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Last week, Michael Vick got his turn as the Eagles’ starting quarterback. Now, it’s Nick Foles turn. The Eagles will be hosting the Carolina Panthers tonight in their second preseason matchup, and as with last week, Philadelphia’s quarterback battle will take the spotlight.
A week ago, Michael Vick was effective in limited time on the field, and although Foles got off to a rocky start, he was also able to recover.
This week, Nick Foles will need to get off to a quick start to put him back in the thick of the quarterback battle. The general consensus from last week’s game is that Vick was able to pull away from Foles. With a solid performance, and a stutter by Vick, Foles could put himself back in the hunt.
Although the two quarterbacks turned in solid performances against the Patriots, many accounts noted Michael Vick’s arm strength was on full display. There’s no doubt that Vick has the advantage in athleticism as well as arm strength. The questions arise around Vick’s ability to make the proper decisions. Arm strength is important in the NFL, but decision making at the quarterback position trumps all, and if Foles proves he’s better in that aspect, he has a chance.
Still, Vick was nearly perfect in his limited time on the field last week. That seems to be a theme in many quarterback battles around the league year-in and year-out. To borrow a bit of reasoning from Hitch, Vick is already in with Chip Kelly; he just has to worry about not screwing it up.
For Nick Foles to pull back even, or eventually pass Michael Vick, he’ll need flawless decision making, perfect accuracy, and he’ll likely need Vick to slip up along the way. The preseason weeks aren’t particularly grueling by NFL standards – the regular season is far more difficult by comparison – but there’s enough time left for Foles to make his move.
On the other hand, a slip up by Foles now would practically deliver the starting position to Michael Vick on a silver platter. At this point, Kelly hasn’t made his final decision yet, and if there’s still any doubt in his mind, why should he? Still, Michael Vick is certainly the favorite to win the spot at this point. That’s something that Foles can chance, but tonight’s game represents a now-or-never moment for Nick Foles.
