If Nick Foles is in fact the future of the Eagles’
franchise, then that future will have to wait. At his day-after press
conference, Andy Reid left little doubt that Michael Vick will be the starter
whenever he’s able to return from a concussion, which might be as soon as next
Monday night against Carolina.
The announcement might be disheartening to fans that would
like to see what Foles brings to the table, or are just looking for any reason
the Eagles can remain relevant. What we’ve seen through one-and-a-half games was
not nearly enough to make any kind of firm evaluation about what the team has
in the third rounder out of Arizona.
That said, Foles hasn’t exactly looked NFL-ready, either. He’s
completed 43 of 78 passes for 423 yards, which are good for a subpar 55.1
completion percentage and 5.4 yards per attempt, while throwing 1 touchdown to
3 interceptions.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
That’s not to suggest Foles hasn’t shown any promise. He throws
a nice ball and makes some good decisions. The Eagles lacked the ability to go
vertical on Sunday though. Foles was eased into his first start in Washington
with all types of screens and quick passes, but when they did try to go down
the field, the young quarterback either didn’t trust what he saw, or simply
could not get the ball there. DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin were held to a pair of
catches for five yards, which just about sums up Foles’ inability to make
things happen on the outside
Obviously it’s not entirely his fault. The offensive line is
bad, and the Philadelphia was constantly in long down and distance thanks to a
combination of an ineffective running game and multiple backbreaking penalties. But while it
hasn’t exactly been a banner year for Vick either, it’s difficult not to draw
the conclusion he still gives the Birds the best chance to win – not that
expectations are very high.
Vick is said to be improving, and the Eagles will see where
he’s at as the week progresses. Should he start if healthy, or should Andy roll
with Foles regardless?
I don’t think it matters much. It’s not like Reid will be
the person making the decisions next season.
News
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}