Foles and Some Numbers

Posted: December 24th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 102 Comments »

Let’s appreciate Nick Foles by taking a look at some stats. We all know stats don’t tell the whole story. Numbers can be manipulated. But they can paint a pretty good picture. Plus, they’re fun.

* Nick Foles QB rating for the season is 118.8. Donovan McNabb’s personal high was 104.7 in 2004. Check this out. McNabb only had 20 games with a rating of higher than 118.8 in his career.

Michael Vick’s highest rating was 100.2 back in 2010. He only had 14 games with a rating above 118.8.

Wow. That’s some perspective.

* Nick Foles has thrown 25 TD passes this year. Tom Brady has 24. That in and of itself is worth a “wow”. It gets even crazier. Foles has thrown 291 passes this year. Brady has attempted 604. Think of that efficiency. Foles has more TD passes with fewer than half as many throws. That is simply astounding.

* Foles 25 TD passes tie for the 3rd most by an Eagles QB in the last 30 years. McNabb had 31 back in 2004. Randall Cunningham had 30 in 1990. McNabb had 25 in 2001. And those guys were playing a full season. Foles will finish this season with 10 starts.

Ron Jaworski threw 27 TD passes in 1980 and was the league MVP. That tells you how times have changed in the NFL.

Rodney Peete led the Eagles to a 10-6 record in 1995. He threw 8 TD passes all year long. He was on the Eagles roster for 3 years and only threw 15 TDs in that stretch.

* Nick Foles is 73rd in the NFL in rushing this year. Who is 74th? Darren Sproles. Foles is 52-226 with 3 TDs. Sproles is 50-221 with 2 TDs. And remember that Foles totals include kneel-downs. Foles has more runs of 20 or more yards (2 to 1).

Bills rookie QB E.J. Manuel has only run for 186 yards.

If Foles can run for at least 10 yards on Sunday, he’ll finish with 236 yards. McNabb had 236 rushing yards in 2007. Aside from that, you have to go back to 2003 to find McNabb with more yards than Foles has now. A lot of that was McNabb’s choice not to run, but that’s part of the point. He had the ability to run and chose not to. That was dumb. Foles isn’t a good runner, but is smart enough to take advantage of the situation when it is there.

* Foles leads the NFL in passing yards per attempt at 9.03. That is an amazingly high total. McNabb’s best was 8.38 in 2006, which was excellent. Vick was at 8.1 back in 2010. He was at 8.6 this year, which is excellent.

Foles has the 7th highest YPA in the last 25 years. Some of the guys ahead of him are named Montana, Manning and Warner.

* Foles completion percentage is 63.92. Back in his dream season of 2004, McNabb completed 63.97 percent of his passes. Foles can catch him for the highest completion percentage in team history. Foles would break the record by going 17 for 25, or something equivalent to that.

* Foles is 2nd in the NFL in pass plays of 40 or more yards. He has 13. Joe Flacco and Andy Dalton each have 14. They’ve each thrown more than 250 additional passes to get that one extra long play.

* Foles is 3rd in the NFL in the percentage of passes that result in a 1st down. 40.2 percent of his throws are for 1st downs. Only Peyton and Philip Rivers are ahead of him.

The numbers are just amazing.

* * * * *

Noah Becker, who is a good follow on Twitter (unless you are somehow a Washington Nationals fan), came up with a good stat. He used the sortable stats at Pro Football Reference to come up with this.

Since 1970, he looked for QBs that were 25 or younger and had at least 30 passing TDs after their first 2 seasons. Of that group, Nick Foles has the 3rd highest rating at 99.9. Dan Marino is in 1st place at 104.5. Russell Wilson is between them.

Interesting list. Helps to put Foles first couple of years into historical perspective.

* * * * *

Les Bowen wrote a piece about Saint Nick. He’s got a couple of good quotes from Chip Kelly in there.

“I think one thing with Nick is, he’s very critical of himself, but in a constructive way, and I think that shows up in terms of the little, teeny details that I think separate from being good and going to great. He’s willing to work at that,” Kelly said.

“I think his confidence is a byproduct of his experience, and I think the more looks he sees . . . he’s a very quick study,” Kelly said. “You have to be able to learn from your mistakes . . . You have to make mistakes in order to continue to grow and to continue to get outside your comfort level.”

