How Will The Patriots Plan For The Multiple Versions of Nick Foles?

The backup QB can be unpredictable.

Nick Foles NFL
Nick Foles #9 of the Philadelphia Eagles throws a pass in the first quarter against the Oakland Raiders. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

On paper, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles is the definition of inconsistency. He replaced Carson Wentz in Week 14 after Wentz suffered a left-ACL injury that took him out for the rest of the season. During his first full outing, Foles threw for 237 yards and four touchdowns, a 34-29 win over the Giants. But then, he completed just half his passes for 163 yards in a 19-10 defeat against the Raiders and had a horrible first half in a 6-0 loss to the Cowboys: 4 of 11 passing, 39 yards, one interception. But then, he completely turned it around with a 15-10 divisional-round win over the Falcons, completing 23 of 30 throws for 246 yards. And of course, he played the best game of his life against the Vikings, securing the Eagles a spot in Super Bowl LII. His whole career has shown these inconsistencies, which is partially why teams made him a backup QB. But the scouting report on Foles, until Sunday, has been straightforward. But on Sunday, Foles threw a 53-yard touchdown to Alshon Jeffrey. And then there was an 11-yard completion to Zach Ertz on third-and-10 when Foles quickly climbed a crumbling pocket against a zone blitz. All this will complicate Bill Belichick’s plan for the Patriots. Belichick must decide: how much does he game-plan for the Foles he’s seen most often and how much for the Foles he’s seen most recently?

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