Nick Foles wasn’t supposed to be in this situation.
When the Philadelphia Eagles signed him last March, Foles’ anticipated role was much different than his original stint with the team. His first three seasons in the NFL saw him emerge as a starter under previous coach Chip Kelly. But this time around, with second-year star Carson Wentz fully entrenched as the number one, he knew where he stood.
Then Wentz suffered a season-ending ACL injury in a Week 14 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Suddenly the Eagles’ Super Bowl destiny was in the hands of a player who made a total of 12 starts over the previous two seasons. It included just one in 2016 with the Kansas City Chiefs. That had to evoke a “here we go again” mentality among Eagles fans hungry for a championship after so much disappointment.
Nick Foles Looks to Rekindle 2013 Magic in Super Bowl LII
But after five starts, including two in the playoffs, there’s an aura of confidence with Foles at the helm. He’s 4-1 in those games with the only loss occurring in a meaningless season finale against the Dallas Cowboys where he only played a quarter. Against the Atlanta Falcons in the divisional round, Foles was mistake free in a dogged 15-10 win. One week later, he was on another level altogether. Dare I say, elite?
In a 38-7 demolition of the Minnesota Vikings, Foles played lights out. He completed nearly 80 percent of his passes, finishing with 352 yards and three touchdown tosses. Whether it involved finding Zach Ertz in the flat on run-pass options or dropping dimes downfield to Alshon Jeffery, the totality of Foles’ skill set shined through on the biggest stage of his career. That is, until the first Sunday of February in Minneapolis.
It certainly doesn’t get much bigger than a Super Bowl with Tom Brady on the opposing sideline. That’s what awaits Foles and company as they face a New England Patriots team in search of its sixth Lombardi Trophy, all with Brady and head coach Bill Belichick at the helm. That would tie them with the Pittsburgh Steelers for most all-time. Meanwhile, the Steelers’ in-state rival is hoping the third time is a charm with respect to playing in the big game.
It’s this most gargantuan of NFL spotlights that Foles will find himself thrust into next Sunday. Not only was such a scenario unexpected when the season kicked off on account of his status as the team’s backup. It may have been impossible had Foles gone through with a certain life decision. After a lackluster 2015 campaign with the then St. Louis Rams where he went 4-7 as a starter, Foles considered retirement.
But after consulting with Andy Reid, who drafted him when he was still Eagles head coach in 2012, Foles signed in Kansas City. Though he made a limited impact behind Alex Smith, in many respects it paved the way for his return to Philly. And via a confluence of circumstances, the pathway for the Eagles to erase a nearly 60-year title drought lies in part at his feet.
In order for it to happen, Foles must turn back the clock a few years. More specifically, the Eagles need 2013 Foles to fortify his presence much like he did against the Vikings. Back then, he famously threw for 27 touchdowns to a minuscule two interceptions. That ratio has only been bested once in NFL history. His looming opponent in Brady tossed 28 touchdowns and just two picks last season.
The two signal callers bear other similarities as well. Among quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era with at least 10 starts, 250 pass attempts and 200 completions in a season, only six have finished with a touchdown percentage (touchdowns passes/passes attempted) of greater than eight percent. The following graphic provides an illustration of the others who’ve achieved the feat.
There is a compelling argument that this Eagles team is the best of New England’s eight Super Bowl opponents. According to NFL Research, they’re the only one to finish top five in scoring offense, scoring defense, defensive points per game and yardage per game as well as takeaways. Not only that, but none of the previous seven came into the Super Bowl off a win of 30 or more points in the conference title game.
And behind center is their unexpected leader. A leader who showed promise two years into his pro career only to fall into quarterback purgatory in the subsequent seasons. Now amidst a sudden career revival, he’s just one win away from sending a championship-starved fanbase into football heaven.