Great players don’t settle for good enough. Great players are greedy. They want to be the best. That means being hard on yourself and your teammates. Nick knows how to push himself. As the Eagles become “his team”, Nick will become more assertive with others.

_


102 Comments on “Foles and Some Numbers”

  1. 1 TheRogerPodacter said at 12:04 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Tommy, i’d LOVE to see some work during the offseason to look back at these numbers for the team as a whole, not just for Foles. We all know McCoy is having a monster year, but even Donnie Jones is playing great ball. i think i saw somewhere that he is close to some record for punts downed inside the 20?

  2. 2 D3FB said at 12:32 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    He broke the team record last week and has 32 on the season. The NFL record is 43 by the Cards punter last year.

  3. 3 BlindChow said at 12:34 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Maybe if we put up 50 points in the first half on Sunday, Kelly will let Donnie go for the record in the second half.

  4. 4 A_T_G said at 3:16 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    And risk messing up the shutout? Crazy.

  5. 5 Sean said at 12:06 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    I know what you mean, but we don’t have to preface any reference to statistics by mentioning that numbers can be manipulated, or something to that effect. You didn’t intend it this way, but a lot of times people whose opinions don’t line up with the numbers will use that line of thinking to just dismiss them in favor of their own subjective observations or unsupported generalizations (e.g. Player X sucks, even when he’s performed very well statistically).

  6. 6 A_T_G said at 3:05 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    I find it hard to believe that anyone would trumpet their unsupportable opinion when all statistical evidence contradicts it. I would hate to see that, and you sha’ h8 to see it, too.

  7. 7 shah8 said at 3:38 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Much of the numbers are a function of the offense. It’s not that hard. And no, I want actual superlative talent rather than numbers. In football, unlike baseball or basketball, numbers don’t tend to be that predictive of future success in any tight window, like, oh, the big game. I don’t disfavor Foles over a high caliber starting QB like Cutler, Romo, Flacco because I hate his numbers or that I think the numbers are wrong per se. I disfavor Foles because I don’t think he can give you good odds of winning a tightly contested game by personal force of will. Flacco got his one big pass on a hobbled knee week 15, and Romo got his game winning pass when he was probably in severe pain, never mind the adrenaline. Forget Matt Schaub, Colt McCoy for a sec…There is a pretty traditional, and easy comparison. Matt Ryan vs Joe Flacco. Technically, is Joe Flacco a better QB than Matt Ryan in the tasks he’s asked to perform? Not really, and there’s good reason to believe he’s worse at pre and post snap reads, accuracy, and all that. On the other hand, Joe Flacco had tons more postseason success, and by 2011, he has become a positive factor in the postseason rather than a game-manager. Matt Ryan, however, have contributed to every one of his postseason losses, and had to fix his own second half errors just to get that bare win over Sea. Matt Ryan is a creature of his high perfomance assets, who tends to be exposed when defenses do all they can in the postseason to reach the point of weakness in the Atl offense. Despite being talented at many things to do with being an NFL QB, the actual physical talent is holding him back.

    That’s why I would always choose Joe Webb over guys like Foles, because he’s a physically talented QB that manages to translate that talent to the field. I mentioned yesterday that That Lewis has done a great job backing up EJ Manuel. The Bills got some wins while he did a caretaker routine. And you know? That’s not really that common. What’s downright *rare*, is a backup QB that manages to outright *excel* as the *focal point* of the offense as Joe Webb did in 2011. I have a specific history of seeing Webb mount a near 3 scores down comeback, crushing another team as well, both in less than a half of football. He’s just better. In comparison, I simply don’t see Foles being that talented, and I see his success as being determined by how successful Chip’s system is. Usually, though, in the playoff, a coach’s system always falls apart independent of excellent individual play. At least Foles showed that he could play a whole game properly, and there’s some small chance of postseason success or longterm regular season success.

  8. 8 ConcussedFB said at 3:51 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    I hope Santa Claus will bring you some brevity for Christmas!

  9. 9 shah8 said at 3:52 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    just did.

  10. 10 Stephen Stempo said at 6:01 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    No you choose Joe Webb for other reasons.

