Eagles 23 Bucs 21 Foles Gold

In one of my first blog articles I wrote about our desire to have heroes in sport, the need to have individuals to cheer for and inspire us.  I identified the Quarterback as being the most likely source of a hero in an NFL side, and whilst there are a few exceptions (Ray Lewis, Adrian Peterson) I stand by that assertion.  Based on that principle  I eliminated the Jaguars from my search for a team as based on his stats Blaine Gabbert was the QB least likely to fill the "hero" role.  Nothing that has occurred this season has made me think I made the wrong decision on that front!

However, I've been waiting all season for the Eagles to do something heroic.  Quarterback Michael Vick has been erratic at best, and eventually succumbed to an inevitable injury.  Sure there have been some good performers - DeMeco Ryans, Alex Henery, Fletcher Cox have all performed well, but there hadn't being any truly stand out moments or inspiring plays.  Step forward rookie QB Nick Foles...

Truth be told, I hadn't been entirely convinced by Foles during his first few starts.  He looked like a leader, but his throwing wasn't great and last week it appeared that Andy Reid had put a harness on him.  What's more, and call me judgemental here, he reminded me of Napoleon Dynamite.  He looks more like a Chess Club member then an NFL starter.  Luckily, looks can be deceptive (After all, I'm not actually a male model!).  My perception of Mr Foles changed dramatically on Sunday evening, and it may prove to be a defining moment in my Eagles supporting life.

Overall, Foles had a decent game, but it was his play in the 4th quarter that would be truly memorable.  With the Eagles trailing by 2 scores, Foles engineered 2 drive in the final 4 minutes that turned the game on it's head.  The most impressive aspect was the leadership qualities that Foles displayed. He improvised a terrific pass to Jason Avant, and then had the bravery to tell Andy Reid that he wanted the final play on his shoulders.  Reid let him loose, and Foles delivered a lovely touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin as time expired. Ultimately  the victory won't mean a great deal in the context of the season, but it could a moment Eagles fans look back at for years to come.  It was a period of play that I'd been waiting for all season,  an Eagles player stepping up and delivering a memorable, game winning moment.  Foles has been named as starter for the rest of the season, it's a great chance for him to show the franchise that he can be the starting Quarterback.  Maybe he won't grasp the opportunity and the Eagles will have to look at acquiring a new QB in the off season.  But maybe, just maybe, Foles can nail down the starting spot and be the Eagles QB for the next few years.  If he does, then perhaps I've found my next sporting hero!