No long-term answer on QB from Kelly

EVEN AFTER quarterback Nick Foles' historic game in Oakland, Eagles coach Chip Kelly, at his day-after news conference, was not ready to write off the possibility of quarterback Michael Vick returning to the field as the starter against Green Bay this weekend.

Vick, who continues to rehab a hamstring injury, witnessed Foles pass for seven touchdowns and 406 yards in the Eagles' 49-20 win over the Raiders. Foles left Sunday's game with nearly 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter, but he had already thrown two more passing touchdowns than Vick had in six total games this season.

Although Foles matched an NFL record with seven touchdown passes, Kelly would not go into depth about the quarterback situation yesterday, saying that Vick would not be able to practice today and that Foles would continue with first-team reps.

"Nick will [today] because I don't know if Mike will be ready to go in practice," the coach said. "We'll keep monitoring that situation just like every other situation."

Kelly added that he had not yet talked to team trainers about Vick's timeframe to return, but was told Vick's leg was still sore. Kelly also said he can only hope for a speedy recovery for the 33-year-old quarterback.

As for Foles' career day in Oakland, Kelly was very happy with what he saw from the second-year quarterback, but said it is not surprising.

"I thought Nick played really well. I think specifically when you watch the tape, the plays he made on third-and-long really kept drives alive, the throw to Jeff [Maehl], the throw to [DeSean] Jackson. But those are difficult down-and-distances to convert, and I think that was really kind of the key, especially early to keep us on the field and keep our offense going.

"I've seen [Foles] in practice, seen him get better and better. It's, again, going out on the field and doing it. That's why I think what happened in the Cowboys game was such a surprise to everybody because that's not what Nick expects out of himself, and not what we expect out of him. Just happy for him.

"But again we talked about it after the game, we talked about it during the game. His preparation led him to that, just really spent a lot of time, did his due diligence."

After becoming the first Eagles' quarterback to pass for seven touchdowns in a game since Adrian Burk did so in an Eagles win over the Redskins on Oct. 17, 1954, Kelly gave a lot of credit to the offensive line for allowing Foles to feel comfortable and set his feet in the pocket.

"I thought they did a really, really good job," Kelly said of the o-line. "For most of the day, Nick wasn't really pressured very much, so he had an opportunity to set his feet and get the ball out on time. You know, I thought that group up front played really, really well. I think we were pretty clean for the most part of the game in the pocket, and that always helps.

"We've said all along that pass offense is a combination of everybody. And I think they contributed greatly to that because I think he was clean in most of his throws."

The Eagles allowed 21 points or less for the fifth consecutive game on Sunday. Kelly thought defensive end Fletcher Cox and linebacker Trent Cole stood out against the Raiders and believes athletic linebacker Mychal Kendricks has improved each week after facing the challenge of covering the mobile Terrelle Pryor.

"I think Mychal is one of those guys [that] every single week, he gets better and better," Kelly said. "I think he probably had his best game a week before. I think it was a little bit of a different challenge because of the mobile quarterback."

Cornerback Bradley Fletcher and tackle Jason Peters each suffered a pectoral injury on Sunday. Both are unlikely to practice today.

In his third start of the season, the chemistry between Foles and wide receiver Riley Cooper was obvious once again, as Cooper caught three touchdown passes and had 139 receiving yards. But Kelly also noted the chemistry between Foles and the four others who practiced with the first team last week and caught TD passes against Oakland.

"I think it's a combination of all of that. He did it with DeSean, too. It wasn't like it was just Riley. I think it's something that we worked on. It's the first thing that we do everyday. Coming out we do a curl station, then we do an over-the-shoulder throw. We're starting to see what work goes on on the practice film, when we're out there training, kind of being transferred over. I think it's the same thing for the defense, the same thing we see our defense do fundamentally in terms of their training transfer over to the game. That's a positive for us."

After an embarrassing outing against the Cowboys on Oct. 20 in which Foles was 11 of 29 for 80 yards before leaving with a concussion, a game like Sunday was a reminder that anything can happen week-by-week in the NFL. Kelly said it is important for Foles to remain humble and move on.

"If he needs anything to think about, he should think about what happened last couple of weeks to him," Kelly said. "It can change in a week.

"If you spend too much time dwelling on the past then you're probably doomed to repeat it. If you spend too much time patting yourself on the back, you're probably in a bad situation, too."

When asked about the possibility of not starting Foles in Green Bay after such an impressive outing in Oakland, Kelly told one reporter that the concern over who is the starter against the Packers is minimal.

"I think you're more worried about it than [Foles] is. That's what I think."

On Twitter: @JohnMurrow12