Eagles quarterback Nick Foles finished the season with the most completions of 20 yards or further in the NFL, and the statistic does not take into account yards after the catch. (Image courtesy of USA Today)Nick Foles' arm strength is one of his attributes that repeatedly gets criticized by skeptics that the second-year quarterback is incapable of assuming the mantle of the Eagles' franchise quarterback, but perhaps that perception is about to change.
Many of Foles' critics insist that Foles' historic 29 touchdowns-t0-two interception ratio this season was a product of Chip Kelly's system and Foles reluctance to throw the ball down field and take chances.
However, that criticism is no longer valid.
According to Pro Football Focus No quarterback in the NFL posted completions of 20 yards or longer than Foles, who finished the season with 17.4 percent of his passes traveling that distance.
What is perhaps most impressive and enlightening about this statistic is the fact that it does not take into account yards after the catch, which means that any production on screen passes or short-to-intermediate routes do not impact average.
Additionally, Foles' accuracy on deep passes ranks seventh in the league at 45.5 percent, which is ahead of the likes of Philip Rivers, Tony Romo, Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Andrew Luck. He even completed 14 of his 29 touchdowns this season on passes of 20 or more, which ranks behind only Brees and Andy Dalton who are tied with 15.
These numbers come on the heels of Foles becoming the only rookie in NFL history to average 260 yards per game while completing over 63 percent of his passes during the 2012 season.
As these numbers show, Foles really does have all of the tools necessary not only to succeed in Chip Kelly's system, but also to thrive.
“People said Nick Foles couldn't throw the ball deep,” Kelly said earlier this season. “I don't know where that came from or why that came. … I've seen him throw the ball deep. I've seen him be accurate in practice, and now he's done it in a game.”
For whatever reason, Foles detractors seem to find any ammunition possible to justify the fact that Foles' numbers are somehow a product of the talent around him or the system in which he operates, but these numbers show a quarterback who is as efficient as they come, protective of the football and able to capitalize on chances downfield when they are presented.
What more can you ask for from a quarterback?
Matt Lombardo is the Editor-In-Chief of Eagledelphia and also an on-air personality on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Join the conversation and follow Matt on Twitter.
