Saint Nick Sets More Records, Eagles Make Playoffs With Chicago Bear Upset Of Minnesota
The 2018 season is not over yet, friends!
The Philadelphia Eagles are alive and well, and will in fact have the opportunity to properly defend their Super Bowl title in the NFL playoffs!
A 24-0 thrashing of the Washington Redskins coupled with a Minnesota Vikings’ meltdown have granted the Birds the sixth seed in the NFC, and a trip to Chicago to take on the young Bears next weekend!
Quarterback Nick Foles continued to serve as the catalyst for the team’s revival, with 221 yards and two touchdowns, completing 28 of 33 passes.
Saint Nick isn’t just winning football games; he’s setting records, by the week. Last week, he set two team records, throwing for 471 yards, as well as gaining sole possession for most 400-yard games in team history.
This week, Foles set the team record for completion percentage in a game, and tied the NFL record for consecutive completions in a game with 25 straight. Foles hit the 25 straight passes after throwing his only interception of the game. How’s that for bouncing back from early adversity??
Foles is truly a wonder to behold, and it is incredibly exciting to see him quarterback this team in the playoffs one more time. The reigning Super Bowl MVP did leave the game with a chest injury, but according to reports should be good to go for next week’s playoff match.
Doug Pederson Deserves Credit For Holding This Team Together
As much as Saint Nick rightfully gets a great deal of credit for the run this team has gone on over the last three weeks, you have to give a lot of credit to head coach Doug Pederson for keeping this ship together through some very trying times over the course of the year.
After the ugliness down in New Orleans, it would have been easy for this team to come apart at the seams. They’ve gone 5-1 since that game, and had the officials not whiffed on the “clear recovery” on the opening kickoff, the Eagles may have gone into the playoffs on a six-game winning streak.
This is a team that’s hot at the right time, and should be feared by all teams in the playoff picture. Doug deserves so much of the credit there.
Quick Thoughts
Offense
- The Eagles had a perfect 50-50 run-pass ratio today, with 34 runs and 34 passes.
- I thought Doug did an excellent job of mixing Josh Adams, Wendell Smallwood, and Darren Sproles in the running back rotation. Adams and Smallwood had almost identical numbers, with 12 and 11 carries respectively for 53 and 50 yards, each with a long of 13. Both guys also combined for seven catches out of the backfield.
- Foles once again did an excellent job spreading the ball around, hitting eight different receivers on the day.
- Alshon Jeffery’s chemistry with Foles was once again on full display, with a key third down grab, and a tough catch on the team’s first touchdown to go up 10-0 before the half.
- Nelson Agholor has rejoined the offense, coming through with two straight big games, scoring two touchdowns this week.
- Nate Sudfeld took over for Foles in the fourth quarter, and tossed his first career touchdown pass on his only throw.
- Golden Tate made a weak drop on a ball that should have been caught in the first quarter. Tate has been very up and down during his time here, it remains to be seen what he contributes in the playoffs, but the trade still does not look like a good one to this point.
- Quietly Stefan Wisniewski’s return to the starting lineup has really stabilized the offensive line. Isaac Seumalo’s absence has been addition by subtraction.
Defense
- Even if it was just Josh Johnson under center today, shutting out a team in the NFL is never easy, and not only did the Eagles accomplish that, but they even held the Redskins to under 100 total yards of offense.
- Fletcher Cox anchored the defensive line with a career-high three sacks.
- Michael Bennett chipped in the team’s fourth.
- Rasul Douglas has been tremendous as of late. He led the team in tackles for the third straight game, and also came down with another interception. He’s looking more and more like a key piece of this defense moving forward.
- Ditto, Avante Maddox.
- Future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson was bottled up for 0 yards on just four carries.
Special Teams
- Jake Elliot drilled all of his kick attempts.
- I thought LaRoy Reynolds was pretty active throughout the game, making several special teams stops.
Final Thoughts
On to Chicago, everyone!
The Bears are a heck of a defensive team, and Chicago is a very difficult place to go on the road and win.
But Mitchell Trubisky is also a young quarterback entering the playoffs for the first time. If the Eagles are able to contain Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen and avoid turnovers on the offensive side of the ball?
Anything can happen.
After watching what this team has accomplished over the last year, it’d be crazy to start doubting them now!
