PHI 49, OAK 20
Posted: November 3rd, 2013 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 195 Comments »I just woke up from the strangest dream. Nick Foles threw for 7 TDs and the Eagles dominated the Raiders. Crazy. Can’t wait to see how the real game turns out.
Wait, what? That was the real game?
In-freaking-sane.
The Raiders were 12th in the NFL in points allowed and 10th in yards allowed. They had played some struggling offenses, but that was still a good unit.
Until today.
Foles played the best game of his career, and then some. He tied an NFL record with 7 TD passes. I had some positive vibes that Nick would play well, but not in a million years did I see this coming.
The OL gave Foles time and the receivers made plays. This wasn’t some magical offensive playbook, just good execution.
The defense gave up way too many yards, but made some big plays and got some key stops.
Good game all around.
So much fun to see this team explode. The last trip to Oakland, the Eagles scored 9 points. Today, they scored 7 TDs. Think about that for a second. And the last 2 weeks the offense had only put up a single FG.
Execution made all the difference.
_
Foles – 6 incompletions, 7 TDs…. whoa
hah beat me to it. that was the last thing i saw before i turned the tv off. absolutely incredible.
Well, it was obviously a fluke, because I’ve read so many people who are convinced that Foles is merely a backup QB because he wasn’t drafted in the 1st rd. Can’t throw the deep ball, just ignore what you saw today.
It’s pretty obvious that he wasn’t healthy in the Dallas game, no one plays as well as he did against TB and Oakland, then falls apart the way he did against Dallas without something being wrong.
You can still be healthy n just have a bad game.. Either way Foles was awesome today the whole Eagles were.. Nice win!
The difference between the Dallas game and this week is absolutely insane. Foles couldn’t hit anything in that game, and in this game, he couldn’t miss.
The one thing I will say is, I wonder if “Foles wasn’t healthy in the Dallas a game” is too simple of an explanation. I would not disagree with that explanation what so ever except for the fact that Chip had an opportunity to at the very least provide Foles that excuse and he didn’t give it to him.
Vick forgot the voodoo doll or the pins
“too simple”My friend, you must become acquainted with Mr. Occam.
Occam’s theory has value in discussions but shouldn’t be confused with the idea that the simplest hypothesis is the most accurate one. There is evidence (Chip Kelly denying that Foles had an injury; Foles not appearing on any injury report leading up to the game; Foles denying any injury prior to the concussion) that would suggest that the injury theory is not accurate. While it is a straight forward theory, the evidence beyond him having an oddly bad game do not support it.
Indeed. But your statement was that the injury explanation was “too simple”. It was that specific statement that I was referring to.I am aware that all parties have denied any injury factor. I’m also aware that it may be in their best interest to do so, even if that is not true. So while I am in no way asserting an undisclosed concussion to be “the answer”, I’m not inclined to completely dismiss its possibility.
Fair enough. I don’t dismiss it entirely, but as much as I want to see Foles succeed, to me, that Cowboys game was simply a bad game that unless otherwise proven, I’m chalking up as just that, a bad game.
The way I see it, if Vick did the exact same thing, I would be (and many fans on here) would be ripping him to shreds for such a poor performance rather than trying to find excuses, so I refuse to treat Foles any differently.
Yup.
The way he played in the Dallas game looked as if he had a concussion early on. It was like he couldn’t remember how to play. Worlds different than TB and Oak.
These guys are human. Could be something other than an injury. Maybe he got dumped. Maybe his sister was sick. Maybe he had a cold brewing. Maybe his baby cried all the night before because she was teething and he got no sleep. Could be anything.
Don’t want to be Debbie Downer as you Americans like to say but Matt Flynn once threw 6 TDs for GB.
It’s still too early to make any assessment of Foles but it does make him more valuable as trade bait in the offseason if that’s the direction the FO want to go in.
But what a day!!!!
yea, i hear ya. he’ll never be as great as his best game (and this is sure to be the best game of his career, stat-wise. or at least up there in the list) and he’ll never be as bad as his worst game.
i’d say the real nick foles is somewhere between his play vs Dallas and his play vs TB & OAK.
i love seeing the young kid go out there and ball, but we still need to see more of him.
Seeing this game though I would say Nick is much closer to the Tampa game in terms of real ability. I mean good lord, you dnt just throw 7 touchdowns and fall back down to the Dallas level consistently.
At least, we hope not.
his throws today were more on target, much better than TB. maybe he was just in the zone
yea, i’m hoping that is more along the lines of what we can hope for in a game. i dont want to hope for 7 TDs every game to be disappointed every time lol
O yeh I agree with you. He definitely won’t do that but I don’t see why he can’t consistently get 2-3 while limiting turnovers and get the occasional 4 td game
Every QB on the planet is somewhere between the Dallas and Oakland game. That statement isn’t worth the time it took to type it.
