Steve Serby

Steve Serby

NFL

Foles falls short, but gives Philly fans taste of future

He stood in the center of the locker room listening to Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie tell him how proud he was of him, and then a heartbroken Nick Foles, a heartbroken 26-24 loser, trudged to an interview room beneath an empty, silent Lincoln Financial Field.

The fans had implored him, pleaded with him to be Saint Nick, the improbable Eagle soaring through the frosted air on this exhilarating magic carpet ride into the wild-card playoffs and beyond if he could only get the better of his idol, Drew Brees.

He sure tried, and he almost did.

Except he never got the damn ball back.

He had thrown the 3-yard touchdown pass to Zach Ertz that had given the Eagles a 24-23 lead, with only 4:54 to next week, and pointed to the heavens.

Except there would be no next week.

He was stranded on the sidelines as Brees, aided by a 39-yard kickoff return from Darren Sproles and a 15-yard penalty for a horse-collar tackle added to it against Cary Williams, started the fateful winning field goal drive at the Philadelphia 48.

He was stranded there helpless as the Saints (185 rushing yards) kept gashing the Eagles defense, until Philadelphia was out of timeouts, and Shayne Graham was kicking a 32-yard field goal as time expired. Foles was out of luck, no more games to play, no more chances to continue an unfathomable season that saw him throw 29 touchdown passes and just two interceptions and unseat Michael Vick.

“We always go over photos, you want to make adjustments, and there’s still time on the clock,” Foles said, “so when there’s still time on the clock, you always have to be ready to go. Just you always want to make sure you’re warm. I’m going to be throwing on the side to keep my arm warm because you want to play til the whistle is blown and there’s nothing on the clock.”

There was nothing on the clock when the Saints began dancing their way to Seattle.

“This doesn’t feel good, we wanted to keep playing, but it is what it is, and I’m proud of my teammates.”

He sounded as if he were running for Mayor.

“I’m proud of the crowd today, they were great,” he said, “they did an awesome job, they were loud, I know it was hard for Drew to hear.

“I’m proud of the city of Philadelphia for this season, they were around us the whole year.

“It’s tough to lose, I’m hurting inside right now in my heart.

“But, I’m going to keep my head held high because I love my teammates, I love this city and I’m going to keep fighting for this city.

“I love playing here, I love this city, I love this organization, because I know the heart of it. The heart of it is the heart of Philadelphia.”

Foles, whose big mistake was allowing himself to be sacked out of field goal range in the first quarter, began playing Saint Nick when he started at his 23-yard line, with 7:59 left

Foles looked left and pumped, then threw deep right for DeSean Jackson. Interference against Corey White. First-and-goal at the 3.

Two plays later, Foles sidearmed the 3-yard TD pass, and it was Eagles 24, Saints 23.

He had endured a cold and a sore throat. But, so what?

“I’m sure there’s people in the stands right now that we’re out there cheering is on that have a cold, but when I’m out there playing I’m 100 percent,” Foles said.

Beware the Eagles.

“We’re a dangerous team,” Lurie said

With a dangerous quarterback in the years to come.