A feast of football
Three NFL games today – Packers vs. Lions, Raiders vs. Cowboys, Steelers vs. Ravens – will warm you up for the Cards on Sunday in Philadelphia. Get the lowdown on all the games.
Nick Foles must hate it that this month is coming to an end. It’s been a November to remember for the former University of Arizona quarterback.
It started Nov. 3 when, filling in for the injured Michael Vick as the Philadelphia Eagles’ starting quarterback, he threw an NFL record-tying seven touchdown passes in a 49-20 rout of the Raiders.
He and the Eagles (6-5) haven’t lost since, beating the Packers and the Redskins to set the stage for Sunday’s showdown against the visiting Cardinals (7-4), who are riding a fourgame win streak.
But who’s hotter than Foles? He has a 152.8 passer rating in
November, the highest in any calendar month in league history. He’s just the third quarterback to begin a season with 16 touchdown passes without a single interception.
And the good fortune has just kept coming. Last week, his Wildcats upset No. 5-ranked Oregon 42-16 and can prevent Arizona State from hosting the Pac-12 Championship Game if they beat the Sun Devils in the Territorial Cup on Saturday.
And, oh yeah, this week Eagles head coach Chip Kelly just happened to name Foles his starting quarterback for the rest of the season.
“It’s a blessing every day to play this game,” Foles said Wednesday on a conference call with Arizona reporters. “I’m very proud of my Wildcats getting that home victory against Oregon. I was watching. I was glued to the TV the whole game.
“Then to be in this situation here, it’s a blessing each and every day to be a part of the NFL. I wouldn’t be here without the people from the University of Arizona, or high school, or all those people that helped me along the way. Every day I go to work, I play for those people that have been there with me throughout my life that have helped me get to where I am.”
Things have been so absolutely rosy for Foles that you wonder if he’s experienced bad lately. You know, maybe a flat tire? Lost his car keys? Broke a glass in the kitchen perhaps?
“No, you always have things happen in your life that nobody sees and stuff,” he said. “Everything is not rosy every day.” Like what? “That’s personal stuff,” Foles said, adding almost instantaneously, “Winning covers up a lot of stuff.”
Yes, it does. Take the Eagles’ 1-4 record at home, for instance. Or their 1-3 start overall. Or that Kelly’s high-tempo offense managed a total of 10 points in back-to-back losses to the Cowboys and Giants.
Still, it’s been an impressive November for Foles, who, thanks to that game against the Raiders, has his jersey and a pair of cleats hanging in the Pro Football Hall of Fame right alongside those belonging to Peyton Manning.
“He’s come in and done a very good job,” said Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, who on Wednesday was named the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Week. “New offense, new scheme. They’ve had a handful of quarterbacks play and he’s obviously done a pretty good job because he’s stuck it out there for a while. They don’t roll with one starter all season — Eagles quarterback Nick Foles set a record for quarterback rating in a single calendar month during November. JOHN GELIEBTER/USA TODAY SPORTS they kind of go week to week — but obviously he’s playing very well.”
Kelly anointed Foles his starter over Vick on Tuesday and just like Kelly’s offense, the conversation was quick.
“Yeah, I just said, ‘I appreciate you talking to me,’ and ‘Let’s go get ’em,’ ” Foles said. “That’s the thing about Chip, too. It’s not going to be something that’s long and drawn out. It’s maybe a 30-second conversation, real quick, and then it’s right back to work to get ready to play the Cardinals.”
If Arizona hopes to improve to 8-4 and strengthen its chances in the NFC wildcard race, the Cardinals must stop the run. Philadelphia has the league’s topranked rushing offense (150.6 yards per game). The Cardinals, though, have the NFL’s second-ranked rush defense (81.3).
“You don’t worry about him at the moment,” Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said of Foles, a third-round pick in last year’s impressive quarterback class. “You better take LeSean McCoy out of the game first and then worry about Nick.
“It always starts with stopping the run for us, then getting to the quarterback. If we’re fortunate enough to stop the run in this game, then I like our chances.”
Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson agreed, but said turnovers ultimately may decide this game. The Cardinals haven’t committed a single one the past two weeks. Foles, meanwhile, has thrown 199 consecutive passes without an interception.
The Cardinals’ defense has 15 interceptions, just one fewer than league
Notes
The Cardinals will depart for Philadelphia on Friday and hold a walkthrough practice Saturday at Temple University, where Arians served as the head coach from 1983 to 1988.
“They’ve finished all the roads; it’s been 30 years. They were all being built when I was there,” Arians joked about his return. “I might not know my way around. But it’s always fun going back to Philly.”
» Arians said the Cardinals entered practice Wednesday with no real injury issues but he confirmed that wide receiver Michael Floyd is still dealing with a sore shoulder.
“It’s going to stay sore the rest of the season probably,” Arians said. “It’s just one of those things you have to fight through and play on Sunday.”
» Floyd was limited in practice Thursday, as were safeties Yeremiah Bell (knee) and Rashad Johnson (ribs).
For the Colts, safety Early Wolff (knee) did not practice on Thursday.