Nick Foles - Film Review

[jrry32]

I spent some time today going back and watching every pass Foles through in 2014. Planning to go back through 2013 when I have the chance as well. Here are my general observations:

• Foles doesn't have Bradford's arm strength. He doesn't get the same amount of velocity on the passes outside the hashes(they can hang a bit at times). His arm is middle of the pack but it's definitely adequate. It won't hinder our offense. We just won't have the deep out, deep comeback, and throws like that be as much a part of the offense with Foles as they were with Bradford.

• Foles needs to be more consistent with his timing on routes. Shows great anticipation at times and at other times, he holds the ball too long and forces passes late.

• Foles's decision making needs work. He's definitely got a gunslinger mentality out there. There are too many plays where he should just live to play another day but tries to make something out of nothing. It works on occasion but he also risks a lot of turnovers doing it. Honestly, if he continues to struggle with it and I were Weinke, I might have him at the start of every practice do a drill where he rolls out and throws the ball away just to prove a point. Because he needs to play smarter.

• Foles needs to do a better job with his post-snap reads and coming off his first progression. Made some dangerous throws when he tried to force it to his first progression based on what he read pre-snap.

• Foles's feet should be the Rams' #1 priority in developing his game. I don't think he was a good fit for the Eagles system simply because of how often they had him play-action it out of the gun and then try to transition into a quick pass. And Foles just was not good at resetting his feet quickly after the play-action fake which led to a lot of inaccurate throws. He definitely seemed a lot more comfortable under center. His drops, while methodical, allowed him to be a lot more controlled with his feet. The Rams coaching staff really needs to stress setting and resetting his feet as well as driving the ball with authority. He just is very inconsistent with his lower half and it adversely affects his accuracy.

• His deep accuracy is definitely scatter-shot. Some of it is related to the previous issues with his feet but that's certainly not all of it. He made some beautiful throws including dropping a ball into the bucket from 60+ yards away to Maclin against Arizona(the play linked). However, he also overthrew open WRs and TEs quite a bit on deeper throws. It's an area where he needs to really improve because you can't squander opportunities like that in the NFL.

• View: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-cant-miss-plays/0ap3000000418116/Wk-8-Can-t-Miss-Play-Magical-Maclin

• Foles needs to show better composure under pressure. The Eagles OL was Rams OL bad in some games this year. They just were a sieve. But Foles needs to do a better job of hanging in the pocket and creating space within the pocket. He flashes that ability but I swear the guy thinks he's Michael Vick with how often he tries to scramble towards the sidelines to buy time. He's not athletic enough to outrun most DEs in this league but certainly tries to. The Rams really need to fix the interior and get it to a point that Foles is comfortable with it so he'll step up in the pocket rather than looking to scramble.

• I have a feeling some might be concerned that Foles will be hesitant to test tight windows coming out of Kelly's offense...don't be. He showed no fear when it came to putting the ball into very tight spaces and generally did an effective job of it...especially when he was sound in the lower half.

• Foles is surprisingly hard to sack. He's a big guy and while he looks skinny(especially in the arms), he's surprisingly strong and difficult to get off his feet. He broke quite a few tackles in 2014 and extended plays by refusing to go down. Although, he also coughed up the ball on a few plays when he did that. He was also able to throw out of some sacks due to his ability to stay on his feet with guys holding onto him.

• Definitely not afraid to take off and run for yardage if there's a lane. That was an issue that I had with Sam. He'd have a running lane to an easy first down and he'd refuse to take it. Foles will definitely take off if there's a lane there. But he'll also keep his eyes up until he passes the LOS the majority of the time in case something comes open.

Verdict

My personal opinion is that Foles is much better suited for an offense like ours than Chip Kelly's. As I stated above, he seemed a lot more comfortable under center than he did in the gun...especially when it came to play-action fakes. I think our quick passing offense will be something that he's more comfortable with as he seemed at his best when the Eagles let him get into a rhythm with quick passes although he's not a guy to shy away from deep shots. I also think that our coaching staff will give him a bit more freedom than Kelly did. But that's just an assumption I'm making. It seemed like Kelly might have been a bit too controlling with their offense. I think Foles would do better with more pre-snap responsibility and freedom.