  11. 11 suthrneagle said at 6:56 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    If it`s not so hard, which I take it you mean to say it`s easy,then why didn`t Vick do as well as Nick is doing now

  12. 12 Breezy said at 8:45 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Enough with the Webb crap. Ask any non-vikings fan who joe webb is amd im sure a majority of your answers would be some variant of “who?” Or “that guy that used to play for the vikings”. That was on purpose btw, many fans don’t have the mental space to remember that webb is in fact still a member of the vikings, just a 3rd string wr. If the people who watch him play everyday decide decide to trade for josh freeman instead of giving webb a shot, that should be a clue. Im fine with nick not being physically gifted enoughfor you. But he has intangibles many qbs, webb included, dont seem to have. Pick a better comparison. Foles is lightyears ahead of webb. Why? He starts. And finishes.

  13. 13 A_T_G said at 10:57 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Relax, I’m just having a little fun with you and your handle. I think we have covered this ground already, I am not trying to stir up past discussions.

  14. 14 theycallmerob said at 12:52 AM on December 25th, 2013:

    That’s why I would always choose Joe Webb over guys like Foles, because he’s a physically talented QB that manages to translate that talent to the field.

    helluva performance this year.
    http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/13484/joe-webb

    And Foles already reads defenses better than any QB listed in your diatribe above

  15. 15 Jernst said at 1:26 PM on December 25th, 2013:

    What would Nick Foles need to do/accomplish for you to change your tone and finally admit that he’s a better QB than Joe Webb? Or, is there literally nothing that can change your mind, because no matter what he does he’ll never be as athletically gifted or able to throw as hard as Joe Webb, so nothing else he does matters?

    For instance, if Foles continues to put up record passing stats, placing him statistically among the Brady’s and Mannings of the world, and eventually a few years from now won a Super Bowl, would you finally, then admit that Foles is an elite QB? Or, would you continue to cross your arms, disregard all evidence to the contrary and proclaim that Kinkos Copies 2017 Employee of the Month, Joe Webb is technically a better QB?

  16. 16 xeynon said at 2:46 PM on December 25th, 2013:

    Let’s leave Foles out of it for a second.

    Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, and Drew Brees, none of whom have/had the kind of rocket arm required to hit the tight windows you claim must be hit to win the “big game”, have combined to appear in 13 Super Bowls and win 9 of them. Meanwhile, rocket armed Dan Marino never won one, rocket-armed Brett Favre won only one despite playing most of his career with one of the best organizations in the NFL, and rocket-armed John Elway only won when he was old and no longer so rocket-armed. All this is leaving aside lesser but still very physically talented quarterbacks like McNabb, Dante Culpepper, Mark Brunell, and Drew Bledsoe who never won it all. Romo and Cutler? You have to be kidding. These are guys who have trouble even making the playoffs, much less winning big games. You keep asserting there is a strong correlation between arm strength and successful quarterbacking on the highest level, when there is no evidence to support such an assertion.

    Physical talent is a plus. But even more vital to winning big are smarts, composure, accuracy, work ethic, and leadership, all of which there is mounting evidence Foles has in spades. He may never be a Brady-level star, but he’s already shown himself capable of being a good NFL starter, which is more than you ever predicted he’d be.

  17. 17 Jamie Parker said at 6:56 PM on December 25th, 2013:

    We can now downgrade Emmitt Smith’s numbers (and career rushing record) because he was a just a function of the offense they ran. I mean there’s no way he would have racked up so many yards if they didn’t hand him the ball. Nor would he have gained so many yards if his O-line wasn’t the best O-line ever put together. If he had played under Andy Ried, Troy Aikman would have put up the records instead.

  18. 18 Antani said at 10:15 AM on December 26th, 2013:

    a 6-6 243lb guy who can run and pass deep isn’t phisically gifted?

  19. 19 Joe from Easton said at 10:27 AM on December 26th, 2013:

    You, sir, are an idiot. Joe Webb over the #1 rated passer in the NFL?

  20. 20 disqus_SAwg5u9Dxh said at 12:20 PM on December 26th, 2013:

    You just listed Tony Romo, Jay Cutler, Joe Flacco, and Joe Webb as quarterbacks you would rather have than Nick Foles. Please leave.

