Nick Foles’ two-game contribution to the Eagles, Texans story

The Philadelphia Eagles fly south to Houston to take on the Texans on Thursday Night Football, kicking off Week 9 of the 2022-2023 NFL season. For Philly, this is the first time since 2010 that they have suited up to face Houston knowing that Nick Foles won’t be lining up under center. The Texans, on the other hand, have started a different signal-caller in

For the Texans, this marks the fifth time that they’ll field a different signal-caller as their starter. Foles met the Texans came in 2014 and 2018. The first meeting came in his first stint with the team. His second came during his and Philly’s reunion.

Both rank among his most legendary performances. Let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we? We begin with what was, believe it or not, a Week 9 clash in Houston, one where Philly wore all white.

Nick Foles’ first game versus the Texans was the final game of his first stint in Philly.

It’s funny how history has a way of repeating itself. Similarly to the 2022 campaign, the Philadelphia Eagles’ eighth game of the 2014 NFL season came in Week 9 as they traveled to Houston to face the Texans. The Birds were 5-2 on the campaign and led on offense by Nick Foles.

The man who would eventually be known as Saint Nick was in his third season, but this marked the first time that he entered the regular season as the unquestioned starter. It wasn’t a guaranteed long-term assignment. This was a prove-it season for Foles who entered the game with 2,039 passing yards, and 12 touchdowns on the campaign. Sadly, his game in Houston wouldn’t bring with it a happy ending.

On the final play of the first quarter, Texans linebacker Whitney Mercilus collapsed the pocket and slammed Foles to the turf, resulting in a broken collarbone. The Eagles would win by a 31-21 margin thanks to some heroics by backup quarterback Mark Sanchez.

The Birds would improve to 6-2 and eventually finish with a 10-6 record, but that wouldn’t be good enough to earn them a postseason berth. Nick Foles wouldn’t return to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014. He was traded to the Saint Louis Rams on March 10th of 2015 as part of a trade package that brought Sam Bradford to Philadelphia, but he rejoined the Eagles in 2017. We all know how that turned out.

He was again in the spotlight following a season-ending injury to Carson Wentz. The Eagles hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy to close the campaign after beating the greatest dynasty in NFL history. In 2018, after Wentz was again lost to injury, Foles led a late-season charge that ended with a second consecutive postseason appearance as he led the Birds within a few plays of another trip to the NFC Championship Game.

Along the way, they had to vanquish a scrappy Texans team. The game was showcased in Week 16, and this would prove to be one of Nick’s shining moments as an Eagle.

Nick Foles, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, keeps the Eagles’ playoff hopes alive by winning a shootout versus the Texans.

If you’re like the rest of us, whenever you think of Nick Foles’ second stint in Philadelphia, this is one of the games that you remember. Four years passed between the final game of Nick’s first stint as a member of the Eagles and Week 16’s matchup in 2018. This time Nick would get his happy ending.

Following a Week 15 win in primetime versus the L.A. Rams, Philadelphia’s playoff hopes were still on life support as they entered their final home game of the regular season with a 7-7 record. The Houston Texans were the opponent and owners of a 10-4 win-loss total. They’d be named AFC South champions at the season’s end, but they wouldn’t win on this day.

The Eagles faithful would enjoy a treat. It wasn’t always fun. There were a few tense moments, but the right team came out on top. This one came down to the wire though.

The final go-ahead drive began for the Eagles on their 11-yard line with two minutes remaining and a 30-29 deficit. Adversity came early, and Saint Nick was up to the challenge. Facing a third-and-ten scenario, Foles would hang in the pocket and hit receiver Alshon Jeffrey for a first down at the Eagles’ 30-yard. As was the case four years earlier, Nick Foles found himself on the turf thanks to an unnecessary shot by Jadeveon Clowney.

This time, however, Nick got up!

Foles missed one play before returning to the game and leading the Eagles downfield, placing them in position to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired. Foles finished the game with 471 passing yards, an Eagles single-game record. He also tossed four touchdowns. The final was the final touchdown of Darren Sproles’ career.

The 2018 season ended with the Eagles overcoming a 6-7 record to win three straight games and make the playoffs. Nick Foles’ place in Eagles lore had long been secure, but looking back, they never would have made it without him.

As mentioned earlier, the Eagles meet the Houston Texans in Week 9 of the 2022-2023 season. One can only hope that more memories are coming. Hopefully, this catapults Philly to greater heights as well.