Tag: Nick Foles

Saints vs. Eagles to feature both starting QBs for the first time since 2018

Injuries under center have haunted both the Saints and Eagles over the years. Week 3 will feature both starting quarterbacks for the first time since Nov. 2018:

The New Orleans Saints have had a decent number of games with the Philadelphia Eagles in recent years, however, many have been marred by quarterback injuries or replacements for one reason or another. That won’t be the case this week with Derek Carr and Jalen Hurts both starting under  center, but poor health at quarterback has hit each team in recent years.

It is somewhat of a weird trend as their last four matchups, including one playoff game, have seen a quarterback who was not the initial starter playing for at least one of the two teams. Andy Dalton, Gardner Minshew II, Trevor Siemian, and Nick Foles are just some of the backups who have to step into a starting role during this series.

Starting off with the most recent matchup, Jan. 2023 (Week 17 of the 2022 season), we saw the normal Saints’ starter in Andy Dalton at the time. However, Jalen Hurts missed the matchup due to a sprained shoulder. This moved Minshew into the lineup and ultimately led to a 20-10 victory for the Saints on the road.

Then we go back to Week 11 of the 2021 season for their next matchup, which was the last matchup Hurts played in against the Saints. But with Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill both injured New Orleans had to turn to Trevor Siemian. This is also the year they had to start Ian Book for one game, which was not so great to say the least. Siemian would go 0-4 in his four starts, including this game which the Saints lost 40-29.

The Week 14 matchup in 2020 between these two teams also featured Jalen Hurts as the Eagles’ starting quarterback, except Drew Brees did not play due to his vast array of injuries; Brees suffered shoulder and foot issues in addition to his 11 broken ribs and collapsed lung. This led to the Saints starting Taysom Hill at quarterback, who actually didn’t do half bad with 291 passing yards and two touchdowns against one interception. Despite this, the Saints lost 24-21.

Then we have the one playoff game in this string of games, which was the 2018 NFC divisional round. This was the season Carson Wentz suffered his vertebral fracture around October, and missed the rest of the season, pushing Nick Foles back into the starting spot after his previous year’s heroics. This time he did not play as great, with only 201 passing yards and an touchdown to two interceptions, one of which being the notable Alshon Jeffrey drop and Marshon Lattimore interception off of it to seal the game.

Ultimately, the last time these two teams played with their normal starting quarterbacks was earlier that 2018 season in Week 11, when the Saints won 48-7 in dominating fashion on the back of 363 passing yards and 4 touchdowns from Drew Brees, as well as 103 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns from Mark Ingram II. Here’s hoping for another landslide on Sunday.

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WATCH: Nick Foles’ official Eagles’ retirement press conference

Super Bowl LII Champion and MVP Nick Foles’ official retirement press conference

The Nick Foles era is officially over. The former Arizona star and 2012 draft pick signed paperwork with owner Jeffrey Lurie earlier today, retiring as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Foles will be honored at halftime of tonight’s game against the Falcons, and the Super Bowl MVP is currently holding a press conference to discuss his decision.

Foles, 30, had a postseason record of 4-1 during his final two years in Philadelphia, including winning MVP of Super Bowl LII. In place of an injured Carson Wentz, Foles went 6-2 in the regular season in his final two years in Philadelphia, leading the Eagles to two playoff berths.

Nick Foles played 11 seasons for six teams, including the Eagles and Bears.

Foles has passed for 14,227 yards and 82 touchdowns, earning one Pro Bowl nomination, the Super Bowl MVP, and the Lombardi Trophy.

LOOK: Nick Foles officially retires as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles

Nick Foles retired from the NFL on Monday as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, signing a contract with owner Jeffrey Lurie

The Nick Foles era is officially over. The former Arizona star and 2012 draft pick signed paperwork with owner Jeffrey Lurie earlier today, retiring as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.