  21. 21 ConcussedFB said at 3:50 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Well played, sir. And right on cue, the racialist puts on his clown nose and starts murdering pixels with his insight.

  22. 22 shah8 said at 3:51 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Interesting projection.

  23. 23 ConcussedFB said at 4:22 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    I’ll take back the clown nose comment, that was me being a smart ass.

  24. 24 Joe said at 10:52 PM on December 25th, 2013:

    Racist or retarded. Take your pick bro.

  25. 25 cliff henny said at 12:10 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Eric Allen was asked on one of ESPN’S football shows who had best chance to break P. Manning’s TD record. he said Foles due to amount eagles score and level of play.

  26. 26 phillychuck said at 7:00 AM on December 25th, 2013:

    No chance Foles breaks that record (IMHO). We run the ball WAY too much in the red zone.

  27. 27 Daniel Norman Richwine said at 12:15 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Credit Foles. Also remember how many times he’s thrown to a completely wide open receiver due to the scheme and design of Chip. If this marriage continues, you can’t say Foles in Chips system can’t win in the playoffs.
    It’s said you go to war with the army you have. whether some hypothetical QB could do better in this offense is not relevant, Chip has tailored it to Foles strengths and that’s obviously enough to win big. To my mind, how far the team goes this or next year will be due to the defense and/or a few lucky breaks.

  28. 28 Joseph Dubyk said at 1:38 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    He’s also thrown guy open and threw balls up in good spots where only the WR could make the play. He also can move around in the pocket and create throwing lanes and look off safeties……Both McNabb and Vick only threw to guys that were decently open –Mcnabb moreso.

  29. 29 BlindChow said at 2:00 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    His game could use a little more probing, tho.

  30. 30 Joseph Dubyk said at 4:43 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    agreed

  31. 31 Breezy said at 6:40 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    It seems people only want foles to zip balls into almost closed windows a la cutler, brees, kaep. Complaining about foles hitting open receivers? Thats like complaining about the garbage man taking your trash. Just doing his job folks

  32. 32 Joe from Easton said at 10:29 AM on December 26th, 2013:

    People don’t understand that he’s hitting open receivers because on most NFL plays there is an open receiver. The question is whether or not the QB goes through his progression to find that receiver. Sometimes it’s #1, sometimes it’s his fourth read. Brady and Manning throw to a lot of open receivers too.

  33. 33 Jamie Parker said at 7:00 PM on December 25th, 2013:

    McNabb made some awesome throws in his days. He gets a lot of flack for the SB, but that TD pass he made to Westy was simply amazing. It still wows me when I see it.

  34. 34 DJH said at 12:15 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    The numbers are great, no doubt.

    However I’m really looking to see how Foles plays Sunday (and if we win, afterward). How a QB plays in big games will ultimately define them, see: Tony Romo.

    On the one hand Foles had great game vs Bears, which was and wasn’t a big game. Offense theoretically needed to play well to beat Bears offense and he and the offense responded. He didn’t out play himself. On other hand, pressure was off as nothing was on the line (besides seeding).

    This Sunday will be the highest pressure game Foles has been in. What was the last game with as much pressure? Probably the 1st Dallas game where he could cement the starting role… (You could argue the Raiders game but really expectations were low at that point.)

    Let’s see how he responds. Play within the O and he’ll be fine!

  35. 35 Joseph Dubyk said at 1:37 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    I agree…but there’s absolutely no doubt that he gets the start next year.. No doubt at all

  36. 36 theycallmerob said at 3:16 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    I’d say his biggest of the season before this was the WAS game at home going into the bye.
    He was still discounted after OAK and the GB packers Tolziens. The WAS game broke the home losing streak, against a division rival (who had not quite hit rock bottom), when we were 5-5 and at the season’s tipping point.
    Foles was 17-26-298, with 9-45-1 rushing. All 24 pts scored in the 1st half.

  37. 37 OregonDucker said at 1:24 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    All I want for Christmas is to see Chip win the NFCE game in “grand” fashion.

    Whether it’a a 60+ pt Eagle win, a Defense beat-down, or Foles surgically eviscerating the Cowgirl’s D. All I want from Santa is for the Eagles to be FEARED in the playoffs and then to deliver on that threat. I want the MIRACLE to continue. (And with Chip, Foles and these players it can.)

