• March 19, 2024

Time For The Eagles To Prove They Are Great

On September 25, Darren Sproles exited Lincoln Financial FIeld with a broken arm and a torn ACL. The news put a damper on a thrilling victory over the New York Giants, and many speculated losing the starting running back and best offensive weapon would derail the Eagles’ season when it was just getting started.

What happened next? LeGarrette Blount responded the following week with 136 yards and 8.5 yards per carry in a win over the Chargers.

In the following game, the Eagles’ most valuable defensive player, Fletcher Cox, was ruled out against the Arizona Cardinals. The rest of the defensive line stepped up to hold the Cardinals to just six yards per pass and 2.2 yards per rush, as well as forcing a fumble and two sacks.

Fast-forward to Week 7, when the Eagles lost both Jason Peters and Jordan Hicks for the season. They rallied to overcome what even non-Philadelphia sports media sources called one of the most unfairly officiated games of the year, to defeat a surging Panthers team to improve to 5-1 on national television. Backup left tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai would even hold Von Miller to just one sack a few weeks later when the Eagles decimated the Broncos 51-23 to reach an 8-1 record.

And most recently, without the Eagles’ best receiving target Zach Ertz yesterday, Trey Burton stepped up with two touchdown scores.

Time and time again, this Eagles team has overcome adversity and overcome the loss of critical players. When one player is either injured or struggling, another steps up. Carson Wentz is the latest Eagle to be lost for the season. If the Eagles truly are a championship team they will step up once again.

Make no mistake about it, the gravity of the Eagles’ loss of Wentz is great. The likely 2017 MVP had thrown 33 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. To expect Nick Foles to replicate such production would be too much to expect.

But it is not too much to expect Foles to play well, as he did in Wentz’s absence. It is not too much to expect the running game to play more of a dominant role, particularly the immensely talented Jay Ajayi. It is not too much to expect the receiving corp to continue to make plays regardless of who is throwing them the ball. And it is not too much to expect the defensive line to continue to harass opposing passers and running backs.

It is also not too much to expect the Eagles to win two out of their three remaining games against the Giants, Raiders, and Cowboys, even without Wentz, to clinch a first-round bye and homefield advantage.

In 1999, when St. Louis Rams starter Trent Green tore his ACL in the preseason, the team rallied behind Kurt Warner to win the Super Bowl. When the New England Patriots lost Tom Brady to a torn ACL in 2008, they rallied behind Matt Cassel to reach an 11-5 record. And in 2017, the Vikings lost starter Sam Bradford to a knee injury in Week 1, but are currently a 10-3 team with backup Case Keenum leading them.

The Eagles are a good football team, but great football teams will always find a way. If the Eagles want to prove to the world that they are a great football team, now is their chance.

Yueh Ho

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rotaryfiend
rotaryfiend
December 13, 2017 12:19 pm

Drinking the kool-aid!

Let’s hope we have a good run out of Foles. Balance becomes more important now as well as the bye and home field for the tournament. If we win 2 out of the next 3 I am a very happy camper.

Eaglehaslanded
Eaglehaslanded
December 13, 2017 12:56 pm

Just starting to get out of the muck of depression about loosing Carson this season. Gotta buck up boys..still more games to play and win starting Sunday against the New Jersey midgets. One game at a time…on the road to victory.
FLY EAGLES FLY!!!

haveacigar
haveacigar
December 13, 2017 5:23 pm

Couple of points now that the dust has settled-
1. I tried not to listen to the radio, read this or listen to doug/players–
2. Foles is an accomplished back up- no need to alter the game plan.
3. The defense, their strengths/weaknesses and coverage packages and game conditions determine run/pass ratio
4. Doug has been fantastic- reason he’s been fantastic– his moves have worked– remember HAC has said when plays work it was a good call, when they don’t bad call–
5. I just heard that a birds win and vikings loss is home field … go freaking bengals- vikes have a downtrodden/rodgers back team the following week.
6. get homefield throughout and foles can win for sure.

