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Well, Nick Foles just had the greatest Eagles quarterback performance (numbers) in more than half of a century. His 406 passing yards (NFL.com finally categorized the backwards pass as a run for Cooper), seven passing touchdowns and zero interceptions are numbers that are nothing short of amazing. A lot of credit should go to Foles, but a ton should go to Chip Kelly as well. Kelly called the best game of his short NFL career after national pundits thought he was figured out. The Eagles offense only score three points in Weeks 7 and 8, but had a seemingly easy 49 points in just three quarters against the Raiders.
What was so impressive about this victory is that despite Foles' historic success, it was clearly a team win. The Eagles defense held the Raiders to just 13 points until garbage time when former Penn State Nittany Lion quarterback Matt McGloin entered the game in the mid-4th quarter. The defense had two interceptions and while they did allow for some big runs, they stayed mostly dominant. It was an impressive outing for Billy Davis and crew.
Foles is likely to be the talk of the town and probably the nation over the next few days from his performance. He did basically everything well and had a pretty much perfect performance as a passer. Foles was simply unreal against Oakland.
Along with Foles' greatness of Sunday, Riley Cooper, Bryce Brown and DeSean Jackson had tremendous performances.
HOT
Nick Foles: This is obvious but needs to be mentioned again. This performance, in just his ninth start, is unbelievable. When you consider that Foles played the worst game of his career in between two phenomenal games is noteworthy. Oh, and he still has yet to throw an interception. If it was not clear who should start moving forward, then I do not know what it will take to convince Kelly otherwise.
Foles did everything his detractors said he had problems with: he went deep several times and was accurate in doing so, he ran the ball well and he made fantastic reads. He was nothing short of awesome, having more touchdowns than incompletions. Foles, in this game, scored as many touchdowns as the Jaguars have all season. Here are some more awesome notes on Foles' historic day.
Chip Kelly: Seriously, Kelly just punked the entire national media and a good chunk of the fanbase. His game plan was terrific and with the Eagles earning a reputation of note beating man coverage, he tortured the Raiders' defensive backs all game long. People say Kelly needs a mobile quarterback and he just showed you it does not matter. Well done.
Riley Cooper: As a wide receiver, Cooper was brilliant. On Sunday, it was like he was that kid in 5th grade that finally learns he is bigger than everyone else so he can pick on everyone. Cooper showed his size and even his speed throughout the first half of the game and even had a career high in yardages and touchdown receptions. At 139 receiving yards and three touchdowns on five catches, that shows his chemistry with Foles.
Eagles Defense: This entire group made plays and while they were not all special, the fact that they played extremely well as a unit for the fourth straight game is really exciting. Billy Davis called a great game and while there were a few breakdowns against Terrelle Pryor, the defense held the Raiders from scoring when it counted. The Eagles continue to win the turnover battle the way they have, it will be tough not acknowledge them nationally. With three sacks and two interceptions, the defense delivered.
Special Teams: The kick coverage was fantastic and Donnie Jones is clearly one of the best punters in the league. I was impressed by the return unit's blocking as well. Good for Dave Fipp.
Zach Ertz: The rookie tight end made some nice grabs and hauled in his first career touchdowns. He got open very frequently.
DeSean Jackson: The wide receiver had 5 receptions from 150 yards and a touchdown. Jackson looked like he was having a lot of fun in his homecoming. He also had a fantastic punt return.
Bryce Brown: Welcome back! Brown looked fluid and decisive in his runs. Hopefully Brown will continue to play well in relief.
Trent Cole: He finally has a sack on the season.
Connor Barwin: He got a lot of penetration and showed great concentration on that tipped ball that he turned in an interception.
Michael Vick: Listen, we do not normally acknowledge players on the sideline but Vick deserves to be acknowledge. He was criticized for moping in the last game after he was knocked out with the hamstring. On Sunday, he was very involved on the sideline and animated with teammates. He is a leader, that is what he should be doing.
NOT
NFC East rivals: The Cowboys and Redskins won on Sunday...
Referees: Once again, the referees in the game was a little too quick to throw the flags on both sides. They had several iffy calls for and against the Eagles. If I were a Raiders fan, I would be upset as well.
Miscellaneous Musings
- How exciting is it to have a complete win? Offense, defense and special teams were all quality on Sunday. Coaching staff and players really deserve a ton of credit. It was a #WonderFoles performance.
- LeSean McCoy is still awesome, but teams are really clamping down on the league's top rusher. He was impressive in the passing game, but it could get rough if he does not get more quality runs more frequently.
- Chip Kelly is brilliant and I cannot wait to hear Phil Sims dispute that on Showtime's Inside the NFL. This is only the beginning folks. I really respect Kelly pulling Foles for Matt Barkley. It was a great opportunity for reps and not gloat. This team has to avoid hubris-related injuries.
- While this was a historic performance for Foles, we cannot get carried away. Only expect five touchdown per game from him going forward. I am kidding but ease you expectations.
- Bradley Fletcher injured his pectoral late in the game. That is not good news, but I do like what I have seen from Roc Carmichael and Brandon Boykin. Cary Williams played well on Sunday.
- Matt Barkley is clearly not even ready for garbage time. This year's late-round pick quarterbacks have been awful this season, granted they should not be in the games anyway.
- I like the move back to Brandon Boykin on kick returns. It was clear that it was time to end Damaris Johnson's run there (no pun intended).
- If you notice a lack of writing next week from me, it is because I am moving across the country for a new full-time gig. I will still be with Bleeding Green Nation and cover the NFL for SB Nation, but will be on a brief lull as I travel from South Florida to Phoenix, Arizona. I will let you know more about the new gig in time. I am very excited to join the Desert Eagles Nest fanbase. Stay tuned.