The Philadelphia Eagles maintained the best record in the league with a 43-35 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, but at a high cost. MVP candidate Carson Wentz tore his ACL, and though he stayed in to throw a touchdown on 4th and goal, he's been ruled out for the rest of the season and will likely miss the start of 2018.
Enter Nick Foles. In his second stint with the Eagles, Foles has been handed the keys to the team many have called the best in football throughout the season. Philadelphia's defense gives up the 5th least points per game (19.2) and even minus Wentz, their offense has weapons like LeGarette Blount, Jay Ajayi, Alshon Jeffrey, Torrey Smith, and Nelson Agholor.
So Foles basically has to come in and keep the ship afloat, making some skilled throws when possible but most importantly, taking care of the football. In 13 games, Wentz only had nine turnovers (seven interceptions and two lost fumbles.) Ball security will be huge for Foles, and I'm sure we'll hear him referred to as "game manager" many times until the Eagles season is over.
The Eagles are 11-2, and even without Wentz, they're still headed to the playoffs. With their victory over the Rams, they clinched the NFC East, and with just one win in the final three weeks, they'll clinch a first-round bye. The road to the Super Bowl will likely go though Philadelphia, where the Eagles are 6-0.
Does losing Wentz hurt the Eagles Super Bowl chances? Of course. But the season is far from lost as Foles is a serviceable backup with starting experience.
Enter Nick Foles. In his second stint with the Eagles, Foles has been handed the keys to the team many have called the best in football throughout the season. Philadelphia's defense gives up the 5th least points per game (19.2) and even minus Wentz, their offense has weapons like LeGarette Blount, Jay Ajayi, Alshon Jeffrey, Torrey Smith, and Nelson Agholor.
So Foles basically has to come in and keep the ship afloat, making some skilled throws when possible but most importantly, taking care of the football. In 13 games, Wentz only had nine turnovers (seven interceptions and two lost fumbles.) Ball security will be huge for Foles, and I'm sure we'll hear him referred to as "game manager" many times until the Eagles season is over.
The Eagles are 11-2, and even without Wentz, they're still headed to the playoffs. With their victory over the Rams, they clinched the NFC East, and with just one win in the final three weeks, they'll clinch a first-round bye. The road to the Super Bowl will likely go though Philadelphia, where the Eagles are 6-0.
Does losing Wentz hurt the Eagles Super Bowl chances? Of course. But the season is far from lost as Foles is a serviceable backup with starting experience.
In 2013, Foles had a breakout year that has yet to be replicated. He put up 27 touchdowns to only two interceptions, earning a Pro Bowl spot and leading the Eagles to the postseason. They would lose 26-24 to the New Orleans Saints on a last-second field goal, in a game where Foles played well. The experience is there for Foles to lead Philadelphia into January.
Evaluating the Eagles Super Bowl odds entails looking at their potential opponents in the NFC. Possible matchups include the New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and Green Bay Packers.
With Wentz under center, the Eagles likely would've been favored in most of these matchups. With Foles at the helm, the matchups look a bit tougher on paper.
I would take the Foles-led Eagles over the Panthers. Carolina's offense wouldn't be able to compete and if Foles was an effective game manager (there it is) a win shouldn't be too hard. But that's the only matchup where I would take the Eagles outright.
The next tier of teams would include the Falcons, Saints, Vikings, and Rams. The Eagles COULD beat any of these teams in the playoffs, especially at home. But it wouldn't be easy, and Foles would have to make some skilled plays to will the Eagles to victory.
Matchups with the Saints and Rams could both end in shootouts. The question would be, can Foles keep up with the scoring? Although their defenses aren't spectacular, New Orleans and Los Angeles both have top-12 scoring defenses.
Finally, I don't think the Eagles would want to see the Seahawks or Packers in January. Seattle beat the Wentz-led Eagles two weeks ago, and if the Packers complete their uphill battle into a wildcard spot, they'll be one of the scariest teams in the league. Both teams have MVP-caliber quarterbacks: something the Eagles had in Wentz, but not in Foles.
If the Eagles beat two of these teams and reach the Super Bowl, they'll have a shot at winning no matter the opponent. Winning two straight games in the NFC playoffs will prove this, even though they wouldn't be favored against the New England Patriots or Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Philadelphia Eagles magical season took a huge blow when Carson Wentz went down with an ACL injury. But the Eagles had one of the better backup quarterback situations in the league, and depending on which opponents they draw in January, they could still make, and win, the Super Bowl.
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