Risky move bringing back Nick Foles
Injury to Wentz could bring back quarterback controversy
Quick, what position are the Eagles best equipped to overcome an injury this season?
It’s not linebacker, where the reported hand injury to playmaker Jordan Hicks underscores the lack of experienced, reliable defensive depth. Hicks could play with a broken hand, if that’s the diagnosis when he returns from his honeymoon in Greece. You’ll know the Eagles are worried about him if they add another linebacker.
The Eagles cannot afford to play without Hicks, who led them in interceptions and takeaways last season. When Hicks exited with a pectoral tear after just eight games of his rookie season, the big defensive plays ended. Hicks registered five takeaways before the injury, returning an interception for a score to beat the Cowboys.
If it’s not linebacker or cornerback, the latter where the Eagles are starting over, where are the Birds best suited to deal with an injury this season? The offensive line? Wide receiver?
No, it’s quarterback, where, if something happens to Carson Wentz, Nick Foles is fully capable of moving the Eagles
forward.
There is risk associated with such a move as we all know what happened the last time Foles replaced the injured Eagles starter. It basically was the end of Mike Vick, who’s playing touch football these days.
Does Doug Pederson really know how to manage the situation? Is it really his decision to make, considering the influence of his supervisors?
If Wentz gets dinged and the backup does what he’s wired to do, which is to come off the bench and lead the team to the playoffs, the Eagles will have a lot of explaining to do.
Even offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who sparked the Buffalo Bills to some memorable wins when Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly was hurt, would have a tough time talking his way out of this one.
First and foremost, no one is predicting an injury to Wentz. He’s as tough as any Eagles quarterback and it showed in his ability to start all 16 games as a rookie despite a ton of changes in the starting offensive line, triggered by the 10-game suspension to Lane Johnson.
Wentz, however, wasn’t able to start every game in back-to-back seasons at North Dakota State. He broke his wrist in his senior year.
Eagles history also is against Wentz.
Donovan McNabb, in 2008, was the franchise’s last quarterback to start all 16 games. McNabb also is the team’s last passer to stay healthy in consecutive seasons, dating to 2003-04.
Injuries happen. Foles never made it through a complete season healthy with the Eagles. Coming out of the bullpen is ideal for Foles, a quick study who already has an intimate knowledge of Doug Pederson’s offense, having won with a similar version of it in his only start last season with the Chiefs.
Foles looked like a natural in the Philly version of the West Coast offense during OTAs. His footwork was smoother than Wentz’s, as was his throwing delivery and accuracy.
Foles did a mildly better job of putting the ball in tight spots. At 28, the arm strength and the mobility are still there. The disclaimer is it was noncontact work.
Foles obviously knows how to win in Philly, having guided the Eagles to a 15-9 record in his first three pro seasons. He’s the last quarterback to lead the Eagles to the playoffs, that feat actualized in 2013.
Who can forget the 2013 season, when Chip Kelly took over? Vick won the starting job in training camp? Foles took over when Vick was hurt and played so well that when his teammate got healthy he openly said Kelly had no choice but to continue to with Foles.
Foles threw 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions in 2013 in leading the Eagles to an 8-2 mark in a 10-6 season. Foles threw seven TD’s to beat the Raiders in Oakland and match the NFL singlegame record held by Peyton Manning, Joe Kapp, Y.A. Tittle, Adrian Burke, George Blanda and Sid Luckman.
Foles has said over and over that the Eagles are Wentz’s team and that his job is to compete as best he can to make his teammate better.
Foles also has said again and again that he wants another chance to be the starter somewhere.
But back to Pederson and what could be his watershed moment as head coach of the Eagles.
Rewind to the second Giants’ game last season, when Wentz was dinged after a big hit. Jason Peters put his arm around his wobbling teammate and walked him off the field for the concussion protocol.
Chase Daniel stepped in for Wentz and the Eagles were stopped on fourthand-goal at the one-yard line in what became a 2419 win.
If it had been Foles, not Daniel at quarterback, it’s all but a certainty the Eagles would be less likely to gamble that Wentz wasn’t seriously shaken up and return him to the game.
Wentz survived the rest of that game to get the win. If he plays through injury but his performance suffers this season, Pederson will have a very interesting decision to make.
Pederson often has said his job is to do everything he can to win games.
If Wentz gets banged up, sticking with the franchise quarterback with Foles around would contradict that. It would be a slap in the face to the veteran players.
Of course, we all know what Foles can do when given the chance to gain momentum. If he was to step in for Wentz and lead the Eagles to the playoffs, you’d have at least a modest quarterback controversy.
That’s a lot of ifs, for sure.
The Eagles have an ace in the hole with Reich, who played the backup role perfectly with the Bills. If anyone knows how to manage quarterback egos it’s Reich.
Then again, these are Eagles fans, not long-suffering Bills fans. These are Eagles fans, not Sixers and Phillies supporters.
Eagles fans live in the now, not the future.
At this time, Wentz is the now and the future.
One minor injury could change that.