  38. 38 dan m. said at 1:25 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Saint Nick has made a believer out of me! Great performance in just 10 games. Birds can now draft Defense in first round and improve an already improving D. Happy Holidays!

  39. 39 Joseph Dubyk said at 1:36 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Both McNabb and Vick were their own worst enemy. They both think that their athletic ability trumped everything. Like you said, it was dumb for mcnabb not to take advantage of his legs bc he wanted to be a pocket passer. Vick just thought that he cold score a TD every play and that hurt him as well…….. Foles tries to get better with his brain and he’s the QB I’ve been wanting for YEARS!!!!!! Viva la Foles!!!!!!!

  40. 40 jshort said at 2:43 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    David McWilliams made the comment in 1991, “Now that’s going to be a great pro QB someday,” When he witnessed the two year old Foles, tossing his binky across the Colorado river near the Congress Ave bridge.

  41. 41 anon said at 4:21 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Your comment contradicts itsself, not sure why we chastise McNabb for not running. I think that was a product of Reid…see also Reid trying to turn Vick into a pocket passer

  42. 42 Stephen Stempo said at 5:59 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Vicks only chance at being even good was to develop as a passer.

  43. 43 Scott J said at 2:29 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    It’s funny how things changed as the year has progressed. A month or so ago I would have traded Foles for a #1 pick, maybe a high 2. Now I wouldn’t trade him for three #1 picks.

  44. 44 TommyLawlor said at 5:09 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    It really is amazing how things change.

  45. 45 RobNE said at 2:39 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    I missed commenting on the last post. Even though I am half glass empty beaten down Philly fan as much as anyone, but there is no way that we are better off if Romo is starting rather than Orton. Not that I want people to get hurt, but I don’t control that. If he is hurt and not playing, it’s ok to be happy and realize we have a better chance of winning. We do. It’s true.

  46. 46 Cafone said at 2:50 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    These excellent numbers are the result of a good quarterback playing well in a great system, not the result of the emergence of a great quarterback.

  47. 47 DJH said at 3:12 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    I agree but then ask: What is a “great” quarterback? There’s more to QBing than physical abilities. Peyton Manning is a great QB, but he does not currently have the physical abilities of Rodgers, Brees, RG3 and Newton.

    Is it possible to be physically limited and still be a great QB, even in the current NFL? I wonder.

  48. 48 Stephen Stempo said at 5:58 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Yes

  49. 49 A_T_G said at 3:13 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    One could make the same argument regarding Montana, Marino, or Brady, particularly if one looks at their first few years.

  50. 50 DJH said at 3:18 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    In the WC and spread offenses, repetitive accuracy, decisions making, and throwing guys open are weighted more valuable than arm strength and perhaps mobility. You need a “point guard” who can consistently get the ball to the right guy. So maybe Foles can be “great” in the system whereas a more physically gifted QB might not be.

  51. 51 Phyxius said at 3:21 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    I don’t think he’s even played 16 games yet. You’re closing the door too early.
    Also, isn’t every offense suited to the strengths of each and every quarterback?

  52. 52 anon said at 4:23 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    No. Coaches have systems and try to get a qb that fits the system.

  53. 53 P_P_K said at 4:53 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    And that can be a huge problem.

  54. 54 Stephen Stempo said at 5:49 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Yes. Every coach has a system and only wants a QB that only fits that system.

  55. 55 TommyLawlor said at 5:10 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    This is a reasonable take on things.

  56. 56 Stephen Stempo said at 5:57 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    So apparently. There’s what? 3 great systems in the nfl ? New England Green Bay and Denver. Or are those systems crap and the qbs great ? If that’s the case then chip Kelly has the only great system in the nfl? You would assume that if Foles is only good and not great then all other merely “good” qbs Are in terrible systems? Since his numbers are dwarfing most of theirs. Which means that most qbs in the nfl are poor to trerrible or most systems are. If that’s the case then we adjust the line for “great” and Foles ends up above that line. Or we assume that about 25 of the 32 most coveted coaching jobs in the nfl are filled by morons.