Foles is tough, competitive, and is definitely capable of making some wow plays. Those of you hoping for an Alex Smith like game manager are going to have to adjust your expectations because that just isn't how Foles plays the game. But those of you who wanted more aggressiveness and risk taking out of our QB position when compared to Bradford will likely be happy in that regard.

How good do I think he can be for us? Realistically, I think he'll offer us 2012/2013 Andy Dalton level play. Some of you might be unhappy to hear that but I think that's about the level he's at right now. He certainly has potential to improve and be more than that, though. But he has to clean up some glaring issues in his game. Ultimately, though, I think that level of play is more than enough for us to win with. And keep in mind that Foles doesn't have Dalton's biggest issue...the tendency to fall apart in high pressure moments and games.

 

[jjab360]

I can already tell that I'm going to learn a lot from this post. Now I'm actually going to read it lol.

 

[FRO]

Great post. I would take Dalton level in a heartbeat. Just going off the Eagles/Rams 2014 game Foles got away with some bad decisions and throws. He needs to clean that up. All we need is solid QB play.

 

[mr.stlouis]

Read half of that, will read further tomorrow.

I do believe both QB's will do better under their new systems. And on Foles's arm strength, its really strong when he sets and fires. No a blazer like Favre, but strong than Brady's current arm strength. He can gun 55 yard bombs with ease if he's not leaning back or getting off balance. That's why I think our power run scheme will benefit him so well. He's really tall for starters and should be plenty comfortable executing PA fakes and boot legs. He's just what we need.

I've also notice he really does have a lot of poise. Yes, he tries to do too much at times but doesn't get rattled (Opposite of Sam in that way.) He has a back for stepping up late in games, too. I just love what I see.

 

[TheDYVKX]

I haven't watched nearly what you have, but I see some of the stuff you're seeing, so I'll assume the rest are accurate as well.

I'm really hoping Weinke can come in and clean those things up. He's done it with a lot of young QBs.

Either way, if he can be Andy Dalton level for us, without the choking, we're playoff bound.

Need to get him an OL though.

 

[jrry32]

Read half of that, will read further tomorrow.

I do believe both QB's will do better under their new systems. And on Foles's arm strength, its really strong when he sets and fires. No a blazer like Favre, but strong than Brady's current arm strength. He can gun 55 yard bombs with ease if he's not leaning back.

Nah, Brady's got more zip on his throws. Foles can get it down the field but those sideline throws in the intermediate and deep range aren't easy for him. Just doesn't have the same sort of natural arm strength that Sam had. Then again, Brady didn't use to either. He perfected his mechanics and really dedicated himself to building his core and lower body strength. Both those things would help Foles out. He's not weak armed but he's not strong armed either. Ultimately, it doesn't make that much of a difference when he's getting the ball out on time but there were a few plays last year that he got picked off on because he was late with it and didn't have the arm to compensate.

 

[mr.stlouis]

Nah, Brady's got more zip on his throws. Foles can get it down the field but those sideline throws in the intermediate and deep range aren't easy for him. Just doesn't have the same sort of natural arm strength that Sam had. Then again, Brady didn't use to either. He perfected his mechanics and really dedicated himself to building his core and lower body strength. Both those things would help Foles out. He's not weak armed but he's not strong armed either. Ultimately, it doesn't make that much of a difference when he's getting the ball out on time but there were a few plays last year that he got picked off on because he was late with it and didn't have the arm to compensate.

Mechanics would go a long way with him. I do agree with that.

 

[Robocop]

first off where did you go to find and watch all his games last year? and second thats an impressive bit of scouting sir. i myself am under no illusions about Foles. i know he has limits and i have Philly fan friends that have told me more about him after watching him a few years. accuracy and ball control were a couple problems that were mentioned in 2014, things change after teams get tape on a QB. his 2013 year was an anomaly really. a product of a well tuned Chip Kelly offense to limit any of his limitations. my only hope is that Cignetti will learn to do the same. I don't necessarily expect him to be here long term but who knows. 2014 was a wakeup call for him and maybe for Chip which caused the trade. development is key but idk if our coaching is good enough to develop him into something special. serviceable probably but still unknown. my question to you jrry32 is after watching his tape do you think he can utilize Tavon to his full potential if our OC is willing, meaning deep threat ability like Bradford was able to use. Bradford has the ability and proved it in his small 7 game sample with him, but can Foles do the same. (side note: i still agree he's still skinny as shit and i don't understand why a man his height can't put on a little beef or lean muscle like Big Ben to make it that much harder to take him down and maybe add a little heat on those deeper passes). any feedback jrry?