But the follow-up statement sure was.
Concur with you there.
still wasn’t 7
Seriously, are you on crack. Look at my above post. Vick has been terrible. 49% completions, 1/3 Td/Int. Admitting you are an addict is the first step.
lol, he meant that Flynn’s 6 tds still weren’t the 7 that Foles threw. 🙂 May want to retract that downvote.
That is correct.
Ahh… my bad. I wasn’t the one that down-voted. I thought you meant 7 meaning Vick.
My sincerest apologies.
Oh….i get it now ….you thought I was talking about Vick#7……never crossed my mind.
Correct. Again, my sincerest apologies. I almost fell out of my chair when I thought you were saying this performance wasn’t as good as #7 Vick
lol…was wondering how Vick got in that conversation
Matt Flynn has started 3 games, didnt start any untl his 3rd year, and played on a good team. Unfair comparison, really.
Matt Flynn didn’t have 3 NFC Offensive player of the week awards…
Why.. we were all having such a good day..
One thing I think we can say at this point is that when the players execute it properly, Chip Kelly’s offense can be just as devastating at the NFL level as it was in college. The Raiders, who haven’t been a terrible defense this year, looked overwhelmed, and it wasn’t just McCoy and Jackson (guys who should be stars in any offense based on talent alone) overwhelming them – it was Riley Cooper and Jeff Maehl and Jason Avant too. If we ever get to the point where the team is comfortable enough with the offense to execute it second nature, and knows how to counter whatever the defense throws at them without hesitation, watch out.
somebody else posted (in the game thread, i think) that before this game, Oakland was ranked the #10 defense by yards and #12 by points.
They outgained us in yards, 1st downs, total plays, and almost had 2 to 1 in time of possession. Chip means it when says that these stats are unimportant.
like a dummy, i now see that Tommy posted these stats in this very post. i’m an idiot.
Gotta pat Phil Simms on the back for being right about this offensive unit.
I gotta know, what exactly did Simms say??
Something to the effect that the Eagles offensive unit was one of the bottom 3 units in the NFL.
bottom 5
Offense and defense, so out of 64 units, our O was bottom 5 to him.
I thought he’d done 5 worst offense and 5 worst defense? eh, pretty asinine anyway as it was a stupid thing to think either way
Hope his humble pie gives him the runs! Thanks for the info.
Prediction: eagles do not spend 1st round pick on a QB unless Foles gets hurt. Dude has proven he and this team can do well when they execute and play great team football.
i skipped out on most of the 4th quarter to make dinner. NFL.com has Riley Cooper with 0 rushing attempts for 18 yards. huh?
He caught a swing pass that was (correctly) ruled a lateral. That should be corrected at some point.
ahhhh it was that play! ok, i did see that one. thanks for solving the riddle!
Yep, he was THAT GOOD.
1st NFL QB to throw for 7td’s in first three quarters of a game
also QB with best passer rating in a game he threw 7 TDs
My hope is back!
There will be a lot of analysis and kudos with respect to the 7 TD’s – and rightly so – but there was a relatively pedestrian play early on that might be as meaningful in terms of determining whether Nick Foles can be a longer term option at QB in this offense.
I believe it was during the second drive of the first quarter. Foles kept the ball on an option read and looked to hit Jackson for the bubble screen. The Raiders were pressing the receivers, so Foles simply ran the ball around the end for six yards. What I liked about the play was that he quickly made two reads: 1) Keep the ball / don’t hand to McCoy, and 2) Keep the ball / don’t throw the bubble. There was no panic, he got positive yards, and slid to survive another play.
In a similar fashion, the “is it a lateral or forward pass over the line of scrimmage” play showed a lot of poise on his part (on a play we saw in the pre-season). I used to dismiss the “he was a basketball” player argument primarily used to justify his relative athleticism, but I do think he must have been a point-forward or a distributive 2 guard or something because he seems very comfortable making decisions.
What was best about the “lateral Triple Option” — which Kelly called early in the season — is the runner was NOT Jason Avant.
And, yes, Foles’ brain (like yours on Sundays) was clicking today. Reads were all very F-A-S-T.
eeeehhh. The best play was Foles running to his right and hitting Cooper in the back of the endzone with reasonable zip.
Was that the throw you said you could make?
I didn’t say “best play” – I said a play that “might be as meaningful in terms of determining whether Nick Foles can be a longer term option at QB in this offense.”
