Nick Foles was already under pressure from the Chicago Bears fanbase after his lackluster debut as the starter on Sunday. They didn’t want to hear excuses about him being not up to speed on the system or facing the best defense in the league. They expected results. That is what head coach Matt Nagy and the brass seemed to promise when they traded for him.
Things looked like they were reaching a boiling point after another ugly start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night. Then something unexpected happened. Foles started to click. Aided by a big forced fumble by Kyle Fuller, he led two consecutive scoring drives to erase a 13-0 Bucs lead to 14-13.
The second half wasn’t always pretty either, but Foles didn’t flinch despite a tough Tampa Bay defense. When the Bears needed a drive in the final four minutes, he delivered two huge throws. A 3rd and 9 conversion to Anthony Miller and a 17-yard wheel route to David Montgomery to get them in range for the game-winning field goal.
The reaction from Bears fans alone was priceless. What perhaps made it even more entertaining was seeing how Philadelphia Eagles fans responded as well.
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#Eagles #foles #wentz pic.twitter.com/x8TQAHI8RH
— Jessica F. (Fletchy) (@footballjessy) October 9, 2020
NICK FOLES > CARSON WENTZ
— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) October 9, 2020
https://twitter.com/Slim_and_Bones/status/1314398762979254273
https://twitter.com/GooseBarrels/status/1314406412865470465
“Is Howie Roseman the biggest LOSER of all GM’s by keeping Wentz over Foles? We’re gonna recap Nicky 6’s HUGE win over Brady (again) and much more today, tune in 6-10”
— j.g. (@_gower_power) October 9, 2020
Nick foles is better than wentz thought I would let everyone know on Twitter
— Corey (@Cstrokes98) October 9, 2020
https://twitter.com/TruthLexar/status/1314479247344492544
Foles > Wentz
— bald & burly (@FranklinBTurtle) October 9, 2020
https://twitter.com/Flepodcast1/status/1314424324028354561
https://twitter.com/PhillyvsTheWrld/status/1314421793629900800
Nick Foles continues to prove he’s more than meets the eye
See what I did there? Jokes aside, some quarterbacks are so much more than the stats will say. Foles is one such example. He may not always post incredible numbers, but he just finds ways to win. When his team needs a big throw or a big drive, he tends to deliver more often than not. Perhaps Eagles fans sensed that about him back in 2017 and 2018. Not always the star of the show, but always the conductor of the orchestra.
Many felt the team was making a huge mistake by letting him walk last year. Yes, Wentz had played well when on the field but staying on the field was already proving to be an issue. Not only that but Foles was proving time and again he knew how to win in the playoffs.
Yet the team couldn’t afford to give up on its massive investment in Wentz. So they allowed Foles to walk. Now he’s at the head of a 4-1 team. The Eagles lead their division but with a 1-2-1 record. One can understand why there are regrets.