a close "offseason Game Rewind" look at Nick Foles

from off the net

===

Saguaro

2012 rookie game 2 @ Washington. Eagles have oline problems. Starting RG for this game
is a street FA signed that week, starting RT is a rookie. Some other line shuffling.
They will pay for it.

Opening drive of the game, 0-0, at the Eagle 21

1st and 10: Fake handoff, 270 spin, rolls right and has to throw it away OOB
with heavy pressure in his face.
2nd and 10: McCoy for 2
3rd and 8: Drops back into the pocket, pocket collapses, but Foles runs out
through a gap between the RG and RT, throws on the run to Celek. Celek is covered,
but the ball is placed out in front of him where he can make a play. London Fletcher! stretches his arm in front of
Celek, bats the ball, it caroms upward off Celek’s hands and is intercepted. IMO, great defensive play
just rotten luck for Foles.

13:02 of the 1st, skins 7-0, from the Eagle 23.

1st and 10: 6 yard pass complete to Celek across the middle.
2nd and 4: D offsides
1st and 10: False start
1st and 15: Graham runs for 5.
2nd and 10: Quick pass right to Desean Jackson for 8.
3rd and 2: Hits the fullback on a swing left after looking downfield. Nice gain, 1st down.
1st and 10: Shovel pass to McCoy for 3
2nd and 7: Short pass right to TE for loss of 1. Well covered. This is Haslett’s defense?
3rd and 8: Hits Cooper short right who gets a block and makes plenty out of it to the WA 29.
1st and 10: Under early and heavy pressure, Foles backpedals and keeps his eyes scanning.
Falling backward, he finds Bryce Brown wide open underneath for a 1st down. Holding on the offense
cancels a good play by Foles.
1st and 20: False start
1st and 25: Delay to McCoy for 4
2nd and 21: Shotgun screen, dline bats down flat pass to the RB.
3rd and 21: Pressure up the middle as Foles drops back, throws deep downfield into coverage.
Intercepted by Merriweather as the receiver falls down. That was a prayer and the answer was no.

4:16 of the 1st, skins 7-0, from the Eagle 16.

1st and 10: McCoy for 2.
2nd and 8: Throw short left too far out in front of an open receiver. Bad pass.
3rd and 8: Drops back, has time nobody open, pocket breaks down but Foles finds an opening
to run, just short of the LOS unleashes a pass on the run to Cooper to the Eagle 40. Excellent poise, control, and awareness.
1st and 10: Gets a little time, throws in rythym to the TE left for a 1st, but a hard hit after the catch and he drops it. Called incomplete. Good throw by Foles.
2nd and 10: O holding on a run play.
2nd and 20: Screen right to McCoy, nice placement by Foles and a 1st down.
1st and 10: Brown runs left for loss of 1.
2nd and 11: Another excellent screen right to McCoy for big yardage.
1st and 10: Run for 5.
2nd and 5: WR screen right loses 3.
3rd and 8: Deep drop, good protection, throws far beyond WR along right sideline.
Looks like the QB and WR not on the same page.
FG

Redskins score TD on a deep pass by Griffin. This is RGIII’s rookie season and he looks awesome.

10:29 of the 2nd, skins 14-3, from the Eagle 31

1st and 10: Brown run for 11
1st and 10: McCoy run for 9
2nd and 1: Big run by Brown, holding by the O after the 1st down, ball at the skin 45.
1st and 10: Play action left, Foles rolls right, throws too far in front of open receiver.
Foles is good with PA fakes, puts the ball deep into the RB’s gut before pulling it back.
I used to hate the perfunctory motion that Bulger used that fooled absolutely no one.
2nd and 10: McCoy run for 3
3rd and 7: Foles can’t find anyone open, gets hit hard by a delayed blitz, laterals? back
to the fullback behind him, who is dropped for an even bigger loss. Foles shows impressive
strength again, but doh! on the play.

5:26 of the 2nd, skins 14-3, on the Eagle 36

1st and 10: Low and outside to Cooper, incomplete.
2nd and 10: Late middle screen swallowed up by Redskins, loss of 7
3rd and 17: Foles with an absolute dart to Johnson for a 1st down, great throw!
1st and 10: Brown run for 4
2nd and 6: McCoy dancing for 1
3rd and 5: Low and away again to the TE right.

0:36 of the 2nd, 14-3, on the Eagle 11.

1st and 10: Draw to McCoy, fumbles, Redskins recover. Handoff was ok, fumble came later.

Redskin FG ends the 1st half

12:32 of the 3rd, 17-3 skins, good field position at the WA 45.

