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.
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.
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.
After much thought and prayer, I’ve decided to retire from the NFL. It’s been an incredible 11-year journey filled with unforgettable moments and amazing people. From being drafted by the Eagles to winning the Super Bowl, every step has been a blessing.
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 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 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.
Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles will retire as a member of the Eagles after an 11-year career. pic.twitter.com/FxEkXJuP6x
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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.
Josh Sweat switched jersey numbers this summer and he said he wasn’t allowed to wear No. 9 worn by Super Bowl hero Nick Foles
The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the NFL’s most storied franchises, but the organization has only retired nine jersey numbers over the years.
5: Donovan McNabb
15: Steve Van Buren
20: Brian Dawkins
40: Tom Brookshier
44: Pete Retzlaff
60: Chuck Bednarik
70: Al Wistert
92: Reggie White
99: Jerome Brown
Jason Kelce’s No. 62 and Fletcher Cox’s No. 91 jerseys will almost certainly join the growing list, but what about the No. 9 jersey worn by Super Bowl-winning quarterback Nick Foles?
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.
Fast forward to 2024, and defensive end Josh Sweat switched jersey numbers from 94 to 19. After Monday’s practice, Sweat told the media that he wanted 15 (Steve Van Buren). Still, that number is retired, and without stating as such, the pass rusher made it seem as if No. 9 wasn’t available either, unofficially.
Josh Sweat he switched to No. 19 because he wanted a change
No history or reason for 19. It was just available. Says he wanted 15 but it was retired. Also sounds like he couldn’t get No. 9. pic.twitter.com/8RnZGCQynP
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) July 29, 2024
Sweat wore the No. 9 at Oscar F. Smith High School in Chesapeake, Virginia, and during his tenure at Florida State. Whether he was joking or not, Sweat insinuated that the number was retired.
Nick Foles played 11 seasons for six teams, including the Eagles and Bears.
Foles has passed for 14,227 yards and 82 touchdowns over his career, earning one Pro Bowl nomination, the Super Bowl MVP, and the Lombardi Trophy.
Got them? Good. Because we have a Tom Brady conspiracy theory to discuss.
In the recent Apple TV+ docuseries The Dynasty: New England Patriots, you can see the clip of the famous Philly Special touchdown that helped the Philadelphia Eagles beat Tom Brady and the Pats in Super Bowl LII. Nothing too crazy about that.
… Except someone looked at the clip and saw that Al Michaels’ original call was edited to leave out Nick Foles’ name.
Now: this could be a whole lot of nothing. After all, things are edited in documentaries all the time. But of course because Tom Brady was involved, people think that he somehow had a hand in editing Foles’ name out:
I have uncovered an anti-Nick Foles conspiracy in this Apple TV show about the Patriots. pic.twitter.com/RRgrs4hvHK
The New Heights Podcast’s social media team released an emotional tribute video with Jalen Hurts and Nick Foles, among almost 20 video messages to Kelce to celebrate the moment and his accomplishments.
The amount of love and support from people reaching out after Jason's announcement has been overwhelming
A sixth-round draft pick out of the University of Cincinnati in 2011, Kelce started and played in 193 games over his 13 seasons.
Jason Kelce is the fifth center in NFL history with at least six All-Pro selections. The other four — Jim Otto, Bulldog Turner, Dermotti Dawson, and Jim Ringo — are all in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are in sudden need of a quarterback.
For most of the year, the team has carried two quarterbacks on the active roster, Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Beathard, as well as former CFL star Nathan Rourke on the practice squad.
Now the team temporarily has only one passer after Lawrence landed in the concussion protocol and Rourke was claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots.
Rourke, 25, was signed to the active roster in October when Lawrence was questionable for a Week 7 game due to a knee injury. The Jaguars then waived Rourke and added him back to the practice squad after the game.
Jacksonville tried to do the same when an ankle sprain had Lawrence questionable for a Week 14 game. But the Patriots scooped up Rourke before he could get back to the Jaguars’ practice squad.
If Lawrence can’t play Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there’s no doubt that Beathard will be the team’s starter. But there’s also no question that the Jaguars need to add another player at the position.
Here are seven quarterbacks on the market who could be considered by the Jaguars:
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