Foles OK, to start wild-card game for Eagles
PHILADELPHIA — Nick Foles will start at quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC wild-card game against the Chicago Bears, coach Doug Pederson said Monday.
The Eagles earned the sixth and final NFC spot in the playoffs with a win and the Vikings’ loss to the Bears, setting up a wild-card matchup for Philadelphia in Chicago.
The Eagles trounced the Bears 31-3 in November 2017, but this Chicago team is a far cry from that one in all phases.
Nick Foles tied Ryan Tannehill and Philip Rivers’ NFL record for consecutive completions by connecting on 25 straight passes in Philadelphia’s game against Washington.
Pederson said the tests Monday on Foles’ sore ribs came back “clear” and that the quarterback was feeling good.
Foles left the Eagles’ 24-0 victory against the Washington Redskins on Sunday in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Nate Sudfeld. Before he left the game, Foles tied an NFL record by completing 25 consecutive passes.
Foles will be able to ease into the week, as Pederson has altered the team’s schedule of late, replacing Wednesday practices with a light walkthrough to keep his players fresh. Foles’ workload will pick up Thursday.
“We’ll take care of him and make sure he’s ready for Sunday,” Pederson said.
Sudfeld will serve as Foles’ backup for Sunday’s game as of “right now,” said Pederson, who offered no updates on the status of Carson Wentz, who was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back in Week 15.
For this week, it appears the Eagles will continue to hold Wentz out and allow him to heal.
Foles, the Super Bowl MVP in Philadelphia’s win over New England last February, has led the Eagles to three straight wins while replacing Wentz. He finished 28-for-33 for 221 yards, two TDs and an interception as the Eagles secured the sixth and final playoff spot in the NFC with their victory and the Minnesota Vikings‘ 24-10 loss to the Bears.
Foles is 9-2 as the Eagles’ starter over the past two seasons, including playoffs.