Philadelphia Eagles rule Sam Bradford and Ryan Matthews out of Tampa Bay game

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford and running back Ryan Mathews have been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to concussion issues.

Bradford also reportedly is suffering from a separated left shoulder, although the team has said only that his non-throwing shoulder has been bruised.

Mark Sanchez will make his first start of the season in place of Bradford and try to spark the Eagles offence. Sanchez started in the final eight games of last season, directing Philadelphia to a 4-4 record.

It's the latest in a series of setbacks for Bradford, who missed 41 games over five seasons with the St Louis Rams, including half of the 2013 season and all of last year's campaign with a torn left knee ligament.

This season, Bradford has completed 214 of 335 passes for 2,297 yards and 11 touchdowns with 10 interceptions while Mathews has run 75 times for 427 yards and five touchdowns with five catches for 119 yards and a touchdown.

Both the Eagles and visiting Buccaneers enter Sunday's game with a 4-5 record.

While Tampa Bay are two games behind Atlanta and Green Bay in the race for wildcard play-off spots and five games behind unbeaten NFC South division leaders Carolina, the Eagles could match the New York Giants for the NFC East lead with a victory.