Nick Foles: From Almost Quitting to All-Time Great Super Bowl Performance

by Julian Spivey
There have been rags-to-riches stories before in the Super Bowl. Kurt Warner pretty much went from a grocery store bagger to Super Bowl MVP. Doug Williams (the first black QB in Super Bowl history) took over as Washington’s football team starting quarterback after Jay Schroeder was injured and routed the Denver Broncos with a record performance in Super Bowl XXII. So, it isn’t crazy that Nick Foles, a mostly career long backup, led the Philadelphia Eagles to their first ever Super Bowl victory on Sunday night (Feb. 4), but it was certainly surprising that he gave potentially the best offensive performance in the 52-year history of the big game.
​
Before the 2016 season Foles had considered giving up the game. He was the starting quarterback for the St. Louis Rams in 2015, but the season didn’t go well with him throwing more interceptions than touchdowns and having a 4-7 record in 11 games started. When the Rams, who were moving to Los Angeles, drafted Jared Goff first overall in the 2016 NFL Draft he requested and was granted his release. Right before the 2016 season Foles signed with the Kansas City Chiefs to backup Alex Smith and played for Andy Reid, who has coached him in Philadelphia. He started one game during the season and won it. After the season he signed with the Eagles, who he began his career and played with from 2012-2014, to backup Carson Wentz. It didn’t seem like Foles would play this season as Wentz was having arguably a MVP season leading the Eagles to the best record in the NFC before suffering a torn ACL in week 14. Suddenly the Eagles became Foles’ team and an underdog.

Foles won two of the three games he started at the end of the regular season before leading the team to a defeat of the reigning NFC champion Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs and a dominant 38-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game in which he completed 26 of 33 passes for 352 yards and three touchdown passes.

Getting the Eagles to the Super Bowl was one thing, but there he would have to face the dynastic New England Patriots looking to repeat as Super Bowl champions and for their record-tying sixth championship. Foles matched NFL MVP Tom Brady pass for pass throughout the entire game. He would finish the game with 373 passing yards, while completing 28 of 43 passes and throwing three touchdowns and an interception (that was honestly his receiver’s fault). But, the most amazing play of Foles’ Super Bowl was a touchdown reception on fourth-and-goal in the second quarter on a trick play in which he became the first quarterback in Super Bowl history to catch a touchdown pass. It’s a play that will no doubt go down in history as one of the greatest in Super Bowl and NFL history. Foles would lead the Eagles to a 41-33 victory in a true David over Goliath performance. He was named Super Bowl MVP.

After the game I got to wondering where Foles’ performance stacked up all-time among Super Bowl MVPs and it’s certainly a top 5 all-time performance. It’s right up there with Williams’ Super Bowl XXII performance, Joe Montana’s five touchdown performance in Super Bowl XXIV, Steve Young’s six touchdown (a Super Bowl record) effort in Super Bowl XXIX and Tom Brady’s amazing comeback last year in which he was down 28-3 in the second half and threw for over 400 yards. By the way, Brady threw for a new Super Bowl record 505 yards in a losing effort on Sunday. The fact that Foles could beat a 500-plus passing yard effort from Brady just adds to his MVP-winning performance.

Not bad for a guy who less than two years before considered hanging it up. If I were him right now I might have to consider it again, because even though he’s only 29 it’ll likely never get better for him than this. He might become a starting QB again somewhere (certainly not in Philadelphia), but more than likely it’ll be back to the backup slot.

Foles is a triumphant story of someone going from the bottom to the top. A story that truly makes sports worthwhile.

---