 

[DR RAM]

I spent some time today going back and watching every pass Foles through in 2014. Planning to go back through 2013 when I have the chance as well. Here are my general observations:

• Foles doesn't have Bradford's arm strength. He doesn't get the same amount of velocity on the passes outside the hashes(they can hang a bit at times). His arm is middle of the pack but it's definitely adequate. It won't hinder our offense. We just won't have the deep out, deep comeback, and throws like that be as much a part of the offense with Foles as they were with Bradford.
• Foles needs to be more consistent with his timing on routes. Shows great anticipation at times and at other times, he holds the ball too long and forces passes late.
• Foles's decision making needs work. He's definitely got a gunslinger mentality out there. There are too many plays where he should just live to play another day but tries to make something out of nothing. It works on occasion but he also risks a lot of turnovers doing it. Honestly, if he continues to struggle with it and I were Weinke, I might have him at the start of every practice do a drill where he rolls out and throws the ball away just to prove a point. Because he needs to play smarter.
• Foles needs to do a better job with his post-snap reads and coming off his first progression. Made some dangerous throws when he tried to force it to his first progression based on what he read pre-snap.
• Foles's feet should be the Rams' #1 priority in developing his game. I don't think he was a good fit for the Eagles system simply because of how often they had him play-action it out of the gun and then try to transition into a quick pass. And Foles just was not good at resetting his feet quickly after the play-action fake which led to a lot of inaccurate throws. He definitely seemed a lot more comfortable under center. His drops, while methodical, allowed him to be a lot more controlled with his feet. The Rams coaching staff really needs to stress setting and resetting his feet as well as driving the ball with authority. He just is very inconsistent with his lower half and it adversely affects his accuracy.
• His deep accuracy is definitely scatter-shot. Some of it is related to the previous issues with his feet but that's certainly not all of it. He made some beautiful throws including dropping a ball into the bucket from 60+ yards away to Maclin against Arizona(the play linked). However, he also overthrew open WRs and TEs quite a bit on deeper throws. It's an area where he needs to really improve because you can't squander opportunities like that in the NFL.
  View: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-cant-miss-plays/0ap3000000418116/Wk-8-Can-t-Miss-Play-Magical-Maclin
  
• Foles needs to show better composure under pressure. The Eagles OL was Rams OL bad in some games this year. They just were a sieve. But Foles needs to do a better job of hanging in the pocket and creating space within the pocket. He flashes that ability but I swear the guy thinks he's Michael Vick with how often he tries to scramble towards the sidelines to buy time. He's not athletic enough to outrun most DEs in this league but certainly tries to. The Rams really need to fix the interior and get it to a point that Foles is comfortable with it so he'll step up in the pocket rather than looking to scramble.
• I have a feeling some might be concerned that Foles will be hesitant to test tight windows coming out of Kelly's offense...don't be. He showed no fear when it came to putting the ball into very tight spaces and generally did an effective job of it...especially when he was sound in the lower half.
• Foles is surprisingly hard to sack. He's a big guy and while he looks skinny(especially in the arms), he's surprisingly strong and difficult to get off his feet. He broke quite a few tackles in 2014 and extended plays by refusing to go down. Although, he also coughed up the ball on a few plays when he did that. He was also able to throw out of some sacks due to his ability to stay on his feet with guys holding onto him.
• Definitely not afraid to take off and run for yardage if there's a lane. That was an issue that I had with Sam. He'd have a running lane to an easy first down and he'd refuse to take it. Foles will definitely take off if there's a lane there. But he'll also keep his eyes up until he passes the LOS the majority of the time in case something comes open.