“It will be my first time to go to a game as a non-player. I’ve never been to an NFL game without a jersey on, running out of the tunnel,” Foles said in an exclusive interview for the Microsoft Teams Legend of the Week feature. “I’m so grateful I get to do it as a Philadelphia Eagle. I’ve dreamed of going out of that tunnel at least once more and being there with the crowd and seeing them cheering on the Eagles, cheering on this team – it’s a new team each and every year – and I really don’t know what the emotions will be like. Just talking about it right now, I’m starting to sweat a little bit and I’m starting to feel it, and I’m not there (in Philadelphia) yet.

“I’m truly excited. To end it this way is the right way and it means a lot to me.”

Foles, 30, had a postseason record of 4-1 during his final two years in Philadelphia, including winning MVP of Super Bowl LII. In place of an injured Carson Wentz, Foles went 6-2 in the regular season in his final two years in Philadelphia, leading the Eagles to two playoff berths.

Nick Foles played 11 seasons for six teams, including the Eagles and Bears.

Foles has passed for 14,227 yards and 82 touchdowns, earning one Pro Bowl nomination, the Super Bowl MVP, and the Lombardi Trophy.

WATCH: Where did Fletcher Cox rank Nick Foles among the Eagles’ great quarterbacks?

Retired defensive tackle Fletcher Cox says Nick Foles is the best quarterback in Philadelphia Eagles franchise history

Philadelphia has a rich history at the quarterback position. Donovan McNabb, Ron Jaworski, Michael Vick, Randall Cunningham, and Sonny Jurgensen all took snaps for the franchise long before Nick Foles, Carson Wentz, and Jalen Hurts became household names.

Only one of those players is a Super Bowl champion, and during a recent YouTube sit-down with USA Today Sports, Eagles legend Fletcher Cox was asked questions about the franchise, including who the greatest quarterback in franchise history should be. Cox named Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles as that guy without blinking or having to think about it.

The Super Bowl championship and a statue outside Lincoln Financial Field were the biggest reasons for Foles’s landing ahead of McNabb, Cunningham, Jaworkski, and others.

The recently retired Foles will finish with a postseason record of 4-1 during his final two years in Philadelphia, including winning MVP of Super Bowl LII. In place of an injured Carson Wentz, Foles went 6-2 in the regular season in his final two years in Philadelphia, leading the Eagles to two playoff berths.

Foles played 11 seasons for six teams, including the Eagles and Bears.

Foles has passed for 14,227 yards and 82 touchdowns, earning one Pro Bowl nomination, the Super Bowl MVP, and the Lombardi Trophy.

You can see Fletcher Cox discuss Foles and life after the Eagles in the video below.

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Marshon Lattimore’s game-winning INT is the Saints Play of Day 23

Marshon Lattimore’s game-winning interception off of Nick Foles is the New Orleans Saints Play of Day 23. Here’s how you win and advance:

Whew. We’re counting down the days until the New Orleans Saints’ regular season opener by looking back on highlights from years past, and our pick for Day 23 is a good one. It’s one of the best plays Marshon Lattimore has made in the No. 23 jersey — a clutch interception to win and advance in the 2018 playoffs.

Lattimore had already picked off Eagles quarterback Nick Foles once in this game, cutting off a push into New Orleans territory and sparking the first scoring drive for the Saints after Philly had gone up by two scores. But this time he was protecting a tenuous 20-14 lead inside the final two minutes. And Lattimore came through again.

Maybe Foles put too much hot sauce on that pass. Maybe Alshon Jeffery’s hands were too slippery. Whatever the case it slipped through the receiver’s grasp and Lattimore was in position to come down with it. The Saints offense took the field and quickly ran out the clock, with a 12-yard run from Alvin Kamara on third-and-10 finally silencing any hope of an Eagles miracle. Win and advance. That’s why you play the game, and this highlight was a great example of that.

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Lance Moore’s 24-yard playoffs TD catch is the Saints Play of the Day

Lance Moore’s 24-yard TD catch is the Saints Play of the Day. He helped knock out the Eagles and win the team’s first road playoff game:

There are 24 days to go until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 regular season, and we’re turning the clock back to Jan. 2014 for today’s highlight. Lance Moore’s 24-yard touchdown catch against the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2013 Wild Card Round is the Saints Play of the Day.

