Nick Foles benefits from run-first mentality in win

Wiki Article

Nick Foles benefits from run-first mentality in win Published: Jan 13, 2018 at 01:37 PM Around The NFL Writer Doug Pederson knows he doesn't have a game-changing quarterback. Fortunately for the , he realized this before it was too late. Pederson adjusted his play-calling late in the first quarter after two drives proved what we already Kendall Lamm Jersey knew -- Philadelphia couldn't win the game primarily on the arm of -- and it made a world of difference in what ended up being over the . "Part of our succe s this season has been the balance, balance of run and pa s. We got back to that," Pederson said after Philadelphia's Divisional Round victory. "We stuck with it and guys executed the game plan extremely well." The storylines surrounding this one were cemented well before kickoff: The No. 1 seed isn't favored, despite being at home and owning a 13-3 regular season mark. Foles isn't good enough to win a playoff game. Atlanta has been hot, especially defensively. A majority of that went by the wayside on Saturday when Pederson decided to stop calling the game like he had under center. It was almost as if someone handed the play-calling head coach a copy of his own team's roster and he flipped to the page that listed his running backs -- , and -- and had an epiphany. Since losing Wentz, Pederson had done his team no favors in his play-calling, surprisingly moving away from the run with Foles under center. The production drop-off that ensued wasn't all that shocking, and through a quarter on Saturday, it was predictable and borderline frustrating to watch. But Pederson's shift led to a brutish drive that landed the in the end zone via, you gue sed it, a Blount rushing touchdown. More importantly, it took Foles out of the precarious position of playmaker and shifted him into the role of game manager. It's an insult to any quarterback, but it's Philadelphia's best chance at a postseason victory without Wentz. Against the , it worked well. "Nick is Nick," Pederson said of Foles. "That's what we've talked about and that's what he and I have talked about. We stayed committed to the run obviously, and that helps, and then with the pa sing game, just him making great decisions. Getting the ball out of his hand, finding the open receiver and he did a really nice job executing the gameplan." Getting the ball out of Foles' hand is key to the offense's rhythm, flow and succe s, and it's also code for Pederson saying he doesn't want the relying on Foles' arm. The numbers don't show it, but the tape does. After Philadelphia's first scoring drive, much of the ' offense from there was built out of the run: run plays, run fakes, screens and everyone's favorite hot term -- run-pa s options. RPOs aren't anyone's comfort zone and Foles wasn't anywhere near excellent, but Philadelphia succeeded in putting the quarterback in short down-and-distance situations. The result was a line that reads much better than it looked: 23-of-30 pa sing, 246 yards and a 100.1 pa ser rating. Foles misfired Ozzie Newsome Jersey fairly often, overthrowing open targets, and even a handful of his completions were poorly located pa ses that required his receivers to make good or great catches. He was also the beneficiary of a botched interception that deflected off the knee of a defender and into the hands of . None of that inspires much confidence, but it does get the to next week and a date with either the or in the NFC Championship Game next Sunday. That's more than most of us expected entering Saturday. "Since (Wentz suffered his season ending injury), no one's given us a chance," Pederson said after the win. "Nobody's given us a chance. I understand, Carson's a great player. But every week, our guys are hearing the same thing, and now we're all of a sudden not good enough? "We're 13-3, we have the best record in football, home-field advantage throughout. The guys are going to motivate themselves just based on what they've done and heard for the last month of football. Listen, it really doesn't matter what you guys talk about because that locker room in there is united, and I'll go to bat for every one of those guys and I'll go to war with every one of those guys in the dre sing room." The narrative will revolve around Foles, but the real story starts (and potentially ends) with Philadelphia's running backs and its stifling defense. How that translates against either New Orleans or Minnesota, we'll learn next week. But for seven more days, the are still alive. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Kareem Hunt Jersey Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
https://augustshvh20864.wikiexcerpt.com/2464059/cam_newton_supports_patriots_selection_of_mac_jones_is_eager_to_compete_for_starting_spot
Click here Click here

Report this wiki page