The throw I thought I could make was DeSean, 15 yards down with nobody near him. That just put a cap on what I was seeing–as much as Foles had made all the throws that were there, the Raider’s D was really aweful. Like how did this team have such a high ranking on defense awful. Like what I saw during preseason and thinking this team was going to compete with Jacksonville as the worst team in the NFL.
Well, I pointed out that particular throw to Cooper because that’s my idea of what a starting QB looks like.
Look, this is basically how I think:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/joris-luyendijk-banking-blog/2013/sep/23/former-quant-trading-brains-job
Is Foles doing it because he’s good? Or is he doing it because he’s a lucky monkey as referred in the piece above? That’s why I analyze *how* he is doing it. If he’s making good throws, and they aren’t falling, because the defense does its job, well then…if not okay, then understandable. If he’s getting points through lucky bounces, then one should be wary. I don’t think of Foles as a real quarterback until I see him make more of the harder throws a real quarterback should be willing and able to make. So if you want to crown Fole’s ass, then sure, crown him. We won, he had a historic game. The season’s long, and he will have to win games where everything’s not falling in for him.
And I can be both an Eagle’s fan and a Vick fan. Anyone else can be, too. Just like people who were Eagles fans and Dawkins fans. Or Eagles fans and Shady fans. People have a right to be affectionate to the players on their teams without them being castigated as not being Eagles fans at all, if they like Vick (or anyone else). I mean, I was watching the Eagles before Vick ever got there, and before Vick was even drafted. To suggest otherwise is to be an ass. What’s more, that so much emotional energy is spent in such a negative way, when we have a blowout win, well, dude, maybe you’ve got a problem…
You seem to be fighting ghosts. Baloophi didn’t mention Vick once and didn’t question your fanhood.
Was his negative energy clarifying his statement for you or when he asked about the comment you made during the game?
Combative, are we, today? The first paragraph is responsive to Baloophi’s question. The second paragraph is explaining why I think that way. The third paragraph is a meta-commentary, because you know? There is a general sense that it’s okay to abuse people thought to be Vick supporters, even people like Sean Scheinfield (who apparently was only overly critical of Foles in some people’s minds), and really rash responses to many threads based on a misunderstanding of what the parent post was saying.
I’m combative today? It feels like I’m at the drive in: the powerful projection is entertaining. I was simply pointing out that your tirade seem misdirected.
But, as they say, admitting you have a problem is the first step: “…really rash responses to many threads based on a misunderstanding of what the parent post was saying.”
shah8 –
I’m not sure why this missive is directed at me. I’ve not said anything negative towards you. I’m sorry if anything I wrote gave you that impression.
In terms of wanting to “crown Fole’s ass” I don’t think I’m suggesting anything like that… and certainly not in those terms as that paints a rather disturbing visual.
What I am saying is that there were a couple plays today that while not necessarily “highlight” plays, suggest that Nick Foles might just have the right offensive acumen for Chip Kelly’s offense.
In terms of Foles being a “lucky monkey” I don’t personally buy that argument. I think we’ve seen enough “good” play from him in multiple games to safely say he’s not a one-hit wonder. Whether he’s the answer as a long-term starter is a different question, but as I posted in response to AC’s historical look at QB’s who have thrown 7 TD’s, I think that’s a question that can only be answered through time. In other words, we can’t say one way or the other whether Nick Foles is the franchise quarterback until he’s allowed to play enough games to answer that. It’s a paradoxical solution but highlights – to some degree – the difficulty / impossibility of projecting how a young player with relatively few opportunities will perform in the future.
My first two para was a direct response to your question, and the third to the comment section as a whole…
As far as crowning someone’s ass, I was channeling Dennis Green.
I don’t think the QB keeper was something that “demonstrated acumen for the offense”. He did what he was supposed to do! Didn’t take any yards but what was there, like the RB that takes the two from the OL and gets two more. If anything, it would be the deep balls he’s thrown that shows more “fit for the offense” in the sense that he knocks backs the safeties. The thing is, I see the same thing I’ve always seen from Foles–screens to the WR and RB, deeper middle throws, usually to the TE, lofty sideline throws to very open receivers, and deep throws that lets the receiver make a play on the ball. Not a lot of throws that I’d feel that is robust against all but very good defenses. So I don’t really feel that Foles can be a long term starter, not without consistently making plays against tight coverages. However, this sort of logic will tell on the playing field, so we will definitely see.
If you want to talk about Nick Foles’s deep balls, be my guest…
I kid!
Agree to disagree on the import of Foles running what Chip Kelly wants (re: option reads). I think the very fact that he’s doing what he’s “supposed to do” makes him an excellent candidate for the Kelly offense. We’ve seen others not do what they’re supposed to do this year at quarterback.