Firstly, we trounce the vikings in philly , in last years playoffs, taking away home field and a superbowl. Now the vikes again choke , once again providing the gift that keeps on giving. Tremendous win by the Birds who stared a long off-season at 4-6 and not showing up in new orleans. Adversity is for this squad a plus. Without Nick none of this happens, as the offensive flow of the game is so much more apparrent. The defense , seems to be awakening and making key plays and creating turnovers. The Facts are the birds are playing their fourth road game out of its last 5 . if not for an aggregious Dallas call(s) the birds would be 6-0 , rather than 5-1. The Bears and the fog bowl redemption would be befitting, and then the road to the bowl would go through the big easy. Now thats prophecy! happy healthy new years to all. Lets play on
Gutsy game again by number 9. He’s amazing. Like, seriously amazing. The offense was so stagnant and predictable under Wentz. Then Foles comes in and it’s like they hit a switch. No reason why we can’t win next week in Chicago. They’re all tough games from here on out. Shout out to Doug, he’s been great and really has them ready to play. Malcolm, Fletch, Alshon too. Big shout out to Big Red as well for clinching AFC home field today. They’ve had a hell of a season and will be tough to beat in KC.
I agree. I actually like our chances in Chicago and throughout the playoffs. Every team has obvious flaws. Not one team is omnipotent.
Foles has always been great. Journalists were just too eager to write him off, for one reason or another – and many still do.
I remember the year we drafted Foles in 2012 and when he stepped in for Vick, this was under Andy Reid. Even though he only won one game, he still looked incredible: great touch passes, natural pocket presence, he could play. Strangely the narrative was very similar to that time as our line couldn’t block, so Vick was forced to scramble. But when Foles stepped in, suddenly, the line could block – sounds familiar? Journalists wrote that the line stepped up for Foles and not for Vick. I think Foles was calling the correct line protections. The one win which we did have, I believe there was a crossing route for Celek (not sure). I believe Foles modified that play in the huddle, if I’m not mistaken.
In 2013, Foles stepped in for Vick during the Giants game and we know what happened then. But before this, Chip Kelly’s offense looked stagnant (other than the 1st game against Washington). Phil Simms even made a negative comment about Kelly’s offense. Again, when Foles took the reigns, SUDDENLY, Kelly’s offense looked alive. Foles made a system with obvious flaws look incredible. Predictably, Foles wasn’t given any credit. It was “the system” although no other quarterback could make the system work. By the way, some of those RPO plays are still used, so apparently, it’s not the system that was failing.
If it wasn’t the system, it was the coaches. Pat Shurmur was credited with making a “horrible Foles” look decent. Foles was never given any credit.
If it wasn’t the coaches, it was the opposing team. The 7 TD game was because “it was the Raiders.”
The amazing win against Detroit was not about Foles being clutch, but because of “the weather.”
Then came last year. We all know the story. Wentz carried the team and created a perfect scenario for Foles to win the Super Bowl. Credit Wentz, and Foles was just lucky. But we all know that winning in the post-season even as the #1 seed is tough. As Eagle fan’s we’ve been there way too often.
Even after Foles won the Super Bowl, very little attention was given to his quarterback talent. From what I can tell, Foles’ strength is his pocket presence, anticipation, guts to step into throws, and long ball accuracy. What did we hear from journalists? The underdog story. Which is nice. But it’s only one-dimension to who Nick Foles is a player.
Then this year rolls around. Journalists don’t believe in Foles’s talent because we keep hearing that “Wentz’s ceiling is so much higher.” Every chance they get, instead of of reporting accurately, the spin the narrative that Foles is “Fools Gold.”
The Eagles first game against Atlanta is an ugly win, but it’s a win much like the Atlanta Playoff win. Foles didn’t play well, but it’s the 1st game of the season and he gets the W by calling another version of the Philly Special to spark the offense. A “W” thought to writers are is still a L to them. They have a narrative to fill.
The second game of the season against Tampa Bay was against a hot Fitzmagic. DeSean Jackson and Mike Evans torch our secondary. Our offensive line commits penalty after penalty putting our offense back to 2nd and 40. This team just beat the Saints, they are hot. Foles rallies, but our defense can’t get him the ball.
Foles’ stats for the game?
He passed 35/48, completed 73% of his throws for 334 yards 1 TD and 0 INT with a receiver group that consisted of Kamar Aiken, Joshua Perkins, and Shelton Gibson. Nick also threw an amazing touchdown to Aghalor, which would be his only TD of the season until he Foles re-emerged as the starting QB.
This “L” was music to journalist’s ears. Foles played horribly. I’ll put a note in here that Nick’s stats were pretty much equivalent to most of Carson Wentz’s games this year.
And that brings us up to the present. Good ole Saint Nick’s is not only piling up the stats, but he’s also setting new franchise and NFL records. He saved the season. But Foles, once again, isn’t given any credit to his talent.
What do we hear?
– For some reason, teammates are finally stepping up because their starting QB went down (as if they weren’t trying before)
– Pederson dumbed down the offensive because Foles just wasn’t as talented as Wentz. He had to make it easier
– The timing couldn’t have been more perfect because the offensive line was healthy. (Peters was out during Houston. Kelce had to be sidelined a couple of times. Big V stepped up)
– It was just that time of year, and it was magic. Not skill – magic.
