If Reid believes his job is at the breaking point, then yes, playing Foles makes sense as his home-run chance. The Saints are the perfect chance (maybe the only chance?) on the schedule for a rookie QB to magically put up 400+ yards of offense in his first start, and if the Eagles destroy the Saints as a result, it's "Foles-Future" and Reid saves his job.
The alarming, "why make this move?" part is that the Eagles are still in relatively good shape thanks to their early-season wins. They're 3-4, and Vick has a very good chance of putting up huge numbers against the Saints. If Reid believes the playoffs is a better route to keeping his job than exploring Foles as a QB, this is a huge mistake and the Saints will probably make him pay.
This is basically on the money. If I was an Eagles fan I wouldn't be asking for a new QB. I'd be asking for a coach, because no matter what Foles does next week the underlying problem is still there.
You have the fans split into groups.
There are those who always want a new QB. Even when McNabb was playing amazing they wanted him gone. The back up, no matter who it is, was always better. After losing the SB they wanted McNabb gone.
Then there are those who wanted Reid gone after season 1.
And they very tiny portion of the fans who can look past just the QB and or Coach.
I loved Reid those first few seasons how he built from the lines out, slowly but surely getting better each season, bringing along McNabb and then making the playoff runs. But that Reid, that QB and team, are long gone. 8 years since the Eagles were dominant in the regular season and I always felt Reid should have been fired at least 5 seasons ago. No they waited till McNabb's contract ran out, then blamed him for all their failures, and ran him out too. Then Reid got his new franchise QB in Kolb. That lasted 1 game. Now Vick.
And it will kill me if by starting Foles he somehow saves his job only because Foles shows promise.
If Reid wants to save his job by making the playoffs he would be a fool for switching now. You have the Saints coming up. Though I don't think the Saints are as bad as their record shows, their D is terrible. Maybe even worse than the Eagles. Let Vick play against them. After the Saints the Eagles have 2 games against the Cowboys, 2 against the Redskins, 1 against the Giants, Bucs, Bengals, and Panthers. The tougher part of their schedule is gone. So if they are to make a run it has to be Vick and within the NFC East.
The secret of this season is that aside from the turnovers Vick is doing quite well. He has good production with that offense. Is that offense something that Reid thinks he can replicate with Foles at QB? They're playing the Saints, so I think the answer for next week is a good "probably" but will that suffice long term?
With Vick you have to win. With Foles you have to prove you made a good decidion taking Vick out AND win. If Foles loses two games, is benched and Vick comes back and the Iggles are barely eliminated from the playoffs? Ha.
Tell that to the people who only look at final stat lines. The Eagles offense has no running game and terrible OLINE. Vick is part of the problems by turning it over but their offense is ranked so low NOT because they can't move the ball.
Their problem is that they move the ball quite well between the 20s but then in the redzone can't punch it in. They end up settling for FGs or turning it over. And that has been a problem since McNabb's final two years here. It is not something new with Vick.
They have small WRs who in the redzone are neutralized. No run game or very little attempt at running, which is laughable with McCoy in the lineup. And then Vick's turnovers. The play calling is terrible as well. Think back to the Steelers game. Vick moved the offense perfectly down to the 2 yard line early in the game. First and goal and Reid calls a QB draw out of shotgun when he knows Vick has ball security issues. WHY? Just hand it off to McCoy. Its always trying to be too clever and cute.
I honestly think things have gotten so bad in that locker room and FO, that Foles simply showing promise won't save his job. Lurie made the ultimatum a week after his son died. He didn't even care almost. He said not making the playoffs is not acceptable. There are also reports that Lurie was never on board with hiring Juan but he let Reid make the decisions because Lurie never interferes with football decisions. So Reid has been the one calling the shots on all these odd ball moves with the wide 9, Juan, and now letting go of Juan.
Lurie was actually quoted as saying he didn't think it would work out and it hasn't. Pretty sure if at the end of this season they don't make the playoffs, he will fire Reid whether Foles shows promise or not.
Still amazed Eskin is reporting they would bench Vick because he made two audible mistakes. The D is the bigger problem right now. If the Saints put up 40 on this D, they think Foles can match wits with Brees?
I've got one prepared, I'll get it to you sometime this afternoon/evening.
K cool. Go easy. And PM me the avatar.