Tag: NFL
Foles on Eagles Fans: ‘They travel everywhere’
When you win a Super Bowl, your name is talked about forever, and when you win a Super Bowl in the city of Philadelphia, you’re loved forever, which is the case with former Eagles QB Nick Foles, who helped the Eagles win Super Bowl 52, before signing with the Jaguars this offseason.
Recently, Foles and the Jaguars traveled to Baltimore to play the Ravens in their preseason opener, and while he did not play, there was a lot Foles jerseys in the stands, but it was not Foles number 7 jersey that he wears for Jacksonville, it was Foles number 9 jersey that he wore with the Eagles.
“That’s just sort of how it is. They travel everywhere, they’re all over the place, and when we were in Baltimore, there was a lot of my old Eagles jerseys in the stands and a lot of signs,” Foles said about Eagles fans. “‘It’s very humbling. ‘I’ve said ‘that’s an emotional place to me, but it was cool to see that we were able when I was there to impact a community, and ‘that’s why ultimately being here our goal is to grow together as a team and then continue to energize the community. And ultimately ‘that’s how we handle ourselves on and off the field and how we handle ourselves on game day, so ‘that’s what ‘we’re working towards here in Jacksonville.”
On Thursday, Foles will play his former team as the Eagles travel to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars, which will allow Foles to catch up with his former teammates— something that Foles is looking forward to doing.
“‘It’ll mean a lot to see those guys pregame and catch up with a lot of those guys,” Foles said. “They’re family to me, always will be. So, it’ll be good to see a lot of their faces and talk to them, see how ‘they’re doing. I know ‘they’re grinding through camp as well, so ‘it’ll be good to catch up with a lot of them.”
Foles is unsure how much he will play against the Eagles or any team this preseason, but he is okay with whatever the club decides.
“‘I’m going to leave all of those things up to coach,” he said. “All ‘I’m going to do is handle what I can control and ‘that’s coming out here and competing with my teammates, working hard, studying the film, working in meetings and walkthroughs and whatever he decides ‘I’ll go with.”
No matter what happens with Foles in Jacksonville, he should be happy to know that he will always be able to get some love from the Philly faithful.
Jags’ Marrone talks the return of Cam Robinson
Jaguars LT Cam Robinson is off the PUP list and will practice with the team, Jacksonville head coach Doug Marrone announced today. Last week, Marrone seemed less optimistic about the return of Robinson, who tore his ACL in Week 2 of the 2018 season. If all goes well, Robinson could be ready for the start of the season.
On Saturday, here is what Marrone had to say about Robinson and WR Marqise Lee(currently on PUP list).
“I don’t know if they’re going to be ready for the season, so they’re working hard, the trainers are working hard, everybody’s working hard, but we just can’t get them over the hump, so we’ve got to go and start preparing to play without them, unfortunately. And it could change, but it’ll be tough.”
Today, Marrone addressed the media about the return of Robinson
Marrone: “Cam Robinson is going to be off of PUP [Physically Unable to Perform List], so he’ll be out there on the practice field, he’ll be going through walkthroughs and individual. And it’s like before, I think the other day when we were talking about it, if I seem frustrated or down, I think it’s natural. I mean, I’m not going to sit here and bullshit you guys. I’m not going to be someone different. We all want those guys out there, but everybody’s working hard and the one thing about it, and again I never want to be that guy that stands up here and tries to spin things, I’m not that type of person, but, we got an opportunity to look at some other guys, and some other guys have had an opportunity to put themselves in position to make this team and now we’ll just see the consistency of it. But pretty much the people that we’re relying on are practicing very well. You’re talking about, they’re almost playing a game per day. I think when you look at yesterday’s practice, and you look at our ones, you’re talking about 48-50 plays, normally in a game you’re going to get about 62 plays a game, so you’re talking about are guys are definitely putting in the work.”
(On the surprise of Cam Robinson being taken off of the PUP list)
Marrone: “You’ll have to ask him. I don’t disagree with that. I don’t. I can’t answer that question. I really can’t.”
(On if it was the player or trainer coming to him with the decision to take Robinson off of the PUP list)
Marrone: “Listen, when they tell me someone’s going to be on the field and ready, I am not going to ask a lot of questions to that. I’m going to take that, take what I can, but that’s something that you can easily ask him [Cam Robinson]. And you can request from [Jaguars Director of Public Relations] Tad [Dickman] to talk to the trainers or the doctors.”
(On what the doctors told him)
Marrone: “They just said, ‘Hey, [we’re] thinking about taking him off of PUP and putting him through walkthrough and individual, and seeing where it goes.’ I said, ‘Awesome.’ I keep my mouth shut and that’s it. I don’t want to say anything and then they say, ‘Yeah, you know what, maybe you’re right, maybe we should keep him on PUP.’ I’m not that stupid.”
(On if the doctors told him something different today than previously earlier this week)
Marrone: “Hey listen, I think you need to go do one of those investigative things. I don’t know. I can’t answer a question I don’t know. I just know that he was at a point that they couldn’t get him over a point, and that he was going to stay on PUP, and that’s what I was told and then this morning I was told something different in a good way. Now I’m happy. Now you write I’m happy. Before when guys get hurt and I’m down, I know, but hey, you take it. It’s like when you’re walking down the street, you see 20 dollars, you pick it up, right? No one’s around, you pick it up and you put it in your pocket. You’re happy about it. You move on.”
(On if he’s talked to Robinson since he’s been informed to take him off of the PUP list)
Marrone: “I just found out before I walked in here.”