1st and 10: Deep right sideline strike to receiver, caught but too far outside to get both feet in. Good recognition, depth dead on, but just OOB.
2nd and 10: McCoy run for 5.
3rd and 5: Beautiful throw down the middle to Celek to the WA 19. Perfect.
1st and 10: McCoy run loses 6.
2nd and 16: Foles dumpoff over the middle to McCoy for 12, handled pressure well.
3rd and 4: Delay of game on the QB
3rd and 9: Foles drops back, stripped from behind, McCoy recovers.

FG 17-6. Then Skins TD, now lead 24-6.

4:43 of the 3rd at the Eagle 26

1st and 10: 1st receiver covered, then pressure comes, throws away OOB.
2nd and 10: Quick draw to McCoy for 4. Foles long arms means he can let the back
get almost past him and then still stick it in there for them. Tricky.
3rd and 6: Unblocked rush from the left, Foles eats it for a sack.

14:03 of the 4th, 24-6, from the Eagle 18

1st and 10: Incomplete to Maclin with defenders closing from both sides, hard hit to Mac.
Stared him down. Amazing how that leads defenders right to the play. Poor Maclin.
2nd and 10: Delay run loses 5.
3rd and 15: Runs away from collapsing pocket, maintains distance from pursuer nicely while
looking downfield, finally throws it away OOB.

Another TD drive by the Redskins 31-6

10:24 of the 4th, at the Eagle 20

1st and 10: Foles bumbles around with immediate pressure, turns left and throws
a pass to the back that is clearly backwards, and it’s dropped. Eagles lucky to recover,
stupid decision.
2nd and 18: Bad pass to the right nowhere near the receiver, close to intercepted but too high.
3rd and 18: Blitzer comes free and fast at Foles, who flips it very quickly forward
to McCoy and gets a roughing the passer call when the defender hits him hard.
1st and 10: Sacked hard from behind.
2nd and 17: A draw for 9
3rd and 8: Defensive holding.
1st and 10: Incomplete to Cooper, low but catchable.
2nd and 10: Incomplete deep left to Jackson, he’s well covered.
3rd and 10: False start
3rd and 15: Short pass left for loss of 3.

3:38 of the 4th, 31-6, from the Eagle 9.

1st and 10: Run left for 5
2nd and 5: Foles throws an ugly wormburner to the right about 5 yards short of the receiver.
3rd and 5: He follows that with a good throw to an open TE for 10 and 1st down.
1st and 10: Pass short left to Cooper for 5.
2nd and 5: Short right incomplete, receiver drop.
3rd and 5: Pressure, he escapes the pocket, buys time to the right, finds a receiver open
right at the 1st down marker and rifles it in to him. Excellent play.
1st and 10: Pressure again, deliberate throw OOB
2nd and 10: Run right for 7
3rd and 3: High tight throw down the middle to a covered Cooper where only he could get it, but defender
breaks it up.
4th and 3: Defense offsides
1st and 10: Another scorcher off the turf, bad throw.
2nd and 10: Foles hits Cooper in stride across the middle for a 1st down.
1st and 10: Quick pass left to Cooper for 7
2nd and 3: Incomplete deep right. Lots of defenders there.
3rd and 3: Throws it away to avoid a sack
4th and 3: Pass for 1st down yardage is dropped by an open receiver.

WA kneels it out. Foles numbers: 21/46 204 0 TD 2 INT

The Eagles couldn’t get out of their own way, and Foles was part of that.
They all took turns being inconsistent, and got embarrassed.
Foles up and down all game long.

Saguaro

2012 rookie game 4 @ Dallas

Foles still looking for a victory as a starter.

15:00 of the 1st 0-0 at the Eagle 20

1st and 10: Whacked by Ware who never had to slow down on an overload from the left,
but Foles gets the incompletion throw, just barely.
2nd and 10: Bryce Brown run to the right loses 2
3rd and 12: 15 yard slant to Riley Cooper, led perfectly and on time.
1st and 10: Looking for Cooper about 10 yards over the middle but he’s covered, incomplete.
2nd and 10: 1 yard run by Brown
3rd and 9: Scans and finds Celek sitting open about 7 yards downfield, Celek drags Cowboys
to the marker.
1st and 10: Brown run off tackle for 5
2nd and 5: Brown run wide left loses 6! Eagle running game not going.
3rd and 11: Foles drops with plenty of protection, can’t find anyone open downfield,
drops it off to Brown with a low throw, and Brown stopped on a 9 yard gain.
Punt

8:13 of the 1st, 0-0, at the Eagle 29

1st and 10: Brown with an energetic run for 15
1st and 10: Brown run for 3
2nd and 7: Foles short pass to Celek with room to run down to the Dallas 23
1st and 10: Foles quick short pass to Johnson for 13.
1st and 10: Brown runs left untouched for the TD. Good drive.