    Occam’s razor: Foles and Kelly are both great. It has the fewest assumptions based on the evident facts.

  57. 57 Cafone said at 6:06 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    I don’t think you know how logic works. It’s not a mountain you build from straw men.

  58. 58 Stephen Stempo said at 6:08 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    🙂 oh but you were doing it!! I felt left out 🙂 Still numbers suggest greatness you suggest otherwise. I’ll side with numbers. Then again extraordinary claims require. well you know the rest.

  59. 59 Breezy said at 6:33 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Nick’s numbers are fantastic, but he is so much more than just numbers. For starters, at the beginning of the year there were people making arguments to trade him. The only reason there was a qb competition is Chip gave everyone a clean slate. People saying nick has been anything other than a top 10 qb this year have lost it. When he does anything other than putting up a qbr over 120 trolls come out of the woodwork proclaiming Foles is anything but a great qb on this team. Face the facts people, it doesn’t matter what system you think would fit him better, if his arm is a 5 out of 10, or whatever, he is a great qb in this system on this team. Romo has been that for years, won one playoff game, and i saw somebody on a message board the other day say tony is a hof qb. If you want to talk numbers, romo puts up amazing numbersevery year. All that said, who do you want starting for the eagles this Sunday (back injury off the table). I would take the 24 year old with the noodle arm who finds a way to win over the 7 year veteran who finds a way to to lose. That should say it all.

  60. 60 Stephen Stempo said at 6:07 PM on December 24th, 2013:

  61. 61 Charlie Kelly said at 6:11 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    yo dumbass, foles rookie year… was one of the best rookie years for a QB EVER!!! And chip wasnt here. Good talk.

  62. 62 Stephen Stempo said at 6:14 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Shh don’t let facts get in the way of a carefully constructed story.

  63. 63 jshort said at 6:17 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Thinking you might be visited by 3 ghosts tonight….good will towards men 🙂

  64. 64 Buge Halls said at 9:06 PM on December 25th, 2013:

    Tell us oh guru, what would make Foles “great” in your eyes? I guess winning all those games and setting all those records don’t do it?

  65. 65 Cafone said at 1:52 AM on December 26th, 2013:

    There are a couple of things that would convince me that Foles is a great QB and on the same level as the other great NFL QBs: Manning, Brees, Brady and Rodgers.

    First, an unlikely scenario: Foles is traded and puts up the same numbers for another team.

    But a more likely scenario would be one in which Foles goes down for several games next year and his back-up, whether it be Vick, Barkley or someone else, is not able to do a comparable job. If a backup QB fails miserably in the place of Foles, it would indicate that Foles deserves most of the credit for the success of the offense.

    Vick takes a lot of criticism around here, but he put up some incredible games running this system. He had a few crappy games too, but so did Foles. At this point, I am not willing to say that Foles’ greater ratio of incredible games to crappy games makes him an elite NFL QB and makes Vick a bum.

    On Barkley, he was put into difficult situations as a rookie and his performances, while not altogether horrible, were less than stellar. At this point I would say that Foles as a rookie, in Andy Reid’s system with less talent available, impressed me more last season than Barkley did this season. But what if Barkley comes in next year in relief of an injured Foles and puts together a few 110+ QB rating performances? I do not think this is outside the realm of possibility.

    So, I wait. I like Foles. I’ve liked him since he was drafted. But I’m not ready to annoint him the next Rodgers/Brees. I see no reason to do so because he is human and QBs go down in this league. At some point we are going to see a Chip Kelly selected backup QB running the Chip Kelly offense in Foles’ place and if he is able to put up comparable numbers then it will strongly indicate that Foles’ success is largely a product of the system.

  66. 66 A Big Butt and a Smile said at 1:01 PM on December 28th, 2013:

    I’m not ra-ra Foles for a few reasons.

    With that said the fact that he’s done so well in this offense is an indication that the offense is even MORE QB friendly than originally thought. And I guess you could look at Kelly’s QBs in college and see that is true.

    Foles does a couple of things well:

    1. He mostly makes good decisions
    2. He does little diversions well – look off safeties, pump fakes etc.

    But his lack of physical talent is a problem. He STILL under throws receivers, He throws wounded ducks – beating him his fairly easy: mix up the coverages, take away the short throws and stop Shady.

