Eagles Wake-Up Call: ‘I Didn’t Do My Job,’ Says Foles

Few could have predicted such an eventful rookie season for Eagles quarterback Nick Foles.

As recently as mid-August, he seemed poised to be the team’s No. 3 option behind Michael Vick and Mike Kafka. But things can change quickly in the NFL. Kafka got injured, and Foles had a great preseason, earning the No. 2 spot.

After Vick suffered a concussion against Dallas, Foles got the call and started six games. While I’ve never agreed with assigning records to quarterbacks (considering all the other factors at play), we can at least note that the Eagles were 1-5 with Foles in the lineup.

“I didn’t do my job,” Foles said Wednesday. “The starting quarterback, you have to put more points on the board at whatever cost to win the game. If you look at it like that, which I do, I didn’t do my job and that’s something that I’ve got to keep working on.”

Foles completed 60.8 percent of his passes (18th) for 1,699 yards. He averaged 6.41 yards per attempt (30th) and threw six touchdowns to go along with five interceptions.

As I’ve written before, the Eagles’ plan should be to develop Foles while also keeping their eyes open for other potential options at quarterback. Asked if he thinks he’s shown enough to be the starter in 2013, Foles said, “That’s not my decision. What I can do is just keep working. I can look at what I’ve done, improve on what I’ve done, and compete.”

Of course, the reality is that he’ll almost certainly be learning from a new coaching staff. Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg are known for their expertise in working with quarterbacks, but the Eagles will likely have a new head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach a month from now.

Is it difficult for Foles not knowing what the coaching situation is going to be next year?

“Nope. Right now, Coach Reid’s my head coach,” he said. “Coach Mornhinweg’s my offensive coordinator. I know the system, so that’s all I’m worrying about is today. I love my coaches here. They’ve been great. We’ve just got to keep working this week and go up and get a win against the Giants.”

Year one was eventful. Year two figures to be as well.

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What They’re Saying About the Eagles features one national writer clamoring for Reid to return.

The weekly look at Eagles defensive line production checks in on Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry.

Is there a chance Andy Reid moves into a front-office role? Tim explores the idea.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

SI.com’s Don Banks has the Eagles 29th in his power rankings:

It’s kind of fitting. Andy Reid and Michael Vick are both making their last stand as Eagles, and they’re doing it together against the Giants, in a game New York has to have. Looking back, Reid and Vick had their high point together in that miraculous 21-point Week 15 comeback against the Giants at MetLife Stadium in 2010.

Brian Solomon over at McNabbOrKolb.com has a smart take on how the Eagles should look to the Seahawks model when trying to figure out their QB situation:

No, the path I would really like the Eagles start down next year isn’t the Redskins model (although absolutely draft Smith if you can). It’s the Seahawks you want to look at. In 2011, Pete Carroll didn’t have a quarterback he could trust. Tarvaris Jackson was the starter, and he posted the 25th-best DVOA in the league. Carroll went out and signed Matt Flynn, the Green Bay backup, to a 3-year, $20 million contract. If he had handed the job to Flynn, that would have been a mistake. But Carroll then grabbed Russell Wilson in the third round and put the two quarterbacks into open competition.

Obviously, things have worked out splendidly. Wilson won the job, and has improved into one of the better quarterbacks in the league (4th in DVOA). But it was the overall strategy that should be credited and emulated. Carroll didn’t go all in on Flynn or Wilson. He made smaller bets on each and let them play it out on the field.

COMING UP

We’ll hear from Mornhinweg, Todd Bowles and Bobby April at Novacare.

Follow Sheil Kapadia on Twitter and e-mail him at skapadia@phillymag.com.
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