Sturdy Sanchez

The Philadelphia Eagles will gladly take the 31-21 win over the Houston Texans, but it came at a heavy price as quarterback Nick Foles left the game at the end of the first quarter with a left shoulder injury and linebacker DeMeco Ryans early in the fourth quarter with a right ankle injury.

There was no word on the severity of the injuries, but both appeared to be multi-week injuries. Foles went into the locker room for X-rays after getting sacked and was ruled out for the rest of the game. Ryans, meanwhile, was carted off the field after intercepting a pass at the Eagles’ 5, then fumbling when he stepped wrong, hurting his ankle.

Mark Sanchez replaced Foles with the score tied at 7 and immediately led the Eagles to a touchdown. In all, he completed 15 of 22 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. But he also threw two interceptions.

The Eagles had to overcome those turnovers, too, committing four total. That included Ryans’ fumble and Foles also threw an interception and has 10 this season.

But Sanchez had plenty of help. Jeremy Maclin had another big game. He finished with six catches for 158 yards and two touchdowns, one week after having 12 receptions for 187 yards and two TDs. LeSean McCoy gained 117 yards rushing, his second time over the 100-yard mark this season.

The defense played well enough to hold off Houston as the Eagles improved to 6-2 and took over first place in the NFC East from the Dallas Cowboys (6-3). The Texans fell to 4-5.

And when the Eagles desperately needed a time-consuming drive to put the game away after Houston crept to within three points with 11:51 left, they got it, taking the crowd out of the game.

The Eagles embarked on a 15-play, 80-yard drive through most of the fourth quarter. By the time Sanchez capped the drive with an 8-yard TD pass to Maclin, the Eagles had a 10-point lead with 3 minutes, 50 seconds left.

The Texans were finished.

It could have happened much sooner, however.

Foles was at his best early on his 59-yard touchdown pass to Maclin, a beautifully thrown ball that hit him in stride as he had gotten behind Andre Hall, giving the Eagles an early 7-0 lead.

But Foles was at his worst on the Eagles’ next possession. He was looking deep for Riley Cooper, but J.J. Watt was pressuring him and he threw it off his back foot and into the arms of A.J. Bouye. He returned it 51 yards for a touchdown, and just like that, the game was tied.

Soon after, Foles was out of the game. The Eagles faced a third-and-16 at the Houston 47 when Whitney Mercilus, starting at outside linebacker in place of No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, burst in and slammed Foles to the ground.

Foles got up, his left shoulder dangling, as he was helped off the field and into the locker room for X-rays as the Eagles punted.

Sanchez came in on the next series and his first pass was a deep ball down the middle to Maclin that went for 52 yards, putting the Eagles at the Texans’ 8. They eventually scored on Sanchez’s pass to Jordan Matthews from 11 yards out for a 14-7 lead.

Sanchez still couldn’t avoid the turnovers that had plagued Foles. He was driving the Eagles to the Texans’ 35 when he tried to hit rookie Josh Huff. The ball deflected off Huff’s hands and into the arms of Jumal Rolle. Two plays later, Ryan Fitzgerald found running back Arian Foster one-on-one with Connor Barwin and hit him for a 56-yard touchdown down the sideline.

Cody Parkey gave the Eagles a three-point lead at the half with a 45-yard field goal. It seemed like the Texans were about to take the lead when DeAndre Hopkins’ 45-yard catch brought Houston to the Eagles’ 21. But three straight incompletions followed by a missed 39-yard field goal kept the Eagles in front.

The Eagles responded with another long drive. They ran the ball just four times, but covered 70 yards after McCoy picked up 14 and 26 yards. Then Chris Polk came in and picked up 22 and the final eight for the touchdown.

The euphoria from that, however, was short-lived after Ryans intercepted Fitzpatrick’s pass at the Eagles’ 5. He started to run with the ball, but stepped wrong and immediately went to the turf. As he landed, the ball came out and Houston recovered at the 7.

Ryans stayed down as his teammates gathered around him. A cart was brought out and every player left the sideline to wish him well. The Houston crowd cheered him as well after Ryans had spent his first six seasons with the Texans.

The Texans didn’t waste any time, however, as Hopkins caught a 7-yard touchdown pass on the second play, and just like that, the Texans were back within three with 11:51 left in the game.

That’s when the Eagles, battered and bruised, embarked on their game-clinching drive.