Nick Foles To Start For Eagles
October 9th, 2013
Joe isn’t sure this is good news or not. Nick Foles will be the Eagles starter Sunday against the Bucs because Michael Vick has a tender hamstring.
Remember, folks. It was Foles, as a third round draft pick of a rookie, who beat the Bucs at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway last year.
Now, on face value, one would think wundercoach Chip Kelly (are Bucs fans still pining for this guy?) may scrap the read option because Foles is about as mobile as a mailbox. Bucky Brooks takes a look at how the Eagles’ offense may change with Foles, but scrapping the read option is not one of those changes.
Kelly’s offense has been met with skepticism from traditionalists who question heavy utilization of the read option, but there is no denying the success of the Eagles’ running game. Philadelphia comfortably leads the NFL in rushing yards per game, partially due to the confusion created by the read option at the point of attack. With Vick at the controls, opponents were forced to assign a defender to the quarterback, reducing the number of defenders in the box to stop LeSean McCoy. As a result, opponents were unable to effectively bottle up the Eagles’ ground game.
Although Foles definitely is not a dangerous runner like Vick, the Eagles will continue to use the read option. The simple threat of the quarterback keeping the ball or firing out a bubble screen to the perimeter is enough to keep a handful of defenders from pursuing the ball aggressively, which leads to bigger running lanes on the front side.
Foles may be a better option than Vick in that one could argue Foles is a better passer than Vick.
But Joe gets the sense the unknown factor of how, or if, Kelly will change the offense with Foles ccould be enough to confuse the Bucs’ defense early Sunday.
October 9th, 2013 at 7:22 am
It doesn’t matter who their QB is….its our offense that has to step up. The Eagles will score….probably at least 21 pts.
This game is where we will find out what value we have in Revis as he covers Desean Jackson.
I would like to see a heavier dose of Demps Sunday!!!
October 9th, 2013 at 7:31 am
Get in your gap and STAY there.
Trust the guys around you.
The read-option can be beaten by staying in your gap and trusting that your teammates are going to be where they are supposed to be. Eventually, the ball carrier HAS to cross the line of scrimmage and if you play D the right way, there will be a red jersey in that gap.
The read-option works because of misdirection and getting people to over-commit. A DISCIPLINED defense can shut it down.
(and with that last sentence, every JoeBucsFan.com reader cracked up laughing and vomited on their keyboards)
October 9th, 2013 at 7:58 am
@Adam,
when you have a RB like McCoy that make most single tacklers miss makes it difficult for a defense to depend on staying put because with his speed if he breaks one tackle the man is gone…
I stop believing in this coaching staff and I’m quite sure they won’t be ready, as ussual, and find a way to lose the game.
October 9th, 2013 at 8:08 am
I think they will be ready for these guys. They will play hard with a great game plan…. Until halftime when Kelly makes adjustments and Schiano doesn’t.
October 9th, 2013 at 8:26 am
Joe, I cant say I agree with you on the fact that Foles is a better passer than Vick. When Vick is on his game and doesnt become a turnover machine, he can whip the ball out with the best of em. Foles at QB is a much better option for the Bucs.
Gonna be very interesting to see a Bucs defense that prides itself on speed and good instincts against a deceptive offense. Im sure the Eagles have things up their sleeve that werent seen when Vick was QB. Gonna be a great game folks!
October 9th, 2013 at 8:35 am
Desean Jackson called out Revis, he claims Revis cannot run with him. I see Revis shutting him down, or limmiting him to one or two catches…of course each week we see another corner on corner on the opposing teams number 1, or a zone breakdown. I say let Revis do his thing on Jackson all day.
October 9th, 2013 at 8:37 am
13’4″ Know what that represents?
The combined hight of the starting QBs on Sunday…
October 9th, 2013 at 8:52 am
They’re up against a different defense this time around. And hopefully Coach and Sheridan have learned a little from their pisss poor play calling from the Saints, NE and Cards games.
I want to say I think we’ll get our first win this sunday, but I dont know anymore….I keep saying it and it keeps eluding us, so Im not going to jinx it this time. But if we dont, we dont, oh well….is what it is and Glazers will start the head rolling.
October 9th, 2013 at 9:22 am
BucsfaninChina Says
“Joe, I cant say I agree with you on the fact that Foles is a better passer than Vick. When Vick is on his game and doesnt become a turnover machine, he can whip the ball out with the best of em.”
Vick is always a turnover machine. He was a media darling in atlanta but he was a horrible qb. His ability to run is what garnered attention. But the Bucs learned how to shut him down. Completely.
Bucs are different now but they would have been better of playing against him.
So far as Chip Kelly’s offense? Well I never bought into it.
This is a different defense…but the Eagles have a different offense. We can’t predict anything by comparing to last year.
That said? I don’t believe the Eagles will do as well on offense as you guys think. I believe this game is where our defense males a statement.
Bucs win by 3.
October 9th, 2013 at 12:47 pm
This is good news. The Bucs seconday isn’t the same one that Foles was able to exploit last time around.