Colts: Frank Reich clearly knew how to pick apart old friend Nick Foles

Colts HC Frank Reich clearly knew how to stymie old friend Nick Foles, who spent the 2017 season with him in Philadelphia.

There were a number of intriguing storylines heading into the Indianapolis Colts’ matchup with the Chicago Bears in Week 4. In our eyes, however, the relationship and history between head coach Frank Reich and quarterback Nick Foles took the cake.

The duo were together in Philadelphia back in 2017 and were instrumental in the Eagles’ poetic playoff run and eventual Super Bowl win over the Patriots. Reich, of course, served as the offensive coordinator that year, and Foles took over under center after starter Carson Wentz went down with a torn ACL just before the start of the playoffs.

In three games, Foles completed 72.6% of his passes (77-of-106) for 971 yards and six touchdowns compared to just one interception. Though Reich and Foles’ respect for one other developed before the magical run, that championship was far and away their most significant achievement together.

Well, it would appear that their stint in Philly provided Reich with more than enough time to learn of Foles’ flaws, because the 31-year-old gunslinger looked lost during the Colts’ win over Chicago on Sunday.

Reich heaping praise on Foles’ behalf is as professional as it gets, and we would expect nothing less from him. However, it was abundantly clear that he was behind the Colts’ game plan on defense. Presented with an opportunity to put a stranglehold on the starting QB job after leading Chicago to a come-from-behind win over Atlanta in Week 3, Foles was genuinely unwatchable.

For the game, he finished 26-of-42 for 249 yards and one TD and INT apiece. Those numbers look a lot worse when you consider that one score came with just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter with the Bears in desperation mode. Through the first 58 minutes of regulation, Foles could only muster three points against Indianapolis’ elite defense, which seems to get more impressive with each passing week.

Reich might have a ton of respect for Foles, but that all changed for three hours on Sunday. His job is to put the Colts in the best position to win games, and making his old friend look completely rattled when dropping back to pass did exactly that.

Let’s hope that Reich faces more of his former players on Indy’s remaining schedule, because chances are he’ll have a foolproof defensive blueprint at the ready.

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