And straightforward “agree” about seeing how things play out on the field. I share reservations about Foles, too, but want to see what he can do rather than throw the baby out with the bathwater.
This is what I wanted to see more than anything else. Keep the Defense honest, get positive yardage and slide. I’ll take that every single play. Pedestrian positive yardage that is consistently gotten is anything but pedestrian.
Re: Foles’ Record . . . and the Guys He Tied
Foles is in rare company with 7 TDs . . . coming off a DNP last week.
How ’bout the 6 guys he tied . . . how did they do the week before, then the week after?
1. Joe Kapp, Minn. Did Not Play the week before — like Foles.
The week after setting the record: 7-24, 100, 0-0.
2. Geo Blanda, Houston. 9-25, 134 yds, 1 Td, 2 Int (week before)
The week after: 15-28, 209, 1-3.
3. Adrian Burk, Phila. 13-28, 238 yds, 2 Tds, 5 Int
The week after: 18-34, 206, 1-2.
4. YA Title, NYG. 9-16, 130 yds, 0 Tds, 1 Int
The week after: 8-31, 172, 3-0.
5. Sid Luckman, CHI. 10-21, 211 yds, 2 Tds, 1 Int.
The week after: 9-24, 145, 1-4.
6. Peyton Manning, DEN. Opening day, so no game the week before.
The week after: 30-43, 307, 2-0.
________________
The NFL is so incredibly different compared to when all but Manning set the record. No 5-yard chuck rule. Safeties killing WR over the middle. Running as the preferred method of moving the ball.
Now . . . not so much.
I’d like to think Foles’ next numbers will be more in line with Peyton Mannings’ than Joe Kapp’s.
I agree, he’s probably gonna fall back to earth a bit next week but I would like to see a positive trend going forward. This kid hasnt started a whole season of nfl football yet.
It’s interesting; I think it’s still too early in Foles’s career to divine anything, but he could turn out to be Romo-esque, with a proclivity for hot/cold swings.
To be very fair, he’s really only had one “cold” outing this season, and two “hot” ones, and today’s performance helps swings the pendulum toward “consistently good” versus “inconsistent”, but I do wonder if what we all seem to be seeking (a guy who is great every week), is in some sense of foolish quest when we have a guy who will “most likely” be good every week.
I keep hearing “he’s not a franchise quarterback” but you don’t get to be a franchise quarterback without actually playing… in other words, QB Draftee isn’t going to instantly be a “franchise quarterback” either…
It’s only Nick Foles, Never to high never to low. To me it seems, the game is not to big for him.
B —
You frame the conundrum well.
Brady had a lousy game last week — nearly as bad as Foles v. Dallas.
This week, he looked like Brady again.
Bad games happen.
Now, Foles is not Brady-esque, obviously. Not without a decade of great football on his resume.
At this point, shouldn’t we be looking for consistently good play. Then hope the QB and coach build on it from there.
I think your comment is consistent with that, no?
I think it is consistent, but I must admit I’ve confused myself in the process! And on Lemon Iced Tea, no less!
Yes – my confusing point is that I doubt anything will happen where we all go “Yes! Foles is definitely the future.” This game might seem to be that (just as Tampa seemed to be)… until he throws 3 INT’s and we lose to Washington or something, and the pendulum swings again.
So, the follow-up point is that maybe we say “we’ve seen far more promising signs from Foles than negative, so let’s see what he can do next year.” That doesn’t prohibit the team from drafting a QB (even with a high pick), but I think we need a measure of reality in terms of expectations from young quarterbacks.
I think the success of Luck and RG3 in their first season really muddied the waters for a lot of fans. I also wonder if Foles hadn’t played on such a crappy college team if we’d be more patient as a fanbase…
At the very least the last few weeks have narrowed down the options for how we move forward past this season (and maybe even beyond). It’s pretty clear at this point that Foles has a real shot to be a long term player. More evaluations are needed but there are promising signs. Barkleys obviously out of his league right now and needs more development before we’ll really know about him. Beyond Vicks play, his age and injury risk are prohibitive moving forward.
When Vick won the job, there was a tension between playing the “best man” in Vick to establish the right culture and seeing what we have in Foles by playing him. Now this tension is almost gone. Chip has a good argument he’s playing the best man while conducting a Foles evaluation.
In the end, early predictions were right. It didn’t matter that Vick started the season. It really mattered who played well when Vick went down.
As my old high school basketball coach once told me: “It’s not who starts the game, but who finishes.”
And then I’d sit on the bench the whole game.
youre on fire with your comments today.
