total collapse on defense.

At this point in his tenure, everything depends on which team the Eagles are playing. Maybe soon that could change, but getting from good to great is a steeper climb than getting from mediocre to good.

Peter King had a strong piece about RGIII’s future in Washington.

I think Gruden doesn’t like Griffin’s preparation or his commitment. That’s what I took from Gruden’s comments. And I think what he said casts doubt on Griffin’s long-term future with the team. I haven’t thought that until Monday afternoon. When Washington owner Dan Snyder fired Mike Shanahan after last season, I saw that as a vote for Griffin over Shanahan. I was sure the organization still considered the player picked second overall in 2012 the long-term quarterback for Washington.

Now I’m dubious about Griffin’s future in Washington. It is more than just being 4-14 in his last 18 starts, or not being able to stay on the field because of injuries. I wonder, and I believe the team does too, if the faith in Griffin to be the franchise cornerstone is wise.

COMING UP

We’ll talk to Kelly before today’s 10:50 a.m. practice.