There are plenty of storylines ahead of the Week 4 matchup between the Indianapolis Colts (2-1) and Chicago Bears (3-0) and one of them comes in the relationship between head coach Frank Reich and quarterback Nick Foles.
Reich, who has been the head coach for the Colts since the start of the 2018 season, has a strong relationship and history with Foles, who was just named the starting quarterback for the Bears after leading a 16-point comeback in the fourth quarter last week.
From their time together winning a Super Bowl, Reich feels strongly about the player and person that Foles brings to the locker room.
“Nick (Foles) is a very cool customer. He’s unflappable. He’s an elite deep-ball thrower. He’s a great ‘feel’ player. He’s got great instincts and great feel for the game. Nick is fearless in the pocket,” Reich said earlier this week. “He’s one of those quarterbacks who – he stands in the pocket and the rush doesn’t bother him. He’ll stand there until the last second because he sees something coming open down the field and he knows he can make the throw like he did last week. That’s just been indicative of him his whole career.”
Both Reich and Foles were instrumental in the magical run in 2017 that ended with a Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots. Both players wound up going separate ways—Reich to Indy and Foles to Jacksonville and then Chicago.
With the respect he has for his former quarterback, Reich sees this as a great challenge for a Colts defense that has been on fire to open the season.
“It will be a good challenge for us, a good challenge for our defense. They’ll challenge us with the deep ball because that’s what he likes to do,” Reich said. “He likes to throw the ball deep. Nick is also talented as far as he can throw it from every arm angle.”
Reich wasn’t the only one showering praise this week. Foles also let it be known what Reich means to him for his career.
“He figured me out as a player to where even during games when I’d come to the sidelines, usually coaches want to coach you up and do all this,” Foles said via Bears Wire. “He’d just say, ‘just keep doing it, just keep doing it.’ He wouldn’t say much. At first, it was a little weird because you’re not used to a coach doing that, but he’s like, ‘I trust you, go do your thing.’ I think no matter what, if I threw an interception or I threw a touchdown, he cared more about the person than the player and that says a lot about him and that’s why I have all the respect in the world.
“Anyone who’s played for Frank will probably say the same thing. I know that when he went to Indianapolis from Philly, we were all sad to see him go but happy for his opportunity to be a head coach because we knew he deserved it just because of the man he is. He obviously, as y’all can tell, means a lot to me and it’s a lifelong relationship.”
This should be a tight matchup throughout on Sunday and the familiarity with each other should give each sideline some momentum.
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