Mark Sanchez happy as Eagles' backup QB

There are two things Mark Sanchez hasn't done since he landed in Philly: Eaten a cheesesteak and thrown a regular-season pass.

The former Jets "Sanchise'' quarterback is happy and healthy as the backup to Nick Foles with the Eagles.

There is no quarterback controversy at the Linc. Sanchez has spent this week pretending to be Eli Manning on the scout team as the Eagles (4-1) prepare to host the Giants (3-2) Sunday night.

"It's been great,'' Sanchez said Thursday after practice. "Everything's been awesome. Enjoy the atmosphere. The facility's great. Teammates are good. A lot of good players. Lot of really good people.''

Sanchez hasn't thrown a pass that counted since 2012 with the Jets. He spent last season on the injured list after suffering a serious shoulder injury during the "Snoopy Bowl'' fiasco in a preseason game against the Giants.

But don't assume Sanchez harbors ill will against the coach who placed him in harm's way behind an inexperienced line against the Giants. Sanchez is still tight with the embattled Rex Ryan, but he said he hasn't been keeping up much with the 1-4 Jets and what's been going on with Geno Smith.

Asked if he has any advice for Smith, Sanchez said: "Listen, I really stay away from those questions about New York now because I'm not there. Things could be different when I was there, so as far as my experience there, I've said pretty much all I'm going to say.''

But is he happy to be out of New York?

"I'm happy I'm healthy,'' Sanchez said. "That's the most important thing really after last year. New York -- I have nothing but great things to say about being there and playing there. I loved every second of it -- the good, the bad, the ugly.''

Sanchez has been a heartbeat away from replacing Foles during a couple of games when the starter was banged up, but he hasn't gotten onto the field yet.

Sanchez knows the Eagles' season will have been a success if he never takes a snap except in relief in a blowout victory. With the state of quarterbacking in the NFL, he could be starting for a number of teams. But unless Foles is injured or ineffective, that won't be with the Eagles.

Still, Sanchez could have signed elsewhere after the Jets let him go. He decided to take a shot with innovative coach Chip Kelly and try to rebuild his value as a backup.

"Just being around the offensive minds here . . . it's a different animal,'' he said. "It's really fun to hear them talk, to bounce ideas off each other. These meetings are awesome, they're fast. It's just a well-run organization. I really enjoy being a part of it. Being an Eagle can never hurt anyone, but especially me, with an offensive-minded coach.''

A shot at the Jets? No, Sanchez insisted.

"I don't want to compare the places,'' he said. "I love both of them.''

And he swears he's going to have a cheesesteak. Soon.

By Anthony Rieber

anthony.rieber@newsday.comAnthonyRieber

Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.