News & Info/Headlines
Foles heads into today's important game against the Cardinals as the league's top-rated passer with a 128.1 rating. He also leads the league in yards per attempt (9.59) and touchdown and interception percentage. He's thrown 16 touchdown passes and zero interceptions in 162 attempts this season.
The only thing Foles can't do is run fast, which means he can never be Kelly's read-option dream quarterback. But if he can continue to be this productive as a passer, maybe the running part won't matter to Kelly in the big scheme of things.
Of course, the Cardinals blitz as often as any defense in the NFL. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, formerly of the Eagles, has sent extra pass rushers on 239 of 489 (48.9 percent) quarterback drops this season.
According to Philadelphia Inquirer staffer Jeff McLane, the results have been mixed, often depending upon the quality of offense Arizona has faced. But opposing quarterbacks have completed 55.1 percent of their attempts, thrown for 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and been sacked 18 times when blitzed.
Foles has had success against the blitz but hasn't seen many extra pass rushers, for whatever reason. He's been blitzed on 26.1 percent of drops and completed 62.8 percent of his passes for five touchdowns. Foles hasn't been intercepted but was sacked three times.
"I think it's one of his strengths," Kelly said, "because I think he's intelligent and he's got a really good understanding of what we're doing."
Foles has had only one of 162 passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. Kelly said that he thought the low number could be correlated, in part, to the giant "flyswatters" he used at practices during the spring and training camp.
Kelly had members of his staff during 7-on-7 drills wear equipment on their shoulders that looked like giant flyswatters and were used to emulate defensive linemen with raised arms.
"I think it helps because it just gets them to understand throwing lanes and that you just can't let it rip no matter what," Kelly said.
Something's working.
And fantasy owners rolling with Foles in what should be a tough might still get reasonable return from him.
In a related note. ... Wide receiver DeSean Jackson has long been regarded as one of the league's most feared vertical threats. But this season, he's finally becoming a complete receiver. He has become the kind of red-zone factor in Kelly's offense that he never was in Andy Reid's.
He has four catches in the red zone this season, two for touchdowns. He's also been the team's most productive third-down receiver. Twelve of his 58 receptions have come on third down, including a team-high nine for first downs.
"Chip's done a great job of coming in here and giving me some opportunities in the red zone," Jackson said. "I think in the past, a lot of times, I was taken out down there in the red zone and not really given opportunities to make plays down there."