In late August, the new Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly summoned Michael Vick into his office with some uplifting news: You are my starting quarterback.
The choice made sense. Vick, with his reservoir of experience and sprinter’s speed, seemed suited to operate Kelly’s giddy-up offence.
A hamstring injury relegated Vick to the bench. As his replacement, Kelly tapped second-year player Nick Foles, and a simpler version of Kelly’s avant-garde approach appeared inevitable.
But, claiming that he was drawing from the same playbook, Kelly sent out Foles for an emphatic win over Tampa Bay.
It was not long before the QBs swapped places again. Foles was dreadful in a 17-3 defeat to Dallas, and a concussion gave Kelly reason to demote him.
He eschewed it. The revolving door swung again two weeks later, and it has since become immovable. The Eagles have gone 6-1 in Foles’s second phase as starter.
“He’s a very quick study,” Kelly said. “You have to be able to learn from your mistakes. You have to make mistakes in order to continue to grow and to continue to get outside your comfort level.”
Mistakes? Where? When?
The NFL Most Valuable Player Award already has been tagged with Peyton Manning’s address after an otherworldly season. But his passer rating is nearly six points below that of Foles. His most admirable statistics cry out like a typographical error: 25 touchdown throws, two interceptions.
Naturally, he focuses on the latter number, minuscule as it is.
“It’s frustrating to not throw a perfect pass every time,” Foles said. “That’s one of the things I’m going to continue to work on.”
His work in the locker room has been equally impressive. His befriending of Vick doused any chance of the team splitting into factions. The two share notes at team meetings and consult during games. At a joint news conference, Foles even said, “I love Mike.” Vick said he felt no ill will toward Foles.
Seeking to end debate, Kelly exaggeratedly declared Foles as his quarterback “for the next thousand years.” Not even Manning’s coach could make such a guarantee, but the point is clear.
Then again, a loss on Sunday could slow down the Foles train. To stake out a play-offs berth, the Eagles must beat Dallas, the only opponent that checkmated the young quarterback.
“We grew from that game,” said Foles, whose passer rating lead over Manning would be insurmountable, if not for the 11-for-29 day against the Cowboys that squeezed out 80 yards.
“Tough games like that, it hurts. … But you grow together as a team. That’s the beauty of it.”
sports@thenational.ae
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
Brief scores:
Liverpool 3
Mane 24', Shaqiri 73', 80'
Manchester United 1
Lingard 33'
Man of the Match: Fabinho (Liverpool)
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
