NFL Tickets
It seems as if the time has come. The inevitable has become reality.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported that the Philadelphia Eagles will start their rookie third-round draft pick, QB Nick Foles, on Sunday vs. the Washington Redskins.
Eagles’ QB Michael Vick, who had started the first nine games of the season, suffered a concussion and apparent eye injury during last Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The concussion has been deemed “significant,” and it looks like Vick will not be cleared to play by the time the Eagles leave for Washington.
But has Foles been named the starter because of Vick’s injury, or because the Eagles are just turning the page after their horrendous 3-6 start to the season?
The way I see it, Vick has played his last snap as the Eagles’ quarterback.
Even if Foles performs terribly on Sunday against the Redskins, I still see the Eagles going with the rookie in the following weeks. A loss to the ‘Skins will put the team at 3-7, more than ending their season, and they might as well get a good look at Foles for the future at that point.
Foles had a disappointing performance filling in for Vick vs. the Cowboys, as his two turnovers were both returned for touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
The rookie did show promise though when it came to his overall accuracy and completion percentage, while he cashed in on 22 of his 32 pass attempts (69%).
Eagles’ head coach Andy Reid was adamant after Sunday’s loss that Vick would remain his starter as long as he was healthy. But in reality, I find it highly unlikely that Vick will take the field in an Eagles’ uniform again even if healthy, being that it would be counter-productive to Foles’ progression as an NFL signal-caller.
Because as we all know at this point, Foles will be the Eagles’ starting QB next season, and he will be taking instructions from a new head coach after Reid is axed.
Vick will finish the 2012 season with 2,165 passing yards on 185 of 315 attempts, with 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Vick also ran for 307 yards on 57 attempts, scoring one touchdown.
The quarterback finished the year with a 79.2 passer rating, not far off from his career passer rating of 80.7. These numbers are certainly unimpressive, especially after it seemed like Vick was playing at an elite level over the past two seasons.
Now Foles has the chance to prove his worth, with really nothing to lose, as the Eagles are not expecting the rookie to lead them on a playoff run with only seven games remaining.
Foles had a highly impressive pre-season, but the regular season is a whole different ballgame when you’re playing against everyday starters who are gunning for the post-season.
So buckle-up rook. These are going to be the most difficult seven weeks of your football career.
Please follow Joe on Twitter @Joe_RantNFL for all Eagles/NFL insight.
Share 
