Example of Foles missing an easy TD and why we need Quick

[bwdenverram]

I know Welker was brought in to help on third down but watch Brian Quick come under the middle with nobody covering him, Unfortunately Foles locks on Welker the entire route. Had he looked at the coverage or looked to his right at all this is an easy 6. This is happening far to often with Nick. I want to believe in him but these are the plays he continues to miss every game.

 

[HometownBoy]

That's just egregious, he didn't read the d at all... His head didn't even move.

And we thought Bradford locked in, yeesh.

 

[bwdenverram]

That's just egregious, he didn't read the d at all... His head didn't even move.

And we thought Bradford locked in, yeesh.

Yeah, and instead of being up 14-7 we settle for another FG.

 

[Debacled]

Foles doesn't read defenses. I have no idea why. Its like he reads the front cover and the back cover of a book. Its first option that he has been thinking about going to since before the snap or straight to the white flag checkdown.

Note that Quick was targeted 7 times today, Foles accuracy was maddening at best. He was obviously locking into Welker on 3rd downs and forcing it.

Something else I noticed in this video....why did 3 of 5 routes come out short of the sticks? And it sure looks like the other two were there just to clear out defenders.

 

[bwdenverram]

Foles doesn't read defenses. I have no idea why. Its like he reads the front cover and the back cover of a book. Its first option that he has been thinking about going to since before the snap or straight to the white flag checkdown.

Note that Quick was targeted 7 times today, Foles accuracy was maddening at best. He was obviously locking into Welker on 3rd downs and forcing it.

Something else I noticed in this video....why did 3 of 5 routes come out short of the sticks? And it sure looks like the other two were there just to clear out defenders.

5 WR set. 2 of them go to the endzone, the other 3 are short of the first down. I assume they figure if someone catches it they will make a play for the extra couple yards. I think the play design works, Foles just made the wrong read.
Quick was a couple yards short but an easy 1st down and probably a TD with nobody covering him.
Ugh.

 

[Ramrasta]

I always made fun of Kaepernick for not being able to make reads like this but it's becoming increasingly apparent that Foles has the same problem. The only difference is Kaepernick can make plays with his legs...

 

[8to12]

I know Welker was brought in to help on third down but watch Brian Quick come under the middle with nobody covering him, Unfortunately Foles locks on Welker the entire route. Had he looked at the coverage or looked to his right at all this is an easy 6. This is happening far to often with Nick. I want to believe in him but these are the plays he continues to miss every game.

One thing to consider is the QB ; he never looked other then to the far left of the where Welker was. If he had looked straight up field when he received the snap, I believe the secondary would've reacted differently to Quick.

 

[jrry32]

Honestly guys, that's not a mistake by Foles. You're looking at it from hindsight. Foles has to use foresight. Look at the pre-snap alignment. You have 4 defenders aligned to the right-side of the offense. You have one defender in the middle. And you have two defenders to the left. Welker's defender is giving a 10 yard cushion on 3rd and 7. It's a quick timing pattern. Foles isn't supposed to go through his progressions. He made a pre-snap read and went with it. It wasn't the wrong read based on what was presented pre-snap.

And the play would have worked if not for two mistakes. One...Welker was rusty and didn't appear to get proper depth on his route because when he rolled out of his break, he came up a yard short of the marker. I think he was supposed to run that to the sticks on that play. Two...Foles's pass was just a little off which kept Welker from being able to turn up field after catching it. If either of those two things happen, it's a conversion. If Foles is just a bit more accurate, Welker might be able to turn it up for a TD.

So while yes, he technically missed a possible TD. It's not a miss that can be held against him because he read it right, he executed the play, and things just happened to work out in a way that couldn't be anticipated. Now, if this were a longer developing play where he had time to go through his reads, I'd agree with you. But with this being a quick timing pattern, Foles can't take the time to go through his progressions and scan the field or else the ball will be coming out late...which leads to a Pick Six on an out route.(and frankly, him getting the ball out late has been a consistent issue this year)

EDIT: Looking at the play again, I have to change my opinion. It was the throw. Welker was trying to roll up-field, after coming out of the break, to the sticks but Foles's throw led him back towards the LOS rather than up-field.

 

[Merlin]

One thing to consider is the QB ; he never looked other then to the far left of the where Welker was. If he had looked straight up field when he received the snap, I believe the secondary would've reacted differently to Quick.

Maybe so.

What I find irritating is (as bwd pointed out) three of those routes are short of the sticks. The pass was thrown and completed to Welker, also. Short of the sticks.

Foles is certainly a big part of the problem, however IMO the Rams offensive issues run deeper than just him. Why is there no RB in the backfield in the redzone with a 7 to 7 tie early in the game? It's not just about down and distance. On third and long in the redzone the play action WILL draw attention. It is a cheap advantage the Rams gave up simply by using that formation. Bears nailed that play defensively like an effin layup.