    The latter coupled with a defense that has managed to play above their talent level and a o-line that has given him all day to throw are the MAIN reason for the success.

    Foles is a game mananger and you can have success with them – Smith is a good example of that – but you take any piece out of the puzzle and suddenly things fall a part.

    The Eagles were HELLA lucky this year. Hella. But you can’t bet on luck all the time. One of the best critiques I read of Foles was the game tape rarely looks as good as the box score.

    That pretty much sums it up.

  67. 67 Cafone said at 1:19 PM on December 28th, 2013:

    I agree completely with your entire post.

  68. 68 Mike Flick said at 9:29 PM on December 25th, 2013:

    Just not too long ago, people used to say that the WCO was a system offense that inflated numbers of quarterbacks.

    I wonder if it will be like the run-and-shoot where it takes a couple of years for defenses to adjust. Or maybe just maybe it might be the players we have are really good.

    I suspect it is the o-line is really talented and that it is a strength of this team that makes everything else run.

  69. 69 Vick or Nick said at 4:06 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Nick Foles. Franchise Quarterback.

  70. 70 P_P_K said at 4:53 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Thank you so much, Santa. I can’t wait to see the 1st round draft choice you give us.

  71. 71 jshort said at 6:13 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Be nice to pick last!

  72. 72 Vick or Nick said at 7:48 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    1st Round:
    WR KELVIN BENJAMIN (FLORIDA STATE)

    2nd Round:
    CB MARCUS ROBERSON (FLORIDA)

    3rd Round:
    S DEONE BUCANNON (WASHINGTON STATE)

    4th Round:
    DE/OLB AARON LYNCH (USF)

    5th Round:
    CB CHRIS DAVIS (AUBURN)
    DE/OLB KAREEM MARTIN (NORTH CAROLINA)

    7th Round:
    DE/OLB CHAZ SUTTON (SOUTH CAROLINA)

  73. 73 P_P_K said at 8:46 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Thank you, Santa, we have no need for a qb on our list.

  74. 74 Buge Halls said at 9:10 PM on December 25th, 2013:

    With the offense already killing teams, you want to WASTE a 1st round pick on a WR? Moronic!

  75. 75 anon said at 4:09 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Are these really Foles stats or are they cks stats? Our offense was crazy with both Vick. And Foles a 2005 Vick would have had a 1000 yd rushing year. I think Foles is a great qb but scheme has a lit to do with the numbers.

  76. 76 Vick or Nick said at 4:11 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Scheme doesn’t matter if you don’t have players to execute it.

    It’s a two way road. Chip would tell you that.

    Also as good as the scheme is, most would agree it is not the ideal fit for a QB like Nick Foles who is more of a west coast drop back passer.

    But you have to credit St. Nick for adjusting his game, mastering the offense, and executing.

  77. 77 Guest said at 4:13 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Also as good as the scheme is, most would agree it is not the ideal fit for a QB like Nick Foles who is more of a west coast drop back passer.

    But you have to credit St. Nick for adjusting his game, mastering the offense, and executing.

  78. 78 Stephen Stempo said at 5:48 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Or vice versa

  79. 79 Stephen Stempo said at 5:48 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Our offense was epic in that Kansas City game… Wait a minute.

  80. 80 suthrneagle said at 5:53 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    vick 2-4 1 int. per 25.66 rec, 5 td 3 int
    nick 7-2 1 int. per 93 rec. 25 td 2 int
    what comparable crazy #`s are you talking about ?

  81. 81 A Big Butt and a Smile said at 12:45 PM on December 28th, 2013:

    1. One QB Played Kansas City & Denver
    2. One QB played with a defense that was giving up 31 pts a game
    3. One QB also played injured most of his games

    You’re basically comparing apples and oranges.

  82. 82 suthrneagle said at 10:56 PM on January 10th, 2014:

    KC game should have been a victory
    QB`s who play hurt do a disservice to their team 1st and to themselves 2nd
    One reason the D gave up 31 pts a game was cause the offense gave the ball back to opposition with such requency

  83. 83 Stephen Stempo said at 6:06 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    a 2005 Vick would have thrown 20 int’s and fumbled 9 times.