Verdict
My personal opinion is that Foles is much better suited for an offense like ours than Chip Kelly's. As I stated above, he seemed a lot more comfortable under center than he did in the gun...especially when it came to play-action fakes. I think our quick passing offense will be something that he's more comfortable with as he seemed at his best when the Eagles let him get into a rhythm with quick passes although he's not a guy to shy away from deep shots. I also think that our coaching staff will give him a bit more freedom than Kelly did. But that's just an assumption I'm making. It seemed like Kelly might have been a bit too controlling with their offense. I think Foles would do better with more pre-snap responsibility and freedom.

Foles is tough, competitive, and is definitely capable of making some wow plays. Those of you hoping for an Alex Smith like game manager are going to have to adjust your expectations because that just isn't how Foles plays the game. But those of you who wanted more aggressiveness and risk taking out of our QB position when compared to Bradford will likely be happy in that regard.

How good do I think he can be for us? Realistically, I think he'll offer us 2012/2013 Andy Dalton level play. Some of you might be unhappy to hear that but I think that's about the level he's at right now. He certainly has potential to improve and be more than that, though. But he has to clean up some glaring issues in his game. Ultimately, though, I think that level of play is more than enough for us to win with. And keep in mind that Foles doesn't have Dalton's biggest issue...the tendency to fall apart in high pressure moments and games.

Great post, and very close to how I view Foles. Don't know if I would compare him to Dalton, because I don't know if he's a choker. Spot on.

 

[Afro Ram]

Chapter 1. Strengths and weakness. THERE'S GOING TO BE A TEST ON THIS PEOPLE!!

 

[WestCoastRam]

Nice post. Yeah, Dalton leaves a lot to be desired but if Foles stays healthy, we'll have superior play to Davis and Hill. That alone is reason for being happy.

Will be curious to see how he looks under center, that seemed to be a thing that the Rams braintrust mentioned too - that seeing him under center in 2012 and in college intrigued them.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Foles is young and hopefully willing to take to coaching and weight training. As you noted with Brady he improved his game. Brady was not all that good in his first Superbowl against the Rams. If Foles wants to get better I think he could be a very good QB. Maybe not a top 5 guy but close to a top ten. That is enough with a good defense.

I also used to get frustrated when Sam wouldn't take the open lane and run when it was there. In fact teams never had to fear him running, which takes a dimension away from every offense. I also like that Foles will have a tendency to take a chance on the long throws, which Sam often chose to check it down instead of risking a long pick.

I figure Foles has that natural aggressiveness that combined with Fisher/Cignetti's conservative approach should be tamed down enough to make him a bit smarter with the ball, but not totally handcuffed like Sam seemed to be at times. I wish Nick was under contract for two years instead of one. The Rams will have a big decision at the end of this year, unless they somehow end up with a better QB than Nick out of the draft.

Good Write up Jrry, Thanks.

 

[rdlkgliders]

Nice write up again and as usual @jrry32 I agree with the assessment and am in hopes that our staff at very least neutralize some of his negative tendencies especially with the lower body mechanics. A lot of his other issues I am hoping are solved with what I pray will be a better pocket and protection. Our system should also alleviate a bit of his issues. All that being said He is a straight up Football player a gamer and that is something I look forward to watching.

 

[jrry32]

first off where did you go to find and watch all his games last year? and second thats an impressive bit of scouting sir. i myself am under no illusions about Foles. i know he has limits and i have Philly fan friends that have told me more about him after watching him a few years. accuracy and ball control were a couple problems that were mentioned in 2014, things change after teams get tape on a QB. his 2013 year was an anomaly really. a product of a well tuned Chip Kelly offense to limit any of his limitations. my only hope is that Cignetti will learn to do the same. I don't necessarily expect him to be here long term but who knows. 2014 was a wakeup call for him and maybe for Chip which caused the trade. development is key but idk if our coaching is good enough to develop him into something special. serviceable probably but still unknown. my question to you jrry32 is after watching his tape do you think he can utilize Tavon to his full potential if our OC is willing, meaning deep threat ability like Bradford was able to use. Bradford has the ability and proved it in his small 7 game sample with him, but can Foles do the same. (side note: i still agree he's still skinny as crap and i don't understand why a man his height can't put on a little beef or lean muscle like Big Ben to make it that much harder to take him down and maybe add a little heat on those deeper passes). any feedback jrry?