13:28 of the 2nd, PH 7-3, at the Eagle 15.

1st and 10: Foles delivers a brilliant throw to Celek right on the money just the
pressure hits him. Stood in there like a champ and got 20 yards.
1st and 10: Good play fake, but then throws it away OOB, nobody open.
2nd and 10: Brown run left loses 1
3rd and 11: Incomplete short right to Brown is dropped.
Punt

9:54 of the 2nd, Ph 7-3, at the Eagle 27.

1st and 10: Dumpoff to the back under pressure loses 3.
2nd and 13: Brown run turns the corner right and speeds to the DA 38
1st and 10: Lewis run for 3
2nd and 7: Run for 1
3rd and 6: Foles drops, quickly finds Maclin wide open on a slant to the DA 13.
Must mention how impressed I have been by Maclin while watching these games.
1st and 10: Good play action, has Celek open to the left for 7. Foles executing,
but gotta give some credit to play design, he has had some open receivers.
2nd and 3: Brown for 8 up the middle untouched and a TD. Evan Mathis blocking.

Dallas TD drive.

0:35 of the 2nd, 14-10, from the Eagle 16.

1st and 10: Brown big run to the DA 37.
1st and 10: Foles throws deep to a receiver(?) breaking open down the right hash,
too far, incomplete. Chance for a huge strike left dangling.
2nd and 10: Sweet arc on a perfect throw down to DA 35. Momentum took WR OOB.
1st and 10: Brown run for 3
2nd and 7: Brown run for 6 setting up FG.
FG ends half.

Dallas TD to open the 2nd half

11:18 of the 3rd, 17 all, at the Eagle 20.

1st and 10: Short pass under pressure to the TE for 2.
2nd and 8: Strike along the left sideline to Maclin, very nice throw for 15.
1st and 10: Run for 5
2nd and 5: Foles hits Celek for 3.
3rd and 2: Brown run for 2
1st and 10: Brown run for 3
2nd and 7: Brown big run up the middle to the Dallas 33.
1st and 10: Brown run left for 10
1st and 10: Throws in rythym left for TE, but he had slipped, incomplete.
2nd and 10: Shovel pass to Brown for 7, once again nifty handling by Foles.
3rd and 3: As good a TD throw as you will ever see to Riley Cooper, perfect placement
right over the DB’s shoulder as his head was turned and right into Cooper’s hands.
I can’t praise this throw enough, recognition, timing, and accuracy were simply beautiful.
I may have just become a Foles fan right this very minute.

Dallas answers with another TD. Foles can’t play defense, shrug.

13:35 of the 4th, 24-24, at the Eagle 22.

1st and 10: Foles short right to Avant for 8.
2nd and 2: Bryce Brown hard 1st down run for about 7.
1st and 10: Incomplete too far in front of receiver on a 20 yard square in.
2nd and 10: Brown 1st down run again.
1st and 10: Foles pass batted down by leaping LB.
2nd and 10: Foles nice pass over the middle to Avant to the DA 31.
1st and 10: Pressure, Foles rolls right and throws it wisely OOB
2nd and 10: Designed roll right pass to TE for 7 after looking downfield.
3rd and 10: Overthrows receiver in left side of endzone, double-covered. Foles tried
to put it where only he could catch it but a bit too high.
FG. Did I mention that Henery is a machine?

Another Dallas TD drive. This is a scorefest.

5:35 of the 4th, Dallas 31-27, at the Eagle 20. Clutch time.

1st and 10: Brown run for 2.
2nd and 8: Foles designed roll right, throws downfield OOB.
3rd and 8: Foles under pressure, sidesteps rusher deftly, drifts left and throws
another strike to ? downfield for a gain of 19. Clutch, clutch play.
1st and 10: Short pass left right at the sideline for 3
2nd and 7: Hero/goat Bryce Brown after an excellent game, puts on the turf for
a Dallas scoop and score. Note: Foles gives chase but is not as fast as Claiborne. heh.

3:50 of the 4th, Dallas 38-27, at the Eagle 20.

1st and 10: Foles drops, doesn’t see Dallas safety and throws it right to him. He drops it.
2nd and 10: Brown with a 13 yard run.
1st and 10: With pocket collapsing, Foles throws behind Brown. Roughing the passer called.
1st and 10: Dumpoff to Brown for 2.
2nd and 8: Blindside sack/strip recovered by Philly. Foles immediately brings his throwing arm to his
chest and grabs it.
3rd and 19: Handoff to Brown for 1.
4th and 18: Foles counts Demarcus Ware offsides.
4th and 13: Foles throws short of the 1st down to Celek. Turnover on downs.