Luck and RG3 have definitely made evaluating QBs a difficult time for fans. we’ve seen a number of QBs come in recent years and play great right off the bat. its gotten to the point where most fans only see two options: you immediately bring the team to the playoffs or you immediately get labeled a bust and get sent packing.
what happened to the days where a QB got his time on the field and had a few years to see if he has it or not?
All this is why we need to see him start for an entire season to get a better sense of where he’ll ultimately fall as a starting quarterback.
Could you expand that to QBs with six or more TD, rather than seven?
With 34 such games . . . Are you paying my hourly rate?
You’ll be paid in igglesblitz credits… blitzcoinz.
Hmmm
I believe that means fifteen minutes of in-home LASIK…
youre probably going to need some sunglasses afterwards. i hear Tommy knows a guy…
All in the service of having more modern day QB history, as much as kids named Sid adds glitz…
eh, where’s that shah idiot spouting his normal vick nonsense?
Didja hear? Vick didn’t play today.
No wonder we looked so fucking good then
C’mon. Easy on the mustard.
4 days ago “kelly only came here because of Vick” “vick changed the way the game was played” “Vick dragged bad teams to wins” “vick *is* the quarterback on the roster”
LMAO enjoy your crow you eejit
Just a mild suggestion that you tone down the volume on the crowing.
But crow as much as you wish
As someone who crowed, I like to think I did so at an appropriate volume. 🙂
I’ll tone down the swearing (I was expecting a filter) but Foles’ performance today, vs giants and tampa vindicate anyone who wanted us to move on from Vick, regardless of the Dallas game.
Shah has literally nonstop posted inane nonsense about Vick being amazing. Vick hasn’t even been competent since 2010 for goodness sake.
Thank you! We expect people on Tommy’s site to be respectful, we don’t rely on filters or moderators. Keep it cool, or the community will let you know.
Being opinionated is welcomed!
I’ll be sure to remember!
Nothing I’ve said about his history or Chip’s motivation has turned different today, and as for the last statement, why don’t we just enjoy the upcoming games? We will have plenty more chances to see Foles.
lmao, keep spinning!
don’t need to spin
Thank god
Only have to look at the state line to see Vick wasn’t platinum. He’s had some great games to be sure, but this was other worldly!
I am little concerned. The Eagles barley moved the ball at all in the fourth quarter. Sure the offense looked good for the first three quarters, but I think it is clear that Chip Kelly’s college offense was figured out by the fourth quarter. This offense will never work in the National Football League. 🙂
time of possession!!!! our defense is going to be so exhausted! thats why they gave up the late TD!
Just seeing the state 7td’s 0 into doesn’t even look like a real state. SO happy for Nick. GOOD GOD AI would give anything to have been able to see this game! Living in New England with no Sunday ticket is punishing.
Will Foles start for the rest of the year???
Last 4 Vick Games:
39/80, 49% completion, 584 yards, 7.3 y/a, 1 TD, 3 Int, 1-4 overall record
Last 5 Foles Games:
74/117, 63% comp, 1028 yards, 8.8 y/a, 13 TD, 0 Int, 2-1 overall record
Enough said?
You’d think that would be enough said, but then local and national media won’t have an obvious angle to pursue…
Obviously, Shady can’t run with Nick in at QB. Gotta go back to Vick.
Yeah… that’s a good one.
Can’t remember the exact words chip used, to say what Foles had to do to keep the job. Think he came pretty close today.
I thought it was something like 100/100 for 27 TDs. For those keeping track at home, Foles has 13 TDs in less than 4 games worth of work. A sustained pace like this would be a season for the ages.
Know a friend of the Long Island medium, She’s is reporting a contact from Al Davis, instructing front office to keep Foles in Oakland, in exchange for their 2014 draft and 2015 1st rounder.
Losing Al Davis really stole a lot of the fun of draft day for me. Now it’s pretty much up to the Cowboys to supply all the comically bad owner-driven decisions. I had hoped Shad Khan would rise to the occasion because he has the perfect look but sadly he seems to be of sound and rational mind.
Don’t forget the Cardinals.
Before the recent Al Davis, there were the Cards — like Christmas every year.
Obviously Reid – Heckert were getting into that territory, too, but it’s not as fun when it’s your own team.
SEE, McCoy, Matt; Smith, Bryan et. al.
My perspective on Foles has always been the same: He needs to be a top-flight passer to compensate for his lack of foot speed. Today, he played like the best quarterback of all-time.
Indeed he did. Better even.
Dude, give it a rest. Foles is more agile and has more functional foot speed than many of the starting QBs in the league. Your arguement on thursday was garbage and it’s even more ridiculous now. Take your crow and go eat it in the back room.