 

[DR RAM]

I told myself, and you here, that I wouldn't talk about him, anymore. This is a coaching decision now. Between this week and next week...been hoping since week one, we'd make a change. If it doesn't happen, as I said, last week. Not a player problem, but a coaching problem. Our season is gone....coach to improve, or win. I love Fisher, but,,,,this is it.

 

[bluecoconuts]

Easy 6? I don't really think so, but definitely a first down.

 

[DR RAM]

Easy 6? I don't really think so, but definitely a first down.

No easy 6 yards, especially, when we need 6, and go fo 3, or 4. STUPID!

Can't be nice, or correct, anymore, or, I'd be STUPID.

 

[Mackeyser]

I know Welker was brought in to help on third down but watch Brian Quick come under the middle with nobody covering him, Unfortunately Foles locks on Welker the entire route. Had he looked at the coverage or looked to his right at all this is an easy 6. This is happening far to often with Nick. I want to believe in him but these are the plays he continues to miss every game.

Can the link be posted for this? I can't see it on my iPhone.

 

[shaunpinney]

And if Welker had made the 1st down we wouldn't be talking about this- hindsight is a beautiful yet cruel thing. My issue is why are we always in a 3rd and 7+ situation, this is what is frustrating.

I'm putting this game in the same box as the Redskins game - we should have won this one!

 

[jjab360]

Foles was terrible but that's not really a good example, tbh.

That's a pre-snap read with a quick throw. A common misconception is that there are some QBs who can read the entire field post-snap every play. That simply isn't the case even if the really good QBs make it seem that way. QBs make predetermined throws most of the time depending on pre-snap coverage. If Wes is open and Foles takes a fraction of a second to turn his head and read the rest of the field, goes back to Wes and Wes is covered the pass rush is probably there by that time, Foles is flushed, and the play is dead.

 

[Memphis Ram]

Looked like a decent natural pick play for Quick to get the first down on the other side. But, truthfully, who didn't know the ball wasn't going to Welker on that play? IMO, Foles would have went to Welker no matter the coverage.

 

[Alan]

jrry32 with the real skinny:
Stuff about Foles "reading the "D" and an edit.
EDIT: Looking at the play again, I have to change my opinion. It was the throw. Welker was trying to roll up-field, after coming out of the break, to the sticks but Foles's throw led him back towards the LOS rather than up-field.

I was going to say much the same thing (probably not as well as you did) and you saved me the effort.

As for your edit, I agree with that too but that is a different issue that I've talked about before. When you look at most of the "bad" passes Foles makes they all pretty much have the same thing in common in that they all seem to be thrown so that there is little or no chance of interception. Of course that often mean there is also rarely any or very little chance for a reception. Playing scared after that 3 interception game IMO.

 

[thirteen28]

I was going to say much the same thing (probably not as well as you did) and you saved me the effort.

As for your edit, I agree with that too but that is a different issue that I've talked about before. When you look at most of the "bad" passes Foles makes they all pretty much have the same thing in common in that they all seem to be thrown so that there is little or no chance of interception. Of course that often mean there is also rarely any or very little chance for a reception. Playing scared after that 3 interception game IMO.

I'm not going to make any excuses for Foles, who has been terrible, but I suspect the bolded portion above has something to do with coaching and Fisher's MO. In short, while I can understand the emphasis to limit turnovers, the coaching staff seems to be taking it to an extreme.

If you remember when Sam was here, he caught a lot of flak for throwing so many checkdowns, but I suspected at the time that it was Fisher's emphasis on avoiding turnovers that was behind it. Instead of pushing the ball downfield for the possibility of a big play, throw the safe pass, throw it where only the receiver can catch it, etc. That was Sam's game most of the time he was here.

I think now we are seeing the emphasis on limiting turnovers manifest itself with Foles, although in a different way, as you wrote above.

It's really a lousy way to coach QB's, because it puts such an extreme emphasis on avoiding turnovers that they have little room to think about actually making a play. Not surprisingly in that situation, they don't.

 

[DCH]

It's a route over the middle. Foles doesn't make throws to the short middle of the field, apparently.

 

[Alan]

thirteen28 with a suspicious mind:
I'm not going to make any excuses for Foles, who has been terrible, but I suspect the bolded portion above has something to do with coaching and Fisher's MO. In short, while I can understand the emphasis to limit turnovers, the coaching staff seems to be taking it to an extreme.

If you remember when Sam was here, he caught a lot of flak for throwing so many checkdowns, but I suspected at the time that it was Fisher's emphasis on avoiding turnovers that was behind it. Instead of pushing the ball downfield for the possibility of a big play, throw the safe pass, throw it where only the receiver can catch it, etc. That was Sam's game most of the time he was here.

I think now we are seeing the emphasis on limiting turnovers manifest itself with Foles, although in a different way, as you wrote above.

It's really a lousy way to coach QB's, because it puts such an extreme emphasis on avoiding turnovers that they have little room to think about actually making a play. Not surprisingly in that situation, they don't.

I suspect that does has a lot to do with it.