Dallas can’t run it out. Punt to Johnson returned for a TD.

Philly goes for 2. Foles rolls right and throws high and outside to his receiver. no good.
Onside kick recovered by Dallas. That’s it.

Well, this was easily the best game of Foles career to this point. The Eagles went toe to toe with
Dallas in a hostile environment and had equal or the better of it until Brown’s fatal fumble.

Foles did everything that could reasonably asked of him and looked very, very good. If you watched this rookie play this game you might think he’s got a future in this league!

22/34 251 1 TD 0 Int

Saguaro

2012 Rookie game 7 vs Washington

14:53 of the 1st, 0-0, at the Eagle 24

1st and 10: Pitch left to McCoy for 7
2nd and 3: Foles dumpoff right to McCoy for 5
1st and 10: McCoy open left flat but pass was tipped at the line, incomplete
2nd and 10: Bryce Brown run left for 9
3rd and 1: Brown stuffed at the line
4th and 1: Play fake and a good completion upfield to the TE for 15. Made it look easy.
1st and 10: McCoy run loses 2
2nd and 12: Pressure, Foles moves right, cuts left sees a relief valve, but throws too low.
3rd and 12: Pressure from both edges, Foles steps up into the pocket, hit a receiver 1 yard short
4th and 1: QB sneak is initially stuffed, Foles does a slow 360 roll around the right side
of the pile and get 3. Impressive strength, no style points whatsoever.
1st and 10: First Foles counts WA offsides, then drops in a clean pocket and releases
a beauty to Jeremy Maclin in the right corner of the endzone. Right in stride, right on time.
Philly TD.

4:38 of the 1st, Ph 7-0, at the Eagle 35.

1st and 10: Foles dump over the middle to McCoy for 6.
2nd and 4: McCoy for 4
1st and 10: Foles out to the right, too high.
2nd and 10: McCoy run for 8
3rd and 2: Brown run right for 6
1st and 10: Foles rollout right hits Celek for 17. It’s great for him to have Shady and Celek
back from injury.
1st and 10: McCoy run for 3
2nd and 7: Foles drops, middle pressure gets to him, he’s slung around in a circle
then down hard.
3rd and 15: Foles drops back, gets harassed by Kerrigan, eludes him, starts to drift
right and forward, but Kerrigan persists and catches Foles from behind, forcing a fumble
recovered by WA.

11:17 of the 2nd, Ph 7-3, at the Eagle 16

1st and 10: McCoy stretch right loses 1
2nd and 11: Foles rolls right, throws downfield between Maclin and Cooper, who are pointing
at defenders, no penalty.
3rd and 11: Screen is not open, Foles keeps and tries to find room to run, nothing so he slides
Punt

7:31 of the 2nd, Ph 7-6, at the Eagle 22

1st and 10: Play fake, then Foles pumps once, pulls it back down and is swarmed under for a sack.
2nd and 13: McCoy run left for 1
3rd and 12: Foles drops, sees something good and lets fly hard and flat. Pass is tipped at
the line and turns into a wobbling duck picked off by none other than London Fletcher.

3:30 of the 2nd, Wa 13-7, at the Eagle 20

1st and 10: Foles throws right sideline, and an unusual drop by Maclin
2nd and 10: A sideline pass left to Avant for 16.
1st and 10: Swing pass right to Shady for another 16. Led him well, and good blocking.
1st and 10: Quick screen right to Johnson for another 14.
1st and 10: Foles drops, pressure comes from both edges, but he steps up into the
pocket and finds Maclin open underneath for another 12.
1st and 10: Pass to Avant in the flat for 6. Foles and co. on a roll.
2nd and 4: Celek false starts.
2nd and 9: Maclin screen right for 4.
3rd and 5: Hits Avant open at the marker on a quick move across the middle.
1st and 10: Foles drops, waits, sees nothing, shambles in the pocket for a moment,
then starts an awkward run. No matter, holding penalty on the oline.
1st and 20: The Eagles run this play again where Foles fakes a pass one way,
then whirls and throws the other way. It isn’t successful enough often enough
to be worth it. This time Cofield is all over him as he makes his turn and he
barely gets it off to the running back, who gains all of two.
2nd and 18: Gets pressure and throws it deliberately at the outlet receiver’s feet.
It looked like he gave up just a little early on that play, but he’s trying not to
take a loss out of FG range.
3rd and 18: Deep throw to the right corner of the endzone to Cooper, caught but only one
foot in bounds. The throw was high and outside, but with two defenders there it had to
be that way.
Fg

Half

2nd half start, the Eagle defense is soft as butter, and allows and easy TD drive.

