Inside the Iggles
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Carson Wentz vs Nick Foles: Debunking fan-made myths from this past season

By Justin Grasso

Carson Wentz #11, Nick Foles #9, Philadelphia Eagles (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Carson Wentz #11, Nick Foles #9, Philadelphia Eagles (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 23: Quarterback Nick Foles #9 of the Philadelphia Eagles communicates with the team on the line of scrimmage against the Houston Texans during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 23, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 23: Quarterback Nick Foles #9 of the Philadelphia Eagles communicates with the team on the line of scrimmage against the Houston Texans during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 23, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /

Myth Number Three

“The Eagles offense played better with Foles in.”

Apparently, the Eagles play better for Nick Foles. Would an offense play ten times harder because they know the backup quarterback is in? You would think, right? However, blindly stating that the offense is much better with Foles is flat-out false. Do you want to know how much more productive the Eagles offense was on the scoreboard with Nick Foles this year? Well, they scored 0.1 points more on average. Yes, with Wentz, the Eagles averaged 22 points-per-game in 10 matchups, while they averaged 22.1 points-per-game with Foles in seven matchups.

While the city of Philadelphia was claiming that Foles was the savior of the Eagles, everybody disregarded the fact that the Eagles defense was significantly better for that final three-game stretch, including the playoffs. With Wentz on the offense, the defense allowed 23 points-per-game. With Foles in, they only allowed 18.1 points-per-game. Through Wentz’s ten game stretch, the defense forced a total of nine turnovers (0.8 per game). During Foles’ seven-game stretch, the Eagles forced the same amount of total turnovers but with three fewer games (1.2 per game).

By the time Rasul Douglas, Cre’Von LeBlanc, and Avonte Maddox started hitting their stride, fans began making claims that the Eagles secondary was actually much better than it was with Ronald Darby, Jalen Mills, and Sidney Jones. Doesn’t that make the defense better than it was before then when the Eagles had Carson Wentz at quarterback then? Just saying. The Eagles defense was the difference-maker during that final stretch. Not the offense.

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