We all know about the rookie quarterback class that descended upon the NFL last season, but one guy who kind of slipped through the cracks – probably because he entered the league as an almost guaranteed backup – is Nick Foles.
The Eagles thought enough of the 6-foot-6 quarterback to use a third round pick on him, and with the expectation that he would learn from head coach Andy Reid and incumbent QB Michael Vick, it seemed like a fairly prudent move.
People outside the City of Brotherly Love agreed.
“I had [Philadelphia’s] Nick Foles in the preseason against New England. Michael Vick got hurt on the fifth or sixth play, and Foles went the distance, on the road in Foxborough,” Jon Gruden said last year. “If you like prototype pocket passers with some functional mobility and a tremendous amount of toughness, Foles is interesting.”
There were five quarterbacks in the class of 2012 who began last season as starters: Ryan Tannehill, Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck, Brandon Weeden and Robert Griffin III — and Gruden was of the mind that Foles could have been the sixth. He got his wish.
Thanks to Vick — predictably — getting injured, Foles got his chance to start last year and the results were a mixed bag. Now, thanks to another Vick injury, Foles is once again starting for the Eagles but all signs point to things being much better this time around.
After taking over for Vick when he got injured in Week 5 and playing quite well, Foles started in week 6 and completed 22 of 31 passes for 296 yards with three touchdowns and no picks. He also rushed for a score on a designed quarterback draw. For fantasy owners, that could just be the tip of the iceberg.
In his last five starts (including four from last season), Foles has a completion percentage of 62.7 percent. Although that number might not jump off the page, it is better than the number that the five other quarterbacks who started their NFL careers in 2012, the same year as Foles, have put up this season (Tannehill, Wilson, Luck, Weeden and Griffin in case you forgot). In fact, Foles has been so good this year that his quarterback rating (127.9) is only worse than one other quarterback who will be starting in Week 7 – Peyton Manning (128.8).
When Foles takes on the Dallas Cowboys this week, he will be facing off against a defense that is tied for the league lead in surrendering touchdowns (14) and is ranked third in most passing yards allowed (1,849) and passing yards allowed-per-game (308). What that means is that fantasy owners can safely pencil Foles in for around 300 yards passing and a couple of touchdowns during Sunday’s home game in Philadelphia. He might not keep it up, but, for one week at least, Foles is definitely for real in fantasy.
Evan Bleier is a freelance writer based out of wherever he can plug in his laptop. You can send him questions, comments and Buffalo wing suggestions @itishowitis or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
Photo Credit: Getty