Moore helped knock out the Eagles and win the Saints’ first road playoff game with this score, which you can watch here. This victory dispelled a couple of narratives that had dogged the Saints for years. They were characterized as a team that couldn’t win away from the Superdome, or even outdoors, especially in poor weather.

So imagine their doubters’ surprise when the Saints took the field on a cold, windy night in Philadelphia and left with a win. Drew Brees rolled out and away from the Eagles pass rush to find Moore in the middle of the field, lobbing a quick pass to one of his favorite receivers. Moore cut upfield and fought his way through an Eagles defender to crash into the end zone, extending the Saints’ lead to 13-7.

They weren’t out of the woods yet. The Eagles passing attack woke up when star cornerback Keenan Lewis was pulled from the game with an injury, and a late Zach Ertz touchdown pass from Nick Foles gave Philly a 24-23 lead in the final five minutes. But the Saints didn’t let Foles touch the football again. Helped by a good return from Darren Sproles and a horse collar tackle against the Eagles, Brees set up shop near midfield at the opposing 48-yard line. Khiry Robinson helped move the ball further into Eagles territory and Brees converted a pair of first downs in short-yardage situations, forcing Philly to burn their last timeouts. Shayne Graham kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired and the Saints advanced to the next round, having made a new chapter in team history.

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Former Jaguars QB Nick Foles retiring from NFL

Former Jaguars QB Nick Foles retiring from NFL

Former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursday, ending his pro football career after 11 years.

One of those seasons was spent in Jacksonville after the MVP of Super Bowl LII signed a contract including what was then the largest amount of guaranteed money paid to one player in franchise history.

Foles intends to rejoin the Philadelphia Eagles, the team he shockingly led to a championship, before officially filing his retirement in September.

The Jaguars handed Foles a four-year, $88 million contract, including $50.1 million guaranteed in 2019, hoping he could lead the franchise to its first Super Bowl victory as he had done for Philadelphia two seasons prior.

But a collarbone injury suffered on his second drive with Jacksonville, during its Week 1 matchup with Kansas City, threw a haymaker into the team’s plans.

Foles went five-of-eight passing for 75 yards before going down with the injury on a touchdown pass to wide receiver DJ Chark.

He reassumed the role of starter in Week 11, but on a short leash following the emergence of rookie sensation Gardner Minshew, who threw for 2,285 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions in Foles’ near-nine-game absence.

Having committed four turnovers in three games after returning, including three in his third, Foles was benched in favor of Minshew in Week 13 and never threw another pass for Jacksonville.

Foles finished his brief Jaguars stint with a 65.8% completion rate, 736 passing yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Jacksonville traded Foles to Chicago the following March for a 2020 fourth-round NFL draft pick, resulting in an $18.75 million dead salary cap hit for that year.

A 2012 third-round pick by Philadelphia out of Arizona, Foles first rose to prominence with the Eagles by taking over as starter in each of his first two seasons because of injuries to Michael Vick.

Foles peaked as a regular-season passer in 2013, when he tossed 27 touchdown passes compared to two interceptions in 13 games, including 10 starts. He tied the NFL record with seven touchdown passes in a 49-20 win over the Oakland Raiders. His 2,891 passing yards that year are his career high.

But Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly traded Foles to St. Louis after his 2014 season ended on injured reserve, beginning his long game of musical chairs around the NFL.

Foles started 11 games for the Rams in 2015 but was benched twice for poor performance. After the Rams drafted Jared Goff first overall in 2016, Foles asked for his release. He went on to spend that season as a backup with Kansas City.

Foles rejoined the Eagles in 2017 as former first-round pick Carson Wentz’s backup under head coach Doug Pederson.

A Week 14 knee injury to Wentz promoted Foles to the starting role for the Eagles, who had the best record in the NFC at the time. He went 5-1 as the starter in that stretch, throwing for 1,508 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions and hauling in the legendary “Philly Special” touchdown pass against New England in the Super Bowl.

Foles started for the Eagles to begin the 2018 season until Wentz was cleared to play in Week 3. Foles did not attempt another pass until Week 15, when Wentz was sidelined with a year-ending back injury.

