Rookie QB Nick Foles cramming for first NFL start

Rookie quarterback Nick Foles won't be on the sideline Sunday, when he gets his first NFL start with Michael Vick sidelined with a concussion. (US Presswire)

The week of practice is pretty much over and, ready or not, here it comes -- and Eagles rookie QB Nick Foles says he's ready.

Foles will make his first NFL start Sunday against the Washington Redskins, a week after he played in his first NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys. Needless to say, it's been a whirlwind week for Foles, but he said he's managed to stay grounded.

“We've had a great week of preparation, a lot of hard work, and it definitely has sunk in,'' Foles said Friday. “I'm ready to go.”

Foles acknowledged that he'll have some butterflies Sunday morning but said he expects them to disappear once the game starts. And when asked what he thought was the key for him in his first NFL start he said, “Not trying to do too much.''

“I just have to trust my reads, trust everyting,'' Foles said. “Just play football, play natural with what comes to me. Don't try to do too much -- that's the key on any level. I learned that in college, sometimes I tried to do too much. So, I have to trust the preparation, trust the week of practice with the guys, trust my teammates -- there are 10 other guys out there with me. We're all playing together, and we just need to play within ourselves.”

The Eagles will have a brief, walk-through practice Saturday, then board trains in the afternoon for Washington. Most of the physical preparation is over. Foles said that's just part of the equation and when Foles was asked what he'll do over the next couple of days he smiled before answering.

“Just keep going over everything,'' he said. “Keep watching film, keep going over the game plan, play the ‘what-if' game -- what if different scenarios happen? What would I do in this situation? Just get the brain thinking. That's really what I'm going to do the next couple of days.”