Yeah I don’t get where this “Foles is the slowest QB evah” stuff comes from. He’s not fleet of foot, but he has functional mobility, which is all you need. He’s not a statue in the pocket.
What I’ve thought he did need to improve to be an NFL starter was his accuracy on the deep ball, and he threw a couple of beauties today. That’s encouraging.
Straight line speed and arm strength are extremely overrated. Foles is adequate in both regards. I actually think he looks very athletic out there, you can tell he has played some hoops. Great footwork.
How quickly people forget Drew Bledsoe and Eagles’ fan Phil Simms. They often had trouble getting out from behind the center.
You give it a rest. There’s no need for vitriol over a QB discussion. All I said was that Foles had an obstacle he’d have to overcome on the path to becoming the Eagles QB on a more permanent basis. I didn’t say he sucked or anything like that. I’ve thought since last year that he’s better than Vick, for multiple reasons. Today, he took a huge step towards proving he could overcome that obstacle.
Every quarterback ever needs to be a good passer.
Obviously, but that’s not at all what I said. Before this game, I already saw him as a good passer. My only point, and I’m not sure why this is such anathema to some people on here, is that he needed to be more than a good passer to make up for what he doesn’t offer with his legs. Foles’s arm alone at this juncture has proven to be the best option the Eagles have by far. I’d love nothing more than for him to be “the guy.” He has everything he needs to outside of his physical limitations, and I just wasn’t sure that would consistently be enough. I’m still not entirely sure he can, but his play spoke loudly today. As people had correctly pointed out, he had not played enough to judge him. Why is it then that anyone who has anything less than reverential to say about him in any respect is a Foles hater, and consequently a Vick lover? We point out the shortcomings of players all the time, yet for some reason with QBs, it’s heresy. When Nate Allen plays well, as he has for the last 5 weeks, no one comes on here and tells anyone who doubted him to eat crow.
I’m just saying, footspeed is a secondary consideration for a QB. Nick Foles offers the same capability running with the football as nearly every other NFL QB in the modern era. The QBs who offer something with their legs are the exception… and while they are exciting to watch, they generally aren’t very good QBs.
He does and it is, but nearly every other NFL QB hasn’t played in an offense that, regardless of how important one might think it is, includes and thrives on the problems caused by the read-option or at least the illusion of it. If he continues to be a highly effective passer and pick up those 5-yard gains when he does keep it, then it will end up being a non-issue.
I think from what we’ve seen if you have a QB that can identify the weak point in a defense and attack it, you will be just fine in this offense. The QB keeper option is still there and still serves its purpose with Foles in the game. But I think it gets way too much emphasis how much a centerpiece of the offensive scheme it is. The point is to get the defense to defend an extra gap, nothing more.
dunno where my previous post went, but I just said it should be clear by now the qb keeper option is not and does not need to be the focal point of the offense. The scheme is all about creating weak points in the defense. What you need first and foremost is a guy who can identify those weak points and exploit them. The keeper option is just a way of forcing the defense to defend an extra gap, nothing more than that. It’s not really meant to bust big plays, even though it does occasionally if the QB is a good runner.
Of course it’s not the focal point. An elite passer is better in any offense than an average passer who’s also an above-average runner, but that’s better than just an average passer. All I’ve been saying is that Nick Foles had to fall into the first category and be more than an average passer. He did that in spades against the Raiders.
Can we please petition to the NFL to have no more home games??
London here we come!… Scratch that thought!!!
So is Foles a Roseman draft pick?
Or is he a Reid draft pick?
Just getting an early start on the week’s by-play.
Roseman. 2012 was all Roseman (atleast to the leaked stories out of novacare)
A —
That’s a homerun
To be fair to ‘Big Red’, he wanted Russell Wilson.
Franchise QB at last! Franchise QB at last!
Thank God almighty, Franchise QB at last!
Re: Foles physical limitations:Didn’t seem to limit him today.
People base that on his slow 40 time. People forget that Foles was good enough to play high school basketball
People base that on his slow 40 time. People forget that Foles was good enough to play high school basketball at collage powerhouse Georgetown if he wanted to.
Didnt knew that.
He might only have been a bench player in the NBA, but he has better athleticism than people give him credit for
Whoa, I didn’t say anything about the NBA. 🙂
I got carried away 😛
Do you guys remember how clumsy McNabb looked playing with the Syracuse guys? Basketball is hard!
Honestly… No.
That’s him on the left, correct?
I tried to find a clip. I think I really only saw him on “Beyond the Glory”. To my recollection, he just didn’t look to have the agility for bball. Which is not to say he wasn’t a world class athlete.