I think that'll be on Tavon. If Tavon improves his route running and understanding of the offense, I don't see why not. I think a guy like Tavon would probably work a bit better for Foles as a deep threat because Foles really isn't much of a 50/50 guy on his deep balls. He has a tendency to try to put it out in front of his guy which leads to some overthrows. But for a guy like Tavon that can run under it, I can certainly see it being an effective combination. But like I said, Tavon's gotta do some improving this off-season.

The only mild concern I have is that Foles had some issues with missing wide open drag routes(i.e. not seeing the WR or pulling the trigger too late). Which is something that should be Austin's bread and butter here. Hopefully, he'll do a better job of spotting it with the Rams.

 

[Lesson]

My only worry regarding your analysis is him performing at Dalton's level. Is that a bad thing?

 

[jrry32]

My only worry regarding your analysis is him performing at Dalton's level. Is that a bad thing?

Not really good or bad. 2012 & 2013 Dalton gave Cincy an average of 30 TDs, 18 Ints, and a 88.1 QB Rating. I'd say Foles's production will probably be somewhere reasonably close to that. Maybe a little less on all three. 26 TDs, 16 Ints, and a 86ish QB Rating. Or something like that. I think that's a fairly reasonable expectation. We'll see I guess.

 

[Lesson]

Not really good or bad. 2012 & 2013 Dalton gave Cincy an average of 30 TDs, 18 Ints, and a 88.1 QB Rating. I'd say Foles's production will probably be somewhere reasonably close to that. Maybe a little less on all three. 26 TDs, 16 Ints, and a 86ish QB Rating. Or something like that. I think that's a fairly reasonable expectation. We'll see I guess.

What QB would you compare to in terms of build?

 

[bomebadeeda]

I think playing in our jumbo packages (multiple TEs and big WRs) will help w/ what jrry32 mentioned as Foles' strengths. While I have to admit when I first heard about the trade, I was not thrilled at all. But I see what the Rams see in Foles and can see how it will fit and have warmed up to what has happened. Now the proof will be in the execution, so it will be an interesting ride this year.
Great posting BTW jrry32.

 

[jrry32]

What QB would you compare to in terms of build?

In terms of build and physical skill-set, I'd say Matt Schaub(the younger version).

 

[jjab360]

first off where did you go to find and watch all his games last year? and second thats an impressive bit of scouting sir. i myself am under no illusions about Foles. i know he has limits and i have Philly fan friends that have told me more about him after watching him a few years. accuracy and ball control were a couple problems that were mentioned in 2014, things change after teams get tape on a QB. his 2013 year was an anomaly really. a product of a well tuned Chip Kelly offense to limit any of his limitations. my only hope is that Cignetti will learn to do the same. I don't necessarily expect him to be here long term but who knows. 2014 was a wakeup call for him and maybe for Chip which caused the trade. development is key but idk if our coaching is good enough to develop him into something special. serviceable probably but still unknown. my question to you jrry32 is after watching his tape do you think he can utilize Tavon to his full potential if our OC is willing, meaning deep threat ability like Bradford was able to use. Bradford has the ability and proved it in his small 7 game sample with him, but can Foles do the same. (side note: i still agree he's still skinny as crap and i don't understand why a man his height can't put on a little beef or lean muscle like Big Ben to make it that much harder to take him down and maybe add a little heat on those deeper passes). any feedback jrry?

Here's what Daniel Jeremiah (an Eagles scout at the time Foles was drafted) had to say about his work ethic in his scouting report:

Work ethic: Outstanding worker, sets a tone in the weight room. They have to back him off so he doesn’t get too big.

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2015/2/6/7991361/nick-foles-scouting-report-eagles-weight-room

The guy is 6'6, 245 lbs, looks like he has a normal build for a QB his height, if not larger than normal when compared to Mike Glennon for example. Not everyone wants to be as chubby as Big Ben.

Btw, Bradford never really proved he could connect deep with Tavon, though that's mostly because he never really tried. He only had one deep pass completed to him against Carolina that was called back, Kellen Clemens actually had better luck in that department lol.