NFL NEWS

Eagles hope QB Foles can hit big plays vs. Vikings

The Sports Xchange

January 17, 2018 at 8:36 pm.

Jan 13, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9) runs the ball against Atlanta Falcons defensive end Takkarist McKinley (98) during the second quarter in the NFC Divisional playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field. Photo Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

Jan 13, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9) runs the ball against Atlanta Falcons defensive end Takkarist McKinley (98) during the second quarter in the NFC Divisional playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field. Photo Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA — Nick Foles used his short game to help beat the Atlanta Falcons, 15-10, in the Philadelphia Eagles’ divisional-round playoff game last weekend. But he’s going to need his driver this week if the Eagles are going to beat the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game and advance to the Super Bowl.

Foles struggled early against the Falcons and didn’t throw a touchdown pass in the game, but completed 23-of 30-passes and averaged 8.2 yards per attempt.

Foles and the Eagles attacked the Falcons defense with mostly short, quick passes off run-pass options. Just four of his 23 completions came on passes that traveled longer than seven yards in the air. Six were throws behind the line of scrimmage.

Three of their four scoring drives against the Falcons – three field goals and a 1-yard LeGarrette Blount touchdown run — were 12 plays or more. But the Vikings’ defense is considerably better than the Falcons’ defense. They have given up the fewest points in the league. And they have not been susceptible to long, methodical drives.

“Last week, I think we had three (scoring) drives of over 10 plays,” said offensive coordinator Frank Reich. “So that’s the challenge going up against one of the better defenses in the league.

“So I think one thing is we have to scheme and we have to find ways to make a few chunk plays here and there.”

That’s not going to be easy. The Vikings have given up just 35 pass plays of 20 yards or more. That’s the fewest in the league.

While Foles has a decent arm, he has completed just 2-of-13 throws of 20-plus yards since replacing injured Carson Wentz in Week 14. Against the Falcons, he had tight end Trey Burton wide open on a 25-yard out route in the first quarter and badly overthrew him.

“We’re going to have to be able to take some shots (downfield),” Foles said. “Against Atlanta, they played a different coverage where they tried to keep everything in front of them.

“Minnesota is a little bit more diverse in their coverages. They like to switch it up. They do a good job of rockin’ and rollin’ the safeties. And they play a lot tighter down. They’re not going to give us much underneath. So we’re absolutely going to have to make some larger completions.”

SERIES HISTORY: 27th all-time meeting. Series tied, 13-13, but the Eagles have won all three postseason meetings, most recently in the 2008 wild-card round, when they beat the Vikings, 26-14, in Minneapolis. The two teams played last season in Philadelphia with the Eagles sacking quarterback Sam Bradford six times and winning 21-10.

–Foles, who will be the Eagles’ starting quarterback in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Vikings, considered quitting football two years ago. Foles, who put up the third best passer rating in league history with the Eagles in 2013, was traded to the Rams by Chip Kelly after the 2014 season. He started 11 games there in 2015, then was benched. After they drafted Jared Goff in the 2016 draft, he asked for, and was granted, his release. It was at that point that he thought about quitting.

“You have to know where your heart is,” Foles said. “Why you’re doing it. I had to take a step back and ask myself, ‘Am I doing this for the right reason?’ Because if I can’t do it with my heart, I can’t do it. I’m not going to do something unless my heart’s in it.”

Foles had a pending offer from the Chiefs to be Alex Smith’s backup. After several long discussions with his wife, Tori, he signed with the Chiefs.

“It wasn’t an easy decision,” he said. “It was an emotional decision. I leaned on my wife. I leaned on my faith. I leaned on my family. My heart said go back. At that moment, it was going back to play for Coach (Andy) Reid. And I’m a better person for making that decision. My faith and the way I felt going into that experience (with the Chiefs) allowed me to grow and made me a better player.”

–Eagles second-year left tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai will have his work cut out for him Sunday when he goes up against Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen. Griffen, who has 43.5 sacks over the last four seasons, including 13 this year, was described earlier this week by Eagles head coach Doug Pederson as a “game-wrecker.”

Vaitai has started 10 games this season in place of injured nine-time Pro Bowler Jason Peters. Pederson said Wednesday that he will likely give Vaitai help with Griffen.

“You’ve got to be smart and you’ve got to know that at that position, (Griffen) can change the ballgame,” he said. “So we’re going to be smart and we’re going to, he knows that tight ends are going to help over there, backs are going to help over there. We’re going to slide protection (to that side). Big V had challenges all season. We’ve faced some tremendous defensive ends this year. But this definitely will be his greatest challenge.”

–Pederson on being described as an unorthodox play-caller: “I don’t think I go in there consciously saying, ‘I’m going to be unorthodox.’ I think you either have it or you don’t. Listen, if you just look at what I’ve done in two years (as the Eagles’ head coach), you’d probably call me unorthodox with some of the decisions I’ve made on fourth down and going for it and two-point conversions, things like that. I’ve told you guys this before. Sometimes you just don’t do the norm. You don’t do what everybody expects you to do. Sometimes that can help you.”