– Wentz could have done all of this, and more. After all, he was in running for the MVP – last year. If only he were healthy, he could.
Finally, after the Washington Game, some sports journalists started to come around. Many are entertaining the idea if Foles could be a Franchise Quarterback for the Eagles. It’s rather interesting to hear because many are saying “No one saw this coming.” Yeah, well maybe they didn’t because they lived in their own echo chamber, which included many Wentz loyalists. But it was very funny to see them scratch their heads and wonder why?
Why did the Eagles not look like the defending Super Bowl Champs?
Uhm, because Nick Foles was the quarterback.
Why did the Eagles suddenly look like the defending Super Bowl Champs when the Super Bowl MVP stepped into the lineup?
Uhm, because Nick Foles is a big part of the reason why we won the Super Bowl. Why wouldn’t a team look better with its Super Bowl MVP is staring? Uhm…. really?
Foles is a great quarterback. We are here in the playoffs mostly because of his play. He’s a much better QB than Mitch Trubisky. The Bears lost to the Dolphins and Giants this year, so they are not invincible. They only won the 49ers by 5 points. I’m predicting a win.
Great points all around!
I was bothered early this year by the narrative that Foles “played poorly” in the first two games of the season as well.
I thought he was just fine in the Tampa game. Schwartz’s defense, which was completely healthy going in to that game, just gave up big play after big play. Elliot misses a kick before the half that might have swung momentum. But Foles himself wasn’t bad at all. Especially when you consider there was no Alshon, Mike Wallace went down early in that game, leaving the Eagles relying on the likes of Kamar Aiken to play a heavy amount of snaps.
And for some reason, the coaching staff wasn’t working Dallas Goedert in to the offense to help compensate for the issues at wide receiver, I believe Goedert didn’t even see 10 snaps in that game, Joshua Perkins had more of a role, which was completely ridiculous.
Great points, Steve Young. Nick Foles is 100% legit. The offense cooks with him at the helm. It’s 1..2..bam! Wentz was like zzzzzzzzz this year. Take away his legs and he just doesn’t hit big plays. The Wentz first quarter non-scoring crap was so infuriating. We can’t just let Foles walk after this year can we? No reason Carson can’t be the back up for now. We’re rolling. Go Birds!
Great Games/Season by Foles
Eagles are going to miss him when he’s gone for I don’t believe Wentz’s Health and Body will hold up to be a the long-term Franchise QB .. Knee, Shoulder & Back Injuries are a lot to overcome as you get older…
Take Wentz scrambling ability away which is his biggest strength and he’s average from the Pocket !!
Mummers were poppin today !!! Beers got drank. Some martinis too. People were smoking and dancing in the streets Only problem with philly is the rats All that walking and dancing really builds leg muscles Happy new year
Maga!! USA Eagles trophy
Paulman Returns Picks for Wildcard Weekend
Texans 31 – Colts 26
Seahawks 26 – Cowboys 23
Ravens 23 – LA Chargers 30
Eagles 23 – Bears 20
NCAA Championship
Clemson 34 – Alabama 32
Mock Draft for 2019 coming soon !!!
Make the Ravens 24 – Chargers 20 as a Final Score
I’m actually starting to believe that could be the real Paulman. Something about the tone of his posts rings true. But where are all the typos? Pman, did you get spell check? It that is you, I will be so happy. You’re the straw that stirs the drink on GCobb.com. Go Birds!
Keeping things real ; the vaunted Chicago Bearlys played a last place sked , in their last ten games , one playoff team appeared. The Rams. Jets buffalo detroit minny detroit giants rams packers 49ers minny . Not exactly murderers row. The superbowl winning qb is 9-1 vs any 1st time qb in the playoffs. The birds are playing in a playoff atmosphere , week after week , and as steve young so eloquently , addressed, Nick has vaulted himself into the national conciousness. Vegas has totally bought into the Bears; annointing there defense as impenetrable and placed them as 6 pt favorites. The birds and Nick are most comfortable in this role. I contend that Golden Tate will be the unwrapped xmas gift that is packaged to exploit the Bears, and the new found run/pass balance will allow for a comfortable win 24-13.
well that was beyond amazing! A double boonk by parkey after the most crucial Time out in Eagles playoff lure. What was obscured, was golden tates emergence , a divine intervention and a rematch for nick foles Eagles with brees in the big easy. They get an opportunity to erase there worst defeat, and imagine the story lines that would await. Playing Dallas for a superbowl reappearance or the Rams , the magic of St Nick continues and in the case of nicks contract, laden with incentives , todays win has catapulted the Organization in many layers. Nick will be tendered 20 million and the Thin qb draft class and teams with needs that pick early in the draft will be tempted to have a signed nick foles . Wed have two ones and two twos , so todays wn , was transcending beyond, moving on, its transformative . #goatinphillynickfoles
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