No longer a matter of if, but a matter of when. Nick Foles played his first game in the NFL, unable to stop the Philadelphia Eagles from losing for the fifth time in a row and putting even more pressure on Andy Reid, looking like a man who knows he’s not going to keep his job at the end of the season.
How was Foles on his debut for the Eagles? He was 22-32, 219 yards, 6.8 per attempt, one touchdown, one interception, one fumble. He actually put the Eagles ahead and looked like he was forming a nice bond with Jeremy Maclin, but a quite a few of his passes, including the one that was intercepted, were under-thrown and Foles made the mistakes you expect from a rookie.
He looked composed and calm while the O-Line did a decent job for once, allowing him to be sacked only twice (a cause for celebration in Philly), but far from enough to get the wagon out of the mud.
Michael Vick suffered from what was later described as a pretty significant concussion. While most still believe that the Eagles have a better chance of winning (3-6 at the moment, worst in the NFC East) with Vick behind Center, this feels like the start of the change. Vick first, and then Reid. Still, Andy Reid is persistent that when healthy, Michael Vick is his starter.
Sticking with Vick, once he comebacks, feels like giving up. Whatever it is that isn’t working, it’s hard to see an offense suddenly coming to life when Vick gets back. Some even say that his brother’s tweet about looking for a new team to play for sealed his fate among fans and probably some players on the team. It doesn’t look like the offensive line is getting any better soon, and the only thing that can be improved is the cohesion and will to block on every single play.
Foles is a gamble, but it’s the only real change Andy Reid has left. If he’s still hungry for coaching the Eagles, which he says he is, than taking one final risky move to try and save your job is the right decision. The Eagles were slipping, falling apart with Michael Vick, his fault or someone else’s fault. With a new quarterback, at least there’s the option and hope that things will look different, better, next time they step out onto the football field.