12:33 of the 3rd, Wa 20-10, at the Eagle 20.

1st and 10: Foles starts to throw a swing pass right to McCoy, sees that the defense
is ready and has it covered so he pulls it down, steps out of the pocket right,
then stops and stabs it out to Maclin for 27. Excellent recovery and vision on that play!
1st and 10: Foles hits Cooper on a crossing route for another 16.
1st and 10: Maclin open for the pass on a little sitdown for 5.
2nd and 5: They remembered the run! McCoy right for 5.
1st and 10: Foles drops, then has to run up the middle for 1.
2nd and 9: Untouched blitzer is on Foles before he can blink, sack.
3rd and 16: Again with the fake 180 pass, it’s getting dangerous because Wa is all
over it by the time it develops. Foles is being tackled as he turns, but uses his
height and arm length to get it off to Celek. The timing is disrupted and Celek gets
nowhere near the 1st down marker.
FG

6:02 of the 3rd, Wa 20-13, at the Eagle 45.

1st and 10: Draw to McCoy is swallowed up in the backfield, loss of 4.
2nd and 14: Low, hard pass to a covered Avant is incomplete.
3rd and 14: Foles hits Avant over the middle for 12
4th and 2: Foles drops, receiver not open, tries to escape up the middle,
and goes down on a shoestring sack.

1:23 of the 3rd, Wa 27-13, at the Eagle 21. Starting to slip away.

1st and 10: McCoy run for 6.
2nd and 4: McCoy for another 6.
1st and 10: Impromptu shovel pass to McCoy with Kerrigan draped on Foles. Gain of 3.
2nd and 7: Roll right and throw 20 yards down the sideline to Cooper, just out of bounds.
3rd and 7: Foles under pressure misfires to the checkdown, incomplete.
Punt

11:27 of the 4th, Wa 27-13, at the Eagle 39.

1st and 10: Washington is having some success with a delayed blitz. Forces incomplete pass.
2nd and 10: Brown run for 2.
3rd and 8: Foles drops, has a free rusher right in his face, throws a strike as he’s hit
to Johnson for 15. Courage. Skins have too many guys coming at him unblocked.
1st and 10: Now the underneath stuff is being given by Washington to eat clock.
Foles to an open Avant for 10.
1st and 10: Dumpoff to McCoy for 20.
1st and 10: Lewis on a draw for 20 and a TD.

4:15 of the 4th, Wa 27-20, at the Eagle 15. Clutch time.

1st and 10: Quick screen to Johnson for 3.
2nd and 7: Foles under pressure but shows nifty lateral movement, buys a ton of time
moving first right, then left, always looking downfield, and then finds Maclin for about 20.
1st and 10: Pass left flat to Avant for 5.
2nd and 5: Draw to McCoy for 4
3rd and 1: McCoy should have been dropped for a loss, but uses quickness and moves to get 7.
1st and 10: Foles quick pass over the middle for 6.
2nd and 4: Short wheel route to McCoy for about 8 and a 1st down.
1st and 10: Pump fake deep, then a 2 yard pass to McCoy.
2nd and 8: Slant right to Avant for 4.
3rd and 6: Foles pump fakes, sees a little grass to his right, runs across the marker and slides.
1st and 10: Underneath pass to McCoy for 8, but time is running out, 28 secs.
2nd and 2: Foles rockets the pass high and deliberate out of the endzone.
3rd and 2: Maclin was wide open in the endzone. Foles underthrows him by 5 yards. Ouch.
4th and 2: Underneath to McCoy again and he runs it out of bounds at the Wa 5. 11 seconds.
1st and G: Slant hard and low to Celek but catchable, he drops it at the goal line.
2nd and G, 8 secs: Pressure, but Foles spends too much time scrambling before throwing it
under duress, incomplete. Uh, oh, the ball didn’t get back to the LOS, intentional grounding,
10 second runoff, game over.

32/48 345 1 TD 1 Int

Not a particularly inspiring game despite the near comeback at the end. Eagles may have been
playing out the string a little at this point, or at least their defense was. They also
abandoned the run way too early, then went back to it late. Foles was under a lot of pressure,
but ran hot and cold with his accuracy and decision-making.
This was his last rookie game, his hand was broken in the 2nd Q of this game.
Tough kid and may have affected his throws thereafter.

Foles showed enough as a rookie to be very intriguing. Next I’ll start looking at his
amazing string of games in 2013. I’m eager to see if it was talent, team, or luck.
Or some combination.