Say hello to the Nick Foles Era. The tall, gangly rookie from Arizona who looked so good in the preseason will get his first start as a pro Sunday in the nation’s capital. The Eagles are hoping he’s the rookie quarterback everyone is talking about after this game. But to do that they will have to contain the Redskins’ explosive rookie signal caller Robert Griffin III, better known as RGIII.
Foles looked rusty after entering last week’s game against the Cowboys. That’s to be expected. But after a full week of practice with the first team, he should be ready to fire on all cylinders.
For some reason, even while he made several horrendous throws against the Cowboys, the offense still seemed more cohesive under Foles than it has with Vick all season. Hopefully the coaches will help him out with a big dose of LeSean McCoy. But make no mistake, this game likely will be won or lost by the two rookie QBs. I’ll go out on a limb and say Foles outduels the superstar-in-the-making RGIII.
If Foles plays well, it’s likely Vick may have taken his last snap for the Eagles. If Foles struggles and the Eagles fall to 3-7, you can start counting the days until pitchers and catchers report.
I say Foles makes it a day to remember.
The Pick: Make it Eagles 29, Redskins 24. Foles and McCoy team to keep RGIII off the field, with a ball-control offense featuring a lot of short drops and quick throws, with a big dose of Shady toting the load. Of course, it’s entirely possible that Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg will figure that is what everyone is thinking, and since they’re so much smarter than the rest of us, they’ll have Foles throw the ball 50 times.
Last Week: I just didn’t see Vick and the Eagles beating the Cowboys. This Eagles team has been hugely overrated. The truth is they’re just not that good. We’ll find out in the next few weeks just how much they want to stick around. Vick will not be there to dump all their problems on (It’s the turnovers.) No one is going to blame the rookie Foles. Now it’s up to every man to stand up and be counted. Listening Trent Cole and Jason Babin?
Season Record: One more loss likely will seal the Eagles’ fate. No team has ever made the playoffs after starting 3-7. Of course the way the NFC East is going, 8-8 just might win this division. In a season of new lows, last week the Birds did something no Andy Reid team has ever accomplished – losing their fifth straight game. In the meantime, the loss goes into the win column for me. I’m now standing at a fairly gaudy 6-3.
Game by Game: Eagles 17, Browns 16 (My Pick: Eagles 27, Browns 13)
Eagles 24, Ravens 23 (My Pick: Eagles 24, Ravens 23 - On the Money!)
Cardinals 27, Eagles 6 (My Pick: Eagles 29, Cardinals 13)
Eagles 19, Giants 17 (My Pick: Eagles 19, Giants 17 - On the Money!)
Steelers 16, Eagles 14 (My Pick: Steelers 24, Eagles 16.)
Lions 26, Eagles 23 (My pick: Eagles 19, Lions 17)
Falcons 30, Eagles 17 (My pick: Eagles 29, Falcons 17)
Saints 28, Eagles 13 (My pick: Saints 37, Eagles 19)
Cowboys 38, Eagles 23 (My pick: Cowboys 23, Eagles 17)
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