2017 Eagles = 1990 Giants?

[Rupert Patrick]

After the injury to Carson Wentz, Nick Foles steps in and throws four TD passes and the Eagles win. There is a historical parallel in the 1990 Giants, where Simms went out for the season in week 14 and Jeff Hostetler came in off the bench and the team didn't miss a beat, going all the way to a Super Bowl win. Other than the 1990 Giants, I cannot think of another situation where the starting QB went out for the season in mid-December and the backup led them to a championship or Super Bowl title. That being said, Foles still has his work cut out for him getting past the Rams and Vikings and whomever wins in the AFC to win the Super Bowl.

[JohnH19]

I've thought about that same parallel. The only difference is that Foles is more of a proven commodity than Hoss was.

[rhickok1109]

After the injury to Carson Wentz, Nick Foles steps in and throws four TD passes and the Eagles win. There is a historical parallel in the 1990 Giants, where Simms went out for the season in week 14 and Jeff Hostetler came in off the bench and the team didn't miss a beat, going all the way to a Super Bowl win. Other than the 1990 Giants, I cannot think of another situation where the starting QB went out for the season in mid-December and the backup led them to a championship or Super Bowl title. That being said, Foles still has his work cut out for him getting past the Rams and Vikings and whomever wins in the AFC to win the Super Bowl.

The closest parallel that comes immediately to mind is Jim Plunkett stepping in for the Raiders after 5 games in 1980, when Dan Pastorini went down, and taking them to a Super Bowl win. (Maybe he should have been the starter all along; they were 2-3 with Pastorini and 13-2 with Plunkett, counting the post-season.)

[7DnBrnc53]

After the injury to Carson Wentz, Nick Foles steps in and throws four TD passes and the Eagles win. There is a historical parallel in the 1990 Giants, where Simms went out for the season in week 14 and Jeff Hostetler came in off the bench and the team didn't miss a beat, going all the way to a Super Bowl win. Other than the 1990 Giants, I cannot think of another situation where the starting QB went out for the season in mid-December and the backup led them to a championship or Super Bowl title. That being said, Foles still has his work cut out for him getting past the Rams and Vikings and whomever wins in the AFC to win the Super Bowl.

The closest parallel that comes immediately to mind is Jim Plunkett stepping in for the Raiders after 5 games in 1980, when Dan Pastorini went down, and taking them to a Super Bowl win. (Maybe he should have been the starter all along; they were 2-3 with Pastorini and 13-2 with Plunkett, counting the post-season.)

Wasn't Plunkett playing well in preseason that year?

[JuggernautJ]

....Other than the 1990 Giants, I cannot think of another situation where the starting QB went out for the season in mid-December and the backup led them to a championship or Super Bowl title....

1957 Detroit Lions: Bobby Layne / Tobin Rote

From Wikipedia:
In 1957, the season of the Lions' most recent NFL championship, Layne broke his leg in three places in a pileup during the 11th game of the 12-game season. His replacement, Tobin Rote, finished the season and led the Lions to victory in the championship game in Detroit, a 59-14 rout of the Cleveland Browns.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Layne

[Rupert Patrick]

After the injury to Carson Wentz, Nick Foles steps in and throws four TD passes and the Eagles win. There is a historical parallel in the 1990 Giants, where Simms went out for the season in week 14 and Jeff Hostetler came in off the bench and the team didn't miss a beat, going all the way to a Super Bowl win. Other than the 1990 Giants, I cannot think of another situation where the starting QB went out for the season in mid-December and the backup led them to a championship or Super Bowl title. That being said, Foles still has his work cut out for him getting past the Rams and Vikings and whomever wins in the AFC to win the Super Bowl.

History has repeated itself. Like the 1990 Giants, the Eagles pulled upsets in the NFC Championship game and Super Bowl and won it all.

[sheajets]

You do have the parallels with Hostetler, however the difference is that this looks like the start of something for Philly where 1990 looked like the end of something with the Giants

[Bryan]

You do have the parallels with Hostetler, however the difference is that this looks like the start of something for Philly where 1990 looked like the end of something with the Giants

Then perhaps Terry Bradshaw replacing Joe Gilliam for the 1974 Steelers?

[Rupert Patrick]

You do have the parallels with Hostetler, however the difference is that this looks like the start of something for Philly where 1990 looked like the end of something with the Giants

Then perhaps Terry Bradshaw replacing Joe Gilliam for the 1974 Steelers?

Bradshaw had the job in 1973 and was relegated to backup in 1974 when Gilliam, who was the backup in 1973, took over the starting role. When the Steelers rookies came together in 1974 and Gilliam was stuggling, it seemed Bradshaw learned a great deal while sitting on the bench, and he stepped in and his teammates responded to him. Bradshaw was once quoted as telling his team when they were struggling in the early days, "You may lose with me, but you'll never win without me," and a number of his teammates believed in him, including Joe Greene. Even when I a 10-year old kid in Pittsburgh watching the Steelers in 1974, I thought the demotion of Bradshaw was a temporary thing to motivate him, and it worked.
In New York, Simms had held the starting job, barring injury, pretty much since 1984, and when he was injured, it was felt the Giants season was doomed as Hostetler he had a total of 59 pass attempts in the NFL. Wentz was the number two pick in the 2016 draft and was well on his way to the MVP award when he was injured. Eagles fans forgot that Foles had a 27-2 TD-INT ratio in 2013 and he came in and kept the Eagles on the same course. Just as I think the 1990 Giants would have won the Super Bowl had Simms not been injured, I think the 2017 Eagles would have won the Super Bowl with a healthy Carson Wentz.

[Bryan]

Even when I a 10-year old kid in Pittsburgh watching the Steelers in 1974, I thought the demotion of Bradshaw was a temporary thing to motivate him, and it worked.

I don't think it was a long term plan of Noll benching Bradshaw for motivational purposes then reinstalling him as the starter, it was just Noll trying to figure out who gave the team the best chance to win. Gilliam started for the first 6 games, which IMO is more than just a temporary thing. Gilliam ended up being the leading passer for the 74 Steelers, and Bradshaw was benched a 2nd time after a Bengals loss in favor of Terry Hanratty. Noll was being indecisive, grasping at straws so to speak.

Relegating Bradshaw to backup QB after 1973 didn't make a whole lot of sense. When he was healthy that year, the Steelers had a dynamic offense and they usually won. After Bradshaw got hurt and Noll had to play Hanratty and Gilliam, the Steelers nosedived. Gilliam was particularly terrible against the Dolphins, perhaps the worst performance by a QB in NFL history (7 attempts, 0 completions, 3 INTs, 2 pick sixes with Dick Anderson being tackled just short of the goal line on potential pick six #3). To then install Gilliam was the starting QB for 1974 was ridiculous. It was like the Packers doing the "polka trade" for John Hadl right after Hadl goes 6-16-59-0-2 INTs against them.