I agree with Foles and Kelly, credit goes to the team. A record like this isn’t an individual record – its a team record. Tonight – our Eagles scored 7 TDs in 3 quarters against a strong defense. The Broncos only had 5 TDs at the same point, Sept 5 — the final two TDs came in the 4th, the last in the final 5 minutes. Our Eagles put up 406 yds of passing offense in 22 plays resulting in 49 points. The Broncos put up the same points in 27 plays. Of course, it took the Broncos 42 attempts to get those numbers compared to our 28 attempts. WOW.
Chip knows what he is doing. Loving this ride…
i think some of this can be attributed to Sopoaga being traded. it put veteras on notice that while he was not a long term solution, that even if you have tenure in the league it does not mean youll play if you dont execute. for what its worth i was more impressed with our D than our offense. granted the raiders are in shambles on O but pryor is a threat and they have good players. they held them to 13 points for most of the game. is there any doubt now that we need to play NIck more to see how the team responds? you can also point to how much crap he took for the Dallas game and how much the team loves the kid. hes a tough as nails player, and the team rallied behind him directing the O like a composer of an orchestra.
With this performance, the Packers game just got a lot more interesting…
It’s an away game so we have a chance.
Gives me a confidence boost!
yup yup yup
Green Bay doesn’t look like it will be *too* cold…
Ike Reese: Nick’s up here, then he’s down here, then he’s throwing 7 touchdowns. I don’t know who the real Nick Foles is! Nick, do us all a favor and have a nice average game!I don’t rely on Ike for wisdom, but he done good here.
What happens to Riley Cooper when Foles is the QB? Does Cooper have multiple personality disorder and suddenly his alternative personality manifests itself and he becomes a legit No. 2 WR?
Foles/Copper… i see no crime.
Foles is better at anticipating throws than Vick and Cooper will never be able to outrun a CB, so he has to be thrown open.
Well to be exact..Cooper only had good games against rookie CBs so far.
Cooper was pretty decent against the Cowboys consider how crap the QB play was that week.
Let’s just give the o-line some much deserved credit, they did great in pass pro and opened up some nice holes in the run game as well.
Oh and Nick Foles played kinda okay too
Defense did a really nice job in the 2nd half. Ryans had another good game today and he was all over the field. Ditto Kendricks although he struggled a bit as a spy on Pyror at times. Cole has arguably his best game of the year and possibly the last 2 years.
The guy who continues to impress me the most though on defense is Fletcher. Fletcher isn’t a dynamic CB who is going to put up several INTs over the course of a year orshutdown a big-time WR but he is has been a much needed steadying force on a shaky secondary.
Fletcher generally seems to be in the right position most of the time with good situational awareness of where the first-down marker is & the sideline. Not a great tackler either but a guy who has made most of the tackles he has had to make this year too.
Fletcher like Barwin, has been great FA picksups. They are perfect #2 at their position, but need a true play maker opposite them (I like Cole and Williams scrappiness ,but both are not stars)
Exactly right. It’s nice to get some FA’s that meet (or even slightly exceed) expectations. But the thing that has been so foreign to me has been the consistency. The Eagles identity for years has been so up and down, even at the individual player level. Seems like every young player that comes through, one day we have a talented and promising young player, the next game he’s a goat, then he’s a pro-bowler the next game…then he’s a goat again, next thing you know he’s a bust. And there’s always circumstances, why our talent suddenly sucks, always an excuse for it. Just really nice to have some guys come in and be dependably solid.
Yep. As Tommy always said. Rather have a consistent overachiever, who you know will bust his ass off over the underachieving super talent like DRC.
hah. funny how our expectations of our FAs have changed. we get a guy who is solid and can do his job and we are singing his praises!
(not trying to argue or make fun of you, i’m doing the same thing :P)
I started out listening to the game while at my son’s soccer game. It was Oakland announcers and they were very complementary of our middle linebackers.
Gary Kubiak collapsed walking off the field at halftime in Houston. Scary.
Then the John Fox thing, and Mike Smith had a similar thing happen last year. No doubt these guys deal with incredible pressure in this league, and barely show it, easy to take it for granted.
I mean when you think of it, Andy Reid loses his son, has the better than 8-8 ultimatum placed on his job, I can’t believe he was still standing at the end of the season.
Yeah… it’s only alluded to on “Hard Knocks” but head coaches spend something like 17-20 hours a day in their facilities… most do, anyway. Can’t be healthy. Even if you love your job.
I’ve had a documentary about stress cued up on Netflix for at least a year but I’m too afraid to watch it…
Stressing you out having it there for so long?
It wasn’t until you mentioned that! Thanks, Andy!