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
December 13, 2017 6:04 pm

Wentz had a substantial chance to be the league MVP. Wentz was delivering TD through the air consistently.
Foles is better than that little midget they had last year but Foles put 2 filed goals on the board instead of TDs verse LA Rams. The scoreboard already reflected the difference. Wentz was putting up TDs.

haveacigar
haveacigar
December 13, 2017 6:27 pm

agreed but it was a very very small sample size in the 4th quarter of a very close game- coming in cold- anyone who thinks foles doesn’t have it in him to throw TD passes at a very high rate obviously has a dumb/negative agenda- you mention Wentz TD through the air consistently– Foles has done it- We are in decent hands– we won’t see the magicianship like we did with wentz — which was special-

DMAN
DMAN
December 13, 2017 7:26 pm

Lock up home field advantage and we have a legitimate chance to run the table. Foles is very well capable taking us to the SB. #1 seed is the key

Berks
Berks
December 13, 2017 8:00 pm

Foles will be our Jeff Hostetler !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CT
CT
December 13, 2017 10:24 pm
Reply to  Berks

People keep calling Nick Foles a back up quarterback. Is he??

The dude went 15-4 in philly if you don’t include his rookie record when he went 1-5.

He came back the next year and went 7-2.

Are people calling him a backup because he can’t scramble like wentz?? Or he’s not as athletic.

Foles is actually more athletic then most think. He was a damn good basketball player growing up apparently. He can move a little bit for sure.

The best qbs of all time aren’t that athletic. U just gonna prove you can sling the damn ball, and Foles can put it anywhere.

He’s a big 6’6 240 qb that can make all the throws and move when he has to.

We can’t judge Foles based off of Jeff fisher
People would judge Goff labeling him a bust, and case keenum as a journeymen nobody. Now look at both of em!!

I can tell you one thing I would Nick Foles over:

Mariota
Winston
Newton
Matt Ryan
Jay cutler
Ryan tannehill
Kirk cousins
Eli
Trevor sieman
Paxton Lynch
Alex smith
Carson palmer
Keenum
Dalton
Flacco
Kizer

zilents44
zilents44
December 14, 2017 11:00 am
Reply to  CT

Only one I question is Newton, Newton can do things no other qb can but he’s super inconsistent so can’t argue too much

mhenski
mhenski
December 14, 2017 11:36 am
Reply to  zilents44

newton also cant do things EVERY other qb can…

mhenski
mhenski
December 14, 2017 11:38 am
Reply to  CT

are you really saying you would take foles over all these qbs?

Mariota
Winston
Newton
Matt Ryan
Jay cutler
Ryan tannehill
Kirk cousins
Eli
Trevor sieman
Paxton Lynch
Alex smith
Carson palmer
Keenum
Dalton
Flacco
Kizer

if thats what ur saying god damn man, you must not watch football ever

CT
CT
December 14, 2017 11:45 am
Reply to  mhenski

Mhenski I can make a argument for Foles over all those qbs.

And not just a argument, a GREAT one also.

People are calling him a back up just because of what happened to him in St. Louis

He is better then Alec smith. Believe me. A lot of chiefs fans that I know personally and even saw through tv wanted him to start over alex smith. He won’t of course Cause he’s not as fast

mhenski
mhenski
December 14, 2017 2:09 pm
Reply to  CT

bro i can make an argument the sun wont rise tomorrow. whatever makes you sleep good at night… nick foles couldnt hold the jock of 90+% of the people on that list and the entire professional football league knows it. aka the experts. aka the talent evaluators aka the people who know

they have spoke and said fuck no nick foles aint in the top 30 qbs in the nfl. thats a fact. thats what the paid professionals have said

you wanna make an argument go for it but your wrong and not even close

CT
CT
December 14, 2017 3:37 pm
Reply to  mhenski

LOL

Yeah because these so called “experts” u speak of are 110% right all of the time

That’s why they would put Ryan leaf and Russell as number 1 picks??

And Brady a 6th rounder. Rodgers a 25th pick? Wilson a third rounder??

The list can go on and on and on.

Nick Foles is better then Kirk cousins and Dak Prescott

U can make a argument about the sun noT coming up if u want to use an analogy that doesn’t make sense

Cool

mhenski
mhenski
December 14, 2017 5:28 pm
Reply to  CT

Lmfao at foles better than Dak & cousins. Ha. Get ur ass to rehab ASAP

haveacigar
haveacigar
December 14, 2017 5:35 pm
Reply to  mhenski

CT…. I like foles .. ur list tho… I believe there are 3SB wins and a couple defeats on that list….
I struggle with my read on Foles.
1. Great success when chips offense was new and electric
2. Chip didn’t want him but chip is an ass that makes dumb decisions
3. You are correct Fisher is a QB killer and the dysfunction of his team is not a fair judge.
4. He can sling it… I think he is in the middle of your list until proven otherwise because some of those guys have similar successes and challenges as Foles

CT
CT
December 14, 2017 6:50 pm
Reply to  haveacigar

It wasn’t Chip Kelly scheme that made him look elite. That was overblown by the media labeling his scheme “new” and “innovative”. It wasn’t anything geniUs” either.

