Initially, I thought the same but it's incorrect. Slow it down and watch it again. Welker gets to the sticks and Foles's throw brings him back behind the sticks. The route was run correctly.
I firmly disagree with that, at all times Welker is short of the sticks.
As for those saying that Foles was late, Welker could have turned right or left, he did not know which way until Welker made the cut, then Foles immediately threw it to him.
Even if you are right, It is the very first catch by Welker, it was bound to be some problem with being on the same page. It takes time to get the timing right, it takes time for the QB to get used to the speed of the receiver. That dogged Foles in the first half, when he had trouble getting on the same page with Welker. He missed 2 times in the first half on crossing routes when Welker was open, and that really made Foles look bad. It really added fuel to the whole Foles had to be yanked narrative He hit Welker perfect in stride in the second half on a crossing route over the middle. So he was getting better, getting a better feel for Welker's speed in games.
Foles also missed Quick on a crossing route in the first drive, but again Quick was not there in the training camp, he was not there in the first games, he was given few snaps in the first games back, and very few crossing routes with Quick were called for Foles to get the timing right, being on the same page. That miss was in the first half first drive. In the second half, Foles did hit Quick with a strike right down the middle, which Quick took it for a big gain. So Foles was getting better at connecting with Quick over the middle.
I feel that Foles getting the timing right with Welker and Quick over the middle would had really elevated the offense. One of the reasons I still support Foles. Rather than agreeing with those who say Foles was yanked too late, I definitely feel Foles was yanked too soon. I definitely saw that Foles was getting better at being on the same page with Quick and Welker over the middle, getting the timing right, getting their speed right.
People needed a scapegoat, so Foles was blamed for all the ills of the team. Right. Keenum is not the answer, there is a reason he went 0-8 with the Texans. Foles does have a higher ceiling, he proved in 2013, he proved again this season with 2 great games against the main rivals in the division, against 2 of the top 3 defenses in the league, SuperBowl contending defenses. He definitely has that in him. He was yanked before he could get the connection right with Welker and Quick over the middle, which would had really elevated the offense. Young QBs do have slumps, just this year Luck had many down games, Wilson had many down games, and they are regarded as franchise QBs.
Foles was yanked after a game in which the D crapped the bed, the run game was non-existent outside the first drive, many holding calls which put the offense in very bad situations, 3 drops on 3rd downs, 1 of them in the redzone, an opponent with a good pass defense which could focus on defending the pass all game long, the first game with Welker which was bound to lead to some problems between him and Foles being on the same page.
