Michael Vick and Nick Foles both made one big mistake in their time under center tonight, but both also had an otherwise solid evening. Still, it was Michael Vick that appeared to be the quarterback for Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Nick Foles is by no means a statue in the pocket, but when it comes to Chip Kelly’s fast-paced offense, he’s no match for Michael Vick’s athleticism. That much was on full display against the Panthers. Both quarterbacks moved well in the pocket, but Michael Vick’s ability to turn a pass into a full blow run is unparalleled by any other quarterback in the NFL.
Tonight, Nick Foles was charged with not only matching Vick’s performance, but topping it with accuracy and decision making. Although he had an all-around good night, he threw one interception in the red zone that was as ill-advised as any pass in the redzone can be.
Vick, on the other hand, had a nearly flawless night, only throwing an interception on the last play of the first half. The return went nowhere, and it didn’t ultimately hurt the Eagles any. Outside of that, Vick was nine for nine passing with over 100 yards and an additional 20 yards on the ground.
As it appears now, Michael Vick will be able to hold off Nick Foles and will eventually be named the Eagles’ starting quarterback. Whether that happens this week or right before the start of the season isn’t really of any concern to the Eagles. In these situations, the incumbent won’t lose his job unless he’s making mistakes or the challenger is undeniably better suited for the position. Neither of those options is the case in Philadelphia.
Still, it’s not all bad for Nick Foles. As a backup, Foles has shown that he can handle Chip Kelly’s offense. If that offensive system catches on in the NFL, Foles will become a hot commodity for the Eagles to trade off for draft picks to further develop the rest of the team around Vick and Kelly’s offense.
Nick Foles still has a bright future in the NFL, and he’ll probably land somewhere outside of Philly as a starting quarterback – eventually. In the meantime, Michael Vick continues to show his proficiency in Chip Kelly’s offense, and he continues to distance himself from any quarterback controversy by simply going out and playing nearly flawless football.