A lot of what Doug Pederson runs, is what chip Kelly ran.

If the system was so great how come Michael Vick who went 3-5 looked so awful to average?

What about barkely who lost in the system?

Nick Foles is a baller. And is a lot better then people think.

Would any of u rather have case keenum over Foles!!?!?!

CT
CT
December 14, 2017 6:53 pm
Reply to  CT

Mhenskie

Use logic , instead of emotion.

Give Nick Foles that oline, Dez, jason witten, and Ezekiel elliot and he would lead the dallas cowboys to a Divison title.

Kirk cousins is stat stuffer. He’s talented. And would be GREAT IN Denver. However he will always make the bad throw when it counts most

Do not forget that nick Foles was the last qb to beat Kirk cousins for 6 games before wentz did it!!! LOL

That was the game when Foles got knocked the F out and still stayed up and got us the W when jason peters got ejected

haveacigar
haveacigar
December 15, 2017 8:17 am
Reply to  CT

CT- all teams run many of the same plays some exactly alike others with variations — terminology is different but doug and chip (and like a zillion other coaches) run an inside and outside zone, a RPO etc– many teams use a pace in the offense- Manning did it w/the colts first then chip went the whole game with it– that was chips innovation- that pace really could impact, however to do that its very difficult to audible (chip never allowed it) so teams once they catch up to the speed they pretty much know the play
finally Pedersons playbook probably has 5 times as many plays.

mhenski
mhenski
December 15, 2017 2:12 pm
Reply to  CT

if i was using emotion i would say cousins and dak r trash and nick foles is better than both and its not debatable

haveacigar
haveacigar
December 14, 2017 7:46 pm
Reply to  CT

It was the pace of his offense…. not his scheme. His scheme proved elementary…. that first year defenses couldn’t match personnel because of speed. But chip never adjusted his scheme
Comparing chips offense to Peterson is DUMB…. chip had about 20 plays and zero audibles…. that is dumb

CT
CT
December 14, 2017 8:44 pm
Reply to  haveacigar

Pederson runs a lot of the same stuff chip Kelly ran. That’s been said and reported by ex coaches and analyst

We even see the eagles go into hurry up no huddle a few times with wentz

Two different coaches

Two different schemes I get it

But he does run a lot of what chip Kelly ran

haveacigar
haveacigar
December 15, 2017 5:57 pm
Reply to  haveacigar

CT- Pederson is based in a bastardized WCO- he has added more RPO packages– they run as many similar plays as about 80% of the league– its a dumb point when pointing to foles success/failure- Foles being w/Andy/Doug for many years is more of the impactful point.

rotaryfiend
rotaryfiend
December 14, 2017 11:28 am

I think Foles probably shat himself when he was called into the Rams game and I feel we cannot use that as an accurate depiction of what to expect. Pressure cooker. We will see how he runs the offense, paying most attention to red zone productivity, in his first full game. Glad it is the 2017 Giants this week.

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
December 15, 2017 8:30 am

Wentz seemed to be taking 20 hits a game as Eagle QB. Foles will chuck and duck before he absorbs that kind of abuse. Foles last tour with Eagles relied heavily on WR screens and McCoy screens. Eagles screen game is non existent in 2017. They have a piss poor RB screen game, one on the worst in the NFL. Maybe Wentz doesn’t like the RB screens which is why it is piss poor & why they don’t use it? We will see this week. Foles success as a KC backup and Chip Kelly starter was heavily reliant on RB & WR screens. Will those Foles friendly screens return, if they don’t then we know Pederson doesn’t trust his RBs?

haveacigar
haveacigar
December 15, 2017 8:41 am

For those of you in need of a true “number 1” WR- I see that Mr. Suspension himself, J. Gordon has been back like one game and is already stirring the pot- a perceived shot at their young QB.

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
December 15, 2017 8:49 am

Sixers vs OKC tonight on ESPN. If Covington is still injured after that fall into the stands ( hurt back) Sixers have no one capable of defending Russell Westbrook. He torched McConnell previously. Bayless is awful defensively probably Sixers worst defender . Reddick too slow. Simmons is too slow. TLC gets no respect from officials ( if his pinky finger touches a scorer the officials blow the whistle with a foul) Sixers only hope may be trade their 3 pointers for Westbrook 2 pointers. But Sixers 3 point game is on decline as the season progresses because Starters are playing more minutes due to injuries to 2nd team reserves and it is taking a toll on their 3 point percentage.