It's not often that NFL free agency is littered with as many quarterback options as there are quarterback openings, and when you throw in this year's top-heavy draft cla s, the abundance of starting-caliber pa sers entering the 2018 offseason rings loud and clear.And yet, when March 14 arrives and , , , , and figure to be just some of the big names available, there will still be reason to talk about .You know, the quarterback who just bested and Bill Belichick in the .First things first, it has to be understood that, in Philadelphia, where Foles delivered the , two-year veteran and MVP candidate is still the guy. regarding Wentz's recovery from a torn ACL, but coach Doug Pederson and personnel chief Howie Roseman couldn't be any more clear that No. 11, when healthy, is the current and future face of the Eagles franchise. So while Foles may deserve to be in
Ivan Barbashev Jersey starting-QB conversations, everything defaults to Wentz once the latter is ready to play. Elsewhere, however, is a different story.While Foles may not be worth the Eagles', he's also not the kind of guy Philly should be hurrying to discard, this week. Because beyond the notions that he's , Foles is well worth a look as a No. 1.Here's why "Nicky Franchise" warrants starting consideration outside Philadelphia -- and, thus, to some extent, be well guarded by an Eagles team that values insurance for Wentz:First, he plays his best under the brightest lights.Before Foles was dealt to the then-St. Louis in 2015, a lot of his fans were quick to point out that he'd gone 14-4 as an Eagles starter from 2013-2014. Wins, of course, aren't a quarterback-only stat, but the fact of the matter was that Philadelphia won games with him under center. That was made even clearer, in much more prominent fashion, in 2017. Just take a look at how Foles performed in the most crucial moments of his time replacing an injured Wentz: Week 14, with an NFC East title at stake: 6-10, 42 yards, game-clinching first-down pa sWeek 15, with a first-round playoff bye at stake:24-38, 237 yards, 4 TDsDivisional Round playoffs: 23-30, 246 yardsNFC Championship Game: 26-33, 352 yards, 3 TDsSuper Bowl LII: 28-43, 373 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INTThere was absolutely no instance where the Eagles had to win of Foles when they needed to win most. In fact, it's absurd to suggest that Foles didn't play a major hand in the Eagles when they needed to win most -- like against the 's top-ranked defense in the NFC title game, or against the relentle
Chris Pronger Jersey s in the Super Bowl.You'll have to excuse this writer for scoffing at anyone who, grasping for reasons not to call Foles the dominant quarterback he was in the most important stretch of the 2017 season, like that's some kind of deterrent to, uh, Foles' or his statistically unparalleled run to a .Still not satisfied?No one in NFL history has a better completion percentage or pa ser rating than Foles does in the playoffs. Only 13 quarterbacks have ever had four straight postseason games with a QB rating of at least 100. And, , Foles already has more playoff wins before turning 30 than all but six modern-era pa sers in the Hall of Fame. If you can comfortably chalk all that up to chance, luck or some odd interpretation of a impre sion, that's on
Beau Bennett Men Jersey you.But there's a reason teams are reportedly already offering high draft picks to acquire a 29-year-old who's coming off a season in which he threw 11 touchdowns and just three interceptions in six starts (playoffs included). There's a reason general managers, in an offseason rich on arm talent, are calling about a guy whose career has been defined by clutch deliverance.So what if the rest of the league pa sed on Foles when he left a Jeff Fisher-led Rams team that damaged tied to its regime? Didn't everyone also pa s on Keenum before he took the to the NFC Championship Game? And why does it seem there are fewer detractors for him than Foles, the guy who just won a Super Bowl, not to mention the game's legitimate MVP? If Foles' mechanics are what bother you, as they did some Eagles fans during his fall back to Earth as a starter in 2014, look no further than this year's playoff run, where stepping up in the pocket was almost as natural for the big-bodied pocket pa ser as it was for Wentz. And if, somehow, Foles' sloppy outings in meaningle s late-season games against the and carry more weight than the playoff games he , it should be noted that the backup, who mi sed the preseason, didn't start practicing with the Eagles' starters until Week 15, once Wentz had been shuffled to the sidelines.What about coach Pederson's role in all of this, you ask? How do we know that Foles isn't just a product of good coaching?Well, if what Foles did on his Super Bowl run is what you can get from a quarterback with good coaching, wouldn't advocate for him? Game-planning is one thing, but dropping dimes
Dmitrij Jaskin Jersey on the NFL's top defense on the road to a ravenous city's first-ever Super Bowl win is another. Executing run-pa s options is one thing, but taking calm command of an offense and locker room that lost its MVP, not to mention a slew of other starting-caliber contributors, is another. Here's your friendly reminder that, before working with Pederson, Foles had already racked up a career stat line of 56 touchdowns, 27 interceptions and a 90.9
Colten Ellis Kids Jersey pa ser rating.Is he an elite athlete who, like a Wentz or an , has the raw, extend-the-play ability to elevate even a subpar supporting cast? No. But the numbers are there, as is the timely precision pa sing, to prove that, with a team around him, Foles has enough to win a championship, which is exactly what anyone and everyone is ultimately looking for in a quarterback.Going back to command, too, if one thing has always been clear about Foles, regardle s of the veteran's up-and-down production, it's that he's never lacked leadership. Talent and proven succe s is a must at QB, but poise fuels the "it" factor, and No. 9 has long been heralded for that. That was true during his first stint as an Eagles quarterback, but it was reinforced to an even greater degree in 2017, when Foles refused to shed his humility -- or lose his cool -- in the shadow of Wentz's injury, always a suring Philly that his efforts, as herculean as they may have been, were no greater than the efforts of the team. If that's not at least a hint of starting-quarterback material, thenwhat is?
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