So, when does Foles get his sign put up next to Adrian Burk!!!
Wow, Luck is 6 of 20 for 89 yards. If he gets a concussion, I wonder if he will have to compete for the starting job when he gets better.
only if he were 33
I think he was referring to Foles game against the Cowboys,
oops!!!
Its very Foles like right now.
What did I say? Nick Friggin’ Foles!
Eat your hearts out disbelievers.
Foles earned the right to start the next seven games regardless if Vick is healthy. By the end of these seven games, we’ll know if he’s earned the right to be the starter in 2014 as well. I really had the door almost shut on Foles’s chances of being a franchise QB, barring a freakish performance. He had a freakish performance, so that door is wide freakin open again.
My take on this an Foles mania: There is a feeling of, “well where do we go from here?” on Foles’ development. And the answer is almost certainly, well, down, the question is how far.
The key is not to get too hung up on results. Chances are Foles will never again get the results we just witnessed today. He was really sharp, and things just worked. The key will be watching the film. Foles can still grow every week and become a better QB, even if it doesn’t show up in the stat line quite like today’s performance did. He will face tougher challenges in the future, and he will have to develop to face them.
I’m excited to see Nick play some more, watch him grow, and watch this story unfold. I won’t consider lesser results a let down or a drop-off.
Yup.
Be honest if he can just play like the end of the Giants game and close to the Bucs game, we will have a very good QB.
I’m just enjoying the moment. Haven’t seen anything this good in too long a time.
This was the greatest passing performance in the history of the NFL in terms of stats.
well said, Ark!
Lets not forget the kid doesn’t even have a full year of starting experience under his belt yet. That makes today even more incredible.
At the end of the day, there’s at least one thing we can all agree on: It feels great to see a QB play fantastically in an Eagles uniform and lead the team to a win. It’s easy to get caught up in the minutiae and emotional swings of the season, but the only thing a reasonable fan wants is for the team to win, and the chances of that happening increase exponentionally when the QB goes out there and plays at a high level.
What is everybody’s thoughts about the defensive performance today?
just watching the game, i thought they played very well. couldn’t get Pryor down for as many sacks as i would have liked, but he’s just the kind of guy to make that difficult, so i’m not going to complain there.
but statistically speaking, they gave up almost 200 yards against the rush and close to 600 yards total?
yes, i know that the stats don’t tell the whole story, but its like two different games!
The Raiders got a lot of yards in the 4th quarter and else it was mainly Pryor scrambles + magic passes.
They had 255 in the first half, 124 in the 3rd quarter, and 156 in the 4th…I’d hardly characterize that as a alot in the 4th quarter unless I characterized that as alot in all quarters.
Its alot of yards no matter how you spin it to an offense that was averaging less than 330 per game coming into the contest.
hey where’d you find those numbers? just want to review things on my own. not that i don’t trust you…. i just want to read more. : )
To to the box score and check out the drive charts.
yea but most of the first 3 quarters was basicly Pryor scrambling or those two huge catches. There wasnt really any rytheme to their offense until McGloin came in and the Eagles backup D was in
some thoughts:
* as mentioned elsewhere, nick foles had more TDs (7) than incompletions (6)
* by my count, we got 49 points in only 56 plays, including Barkley in mop up time. thats 0.875 points per play! (or 1.14 plays per point if you want to look at it that way)
* time of possession (h/t jimmyk):Raiders: 37:54 Eagles: 22:06
i wish that i could put together stats that only cover the first 3 quarters of the game. my guess is that the points per play would be even better!
EDIT:
just noticed that Oakland actually had more yards on the day than we did! what in the hell?
Do you think maybe they’re counting all the yards Pryor ran laterally behind the line of scrimmage?
How about foles throwing for more tds in 3 quarters than vick has all season lol
Best part about Foles today was the throws he was making. Fit a deep one in a tight window to DSJ for a long gainer. Great anticipation throw for Cooper’s first. Lead the receivers well on screens. Fit another tough one in to DSJ for the 17 yarder on 3rd down. Loved what I saw.
If we don’t have to draft Mariota or Bridgewater, we are free to take a freak like Mike Evans from Texas A&M. I have him second on my initial big board behind Jadeveon Clowney.
i would love to be able to go for the best player instead of the best qb!
Do I still just have a huge chubby over this game or did Foles’ deep ball have plenty of zip? The torque he put on the ball seemed like more than in the past. I also just watched an ESPN highlight, where Marcus Allen said that Nick Foles beat out Mike Vick because of deep ball accuracy……. hmmm
My one criticism of the game was our inability to run out the clock in the 4th quarter. The Raiders should never have scored that TD.