Rookies RB Bryce Brown and QB Nick Foles will lead the Eagles offense on Monday Night against the Carolina Panthers.
Nick Foles will see the bright lights of Monday Night Football for the first time as he returns as the Eagles starting quarterback for the second straight game. Foles’ start is expected as the Philadelphia Eagles face the Carolina Panthers this week. Mike Vick is still struggling to recover from and pass league mandated testing for a concussion sustained in Week 10 against the Cowboys .
The rookie quarterback will have another opportunity to get used to the speed of the NFL and find his stride within it. Following his less-than-spectacular debut against the Redskins, where he threw 21 of 46 passes for 204 yards with two interceptions, Foles has vowed to learn from the experience and improve — quickly.
“I’m not going to make any excuses. I need to get better. I’m going to learn from it, though. I was able to see what I did fundamentally, maybe decision-making sometimes, and I’m going to improve on it.”
Running back LeSean McCoy is also dealing with a concussion and another rookie, Bryce Brown, is expected to get his first start in McCoy’s absence. Remarkably, it will be Brown’s first start since 2008 when he was in high school. Drafting Brown was a gamble but the Eagles have used him steadily this season. Brown has so far accumulated 141 yards on 32 carries. He will need to show that his blocking abilities have greatly improved in order to provide some help to the struggling Philadelphia offense.
On the other side of the ball, another rookie looks forward to an exciting game, as defensive end Vinny Curry will be active for the first time this season. And why not give the hometown kid a try? The disappointing performance of the widely touted Eagles defensive line throughout the season has been one of the many storylines attributed to the 3-7 record of the team. The second-round pick is eager to show the fans and his teammates what he can do, but knows that being active for the game doesn’t tell him how much action he’ll see on the field.
“Patience is the key. Face it, those guys are household names [teammates like Trent Cole and Jason Babin]. I also want to establish my name around this league.”
“That’s going to be pretty sweet being active. But now the thing is, hopefully I get a lot of plays.”
Curry’s enthusiasm is infectious and his eagerness to give his all to the team he grew up rooting for means he plans to put it all out on the table. Or, more accurately, on the field. What should Eagles fans expect to see from Curry when he finally gets an opportunity to show what he can do during NFL regular season action?
“Just a guy out there who has worked his tail off. I was brought here in the second round, and I just want to show them what I can bring to the table and let them form their own opinion about me.”
In a game that may well yield yet another bleak outcome for Philadelphia’s woeful season, that’s something to root for.
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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports
Tags: All's Fair in Sports and War, Brandyn Campbell, Bryce Brown, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, LeSean McCoy, Michael Vick, Mike Vick, NFL, Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles, Philly Sports Muse, Sports Talk Radio, The War Room, Vinny Curry, War Room Sports