  84. 84 Buge Halls said at 9:12 PM on December 25th, 2013:

    Wish I could vote this up more than once!

  85. 85 Charlie Kelly said at 6:09 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    non its foles consistent play thats the key. vick was in and NOT doing what foles was doing. why? because vick is NOT consistent in anything.

  86. 86 GaEagle1023 - Tom said at 4:11 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Impressive. What got my attention about our offense is leading league in rushing, AND leading league in big plays. Now that’s balance on O.

  87. 87 Tumtum said at 4:27 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    As far as McNabbs rushing stats go; I think they are nice to use as perspective, but it seemed like he only ever played 10 games a year himself.

  88. 88 SteveH said at 4:54 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    It will be interesting to see if Foles continues to evolve, as he still only has about 1 full seasons’ worth of starts under his belt. Anyone else notice his arm strength improving? He had a deep one to Riley Cooper Sunday night that had some real nice zip on it. He’ll never have Flacco or Newton or Rodger’s arms, but he’s come a long way with that since last year.

  89. 89 Pennguino said at 8:53 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    I noticed that catching some reviews on the game. No lolly-pop throws. All bee-line express. I liked that aspect where he has command on how to throw the angles.

  90. 90 Anders said at 10:00 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    I was very impressed by his arm strength on his td to Cooper and the long gain by Ertz, both passes on the move and had very good zip but also very good ball placement

  91. 91 ICDogg said at 5:12 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    https://twitter.com/EaglesInsider/statuses/415582029900546048

  92. 92 Charlie Kelly said at 6:08 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    the numbers are crazy, i love it!! Always thought it was so so weird that andy loves to chuck it around yet never put up great passing stats. lol… andy leaves chip comes in and desean is a leading WR, shady leads the NFL in rushing. and foles is a top QB.
    Crazyness.

  93. 93 Stephen Stempo said at 6:13 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    SO here’s the real question. Who puts up better numbers? The arguments are kind of absurd but people keep saying here and some places that Ck’s system is making Foles look good. So if that’s the case you’re telling me outright that other QB’s would put up better numbers? Color me skeptical.

  94. 94 AJ Race said at 6:16 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    tommy i just want to say Merry Christmas to you and yours

  95. 95 Cafone said at 6:21 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Merry War On Christmas! May the force be you… always.

  96. 96 ICDogg said at 6:20 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    The #Cowboys are, in fact, signing QB Jon Kitna, per source. A blast from the past.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 24, 2013

  97. 97 Eric Carranza said at 8:43 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    So can we expect him to run out of his own endzone for a safety

  98. 98 Dragon_Eagle said at 9:43 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Only way this could be more entertaining is if they signed Tebow. There’s still time, I guess.

  99. 99 Anders said at 10:07 PM on December 24th, 2013:

    Tommy, I think you are too harsh on McNabb. Remember he only ever ran if he really had too, where Foles got a big chunk of his yards on zone read keepers.

    I think McNabb would have put up crazy numbers in this scheme in his primetime years if he also have had this group of play makers. McNabb was smart with the football, generally found the right guy (outside of 04 there was no play maker to force the ball too) and he would also be very effective on zone reads

  100. 100 ian_no_2 said at 10:26 AM on December 25th, 2013:

    I had been a Foles skeptic until past the end of this training camp, but I have drank the Nick Foles Kool Aid. He has the mental capacity to exceed all expectations and be an elite NFL QB for years. However it turns out it’s crazy for the Eagles to be thinking about other starting QBs. He suits Kelly in that they wonk it on like, and I don’t make this comparison sparingly, Brady and Belichick, with possibly similar results.

    No one on this board liked the pick on draft day. No one even close.

    In my defense I hated the RG3 deal for the Skins and the Manuel pick for the Bills on those draft days.

  101. 101 Amishphillyfan said at 1:24 PM on December 26th, 2013:

    Now we know who Jim35 really is… Tommy Lawlor

  102. 102 2013 Week 17 Picks said at 8:13 PM on December 26th, 2013:

    […] into an excellent field general for the D. The offensive line has been playing amazingly well. Nick Foles is f-ing on fire. BRANDON BOYKIN (maybe my next jersey)! Donnie Jones for Grand Pooh-Bah of the punting […]