He guided the Eagles on a three-game winning streak to end the campaign, with Philadelphia advancing to the NFC divisional round before a 20-14 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Including the postseason, Foles passed for 1,880 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2018.

Foles declined a $20 million option from Philadelphia the following offseason, leading him to hit free agency and sign his megadeal with the Jaguars.

After his time in Jacksonville, Foles spent two seasons with Chicago and one with the Jaguars’ AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts. He appeared in 13 games, including one against the Jaguars with the Bears, and made 10 starts in that stretch.

Over 11 seasons with six teams, Foles completed 62.4% of his passes (1,302 of 2,087) for 14,227 yards with 82 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. He also rushed 151 times for 407 yards and six scores.

Sep 18, 2022; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Nick Foles and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson interact after the game at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Foles retires from NFL, has Raiders to thank for launching his career

Nick Foles took his breakout 7 TD performance in Oakland and made a career out of it.

Nick Foles announced his retirement from the NFL today. The 11-year veteran had an interesting career which included coming off the bench late in the 2018 season to lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl title while winning Super Bowl MVP. But only starting 14 more games the rest of his career with a 3-11 record in those starts.

While we are talking about where his career ended, it had to start somewhere. And for that he has the Raiders to thank.

Foles and the Eagles came to Oakland in 2013, the former third round pick’s second season. He had started a total of eight games at that point, winning just two of those games.

That all changed on that fateful day at the Oakland Coliseum.

Foles had his coming out party that day, throwing for a career high 406 yards, career high seven touchdowns, and career high 158.3 passer rating.

To say he torched the Raiders, doesn’t quite cover it. He had thrown four touchdowns midway through the second quarter and reached seven touchdowns IN THE THIRD QUARTER. From there, they just went conservative to preserve the win.

These weren’t short touchdowns off turnovers either. The touchdown drive yardage went like this: 84, 82, 63, 80, 61, 57, and 68. An absolute demolition by this previously unheralded quarterback.

Tbough he would never come close to throwing seven touchdown passes in a game or his 158.3 passer rating, that game lit a fire for Foles. The previously 3-5 Eagles would win seven of their final eight games that season and head to the playoffs with Foles going to his only Pro Bowl.

His 27 TDs and two interceptions in that season would never come close to happening again for him. And is just an unreal TD to INT ratio.

So, I suppose I can speak for the entire 2013 Raiders squad when I say, you’re welcome, Nick. Enjoy your retirement.

Former Michigan State football QB announces retirement from NFL

Former Michigan State football QB announces retirement from NFL

Former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles is set to ride off into the sunset after an 11-year NFL career. In case you didn’t know, Foles is a former Michigan State football recruit who spent one season with the Spartans in 2007 before transferring to Arizona.

Foles will be remembered for his heroics in Super Bowl LII.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on X @IAmBrewster.

Mark Ingram II’s 36-yard fourth-quarter run is the Saints Play of the Day

Mark Ingram II’s 36-yard fourth-quarter run is the Saints Play of the Day. He flipped the field to help knock out the defending Super Bowl champs:

We’re down to just 36 days until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 regular season — little over a month. And Mark Ingram II’s 36-yard fourth-quarter run is our choice for the Saints Play of the Day.

Ingram nearly flipped the field to help knock out the defending Super Bowl champs in the 2018 divisional round. The Philadelphia Eagles had jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, but the Saints fought back to tie it up. Drew Brees threw a couple of clutch touchdown passes to Keith Kirkwood and Michael Thomas. A 45-yard field goal by Wil Lutz helped them close the gap before halftime, and Brees’ second touchdown lob to Thomas gave them the lead.

Then Ingram went to work to kick off the fourth quarter. He took the handoff on first-and-10 and sprinted through the Eagles secondary until they brought him down 36 yards later, effectively flipping the field; the New Orleans offense moved from their own 37-yard line to the Philadelphia 27. The Saints ultimately had to settle for another Lutz field goal, from 39 yards out this time, but it was enough to win the day. Nick Foles threw a pass that slipped through Alshon Jeffery’s hands and into Marshon Lattimore’s for the game-winning interception.

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