(On if Robinson took the same evaluation test he talked about on Saturday)
Marrone: “I have no idea. I really don’t.”
(On how slowly he will integrate Robinson back in to practice)
Marrone: “I’m just saying, they said individual and walkthrough, so I think that’s what you’ll see, and we’ll see what he can so. And like I told the coach, ‘Hey, be careful, just watch him. We don’t want any setbacks.’ And we’ll see where he’s at, and bring him along and that’s it. I know it sounds crazy, but I’m just telling you that that’s how it works.”
(On how Robinson’s spirits are)
Marrone: “I haven’t talked to him, I really haven’t. He was working, I’d see him, ‘Hey, how are you doing. How’s your work?’, ‘Going well.’ ‘Keep working, we need you back, let’s go,’ yada yada. Next thing you know, boom, he’s here. He’s going to be on the field.”
(On what Robinson returning changes in regard to the offensive lines rotation)
Marrone: “He’s on the field. I don’t know where he’s at as far as being able to play or anything like that. Obviously, I’m going to keep Cedric [Ogbuehi] over there. We have Josh [Wells] over there. I was thinking about Will [Richardson Jr.] because Will’s played a bunch of right. Now Jawaan Taylor, obviously he’s out, so I’ll probably keep Will over there at right because I really think he’s one of the better storylines for the team. I don’t know if a lot of people have written about it, but he’s really done a hell of a job from where he was last year to this year and that’s a credit to him. [Leonard] Wester played well in the game. We’ve got some things, and we’ll just prepare ourselves for the worst. I have to say it like that, but I think you have to make sure you’re prepared for that, if those guys aren’t ready to go and have people in place.”
Bills’ McDermott discusses the signing of Captain Munnerlyn
On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills announced that they signed CB Captain Munnerlyn. The 10-year veteran spent last season with the Carolina Panthers, and in 16 games, Munnerlyn had one interception, and nine passes defended.
McDermott and Munnerlyn have a little history as they were together in Carolina when McDermott was the DC for the Panthers.
One of the reasons the Bills signed Munnerlyn, was due to the groin injury suffered by E.J. Gaines, who the team put on injured reserve today.
Here is what McDermott had to say about the signing of Munnerlyn:
Q: What does Captain Munnerlyn bring to the defensive end?
Sean McDermott: It’s been a few years now since the last time we worked together but what I remember is the competitiveness, the toughness, he’s obviously played in the system before so he has some familiarity with our system both inside the slot and out at corner. We will see how he does and how he progresses here, he’s been out of it for a little bit so he has to be put back in shape.
Q: Do you think he is going to be your nickelback in the outside corner?
Sean McDermott: We’ll see, that’s where he played probably more so in the course of the past four of five years. Again, we just want to get him acclimated to what we do and his new surroundings, new teammates and we will take it one day at a time.
Q: What do you see when you see film of Captain and how similar is your defense here as to what he has been accustomed to in Carolina?
Sean McDermott: With defense, I like to believe it evolves every year and stays current with the trends and what not. That said, there’s a core that is probably about the same as to what he knew back when we worked together in Carolina. Like I said before, in respect to Captain, the things that jump out even when we watched him play on TV last year maybe was the competitiveness and all that hasn’t changed. I think that’s in his DNA.
Q: Captain posted a picture of you two together saying “let’s get it coach.” Are you excited about your relationship going back to how it was in Carolina?
Sean McDermott: Hopefully that was a good picture. We’ve stayed in touch and in this job players come and go, coaches come and go and that’s the hard part of the job. The satisfying parts of the job are moments like that where you can stay in touch with players. It’s gratifying as a coach. In this case where I moved on to here from some of the players that I coached at Carolina and Philadelphia, my two previous stops and that’s the neat part about it, the relationships that you are able to form over the year. It’s neat that now we are with Kurt [Coleman] and some of the other players. It doesn’t always happen for it to come back full circle to where we can work together again but it’s satisfying.
Jaguars sign tight end, two offensive linemen; release RB Benny Cunningham, two others
The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed rookie OL Ka’John Armstrong, ninth-year OL Ben Ijalana and first-year TE Ethan Wolf. To make room on the roster, the Jaguars waived OL Jordan Agasiva and OL Andrew Lauderdale, and released RB Benny Cunningham(hamstring) via injury settlement. The Jaguars currently have 90 players on their active roster.
Cunningham, who signed with the Jaguars this past offseason, spent the past seven seasons with the Rams and Bears.
Armstrong, 6-5, 300, played in 39 games at Eastern Michigan, including 13 games as a redshirt senior in 2018.
Ijalana, 6-4, 322, has appeared in 34 games in his NFL career in stints with the New York Jets (2013-18) and the Indianapolis Colts (2011-12). He played in a career-high 16 games in 2016, making eight starts at left tackle and five starts at right tackle.
Wolf, 6-5, 255, spent time on the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad in 2018 and the beginning of the 2019 training camp with the Carolina Panthers.
Jaguars sign TE Carson Meier, waive RB Roc Thomas
The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed rookie TE Carson Meier, the club announced today. To make room on the roster, the Jaguars waived/injured second-year RB Roc Thomas. Thomas will revert to the team’s reserve/injured list if he clears waivers.
Thomas, who is suspended for the first three games of the 2019 season (violation of the league’s substance abuse policy), was signed by the Jaguars last week after he was released by the Vikings.
Meier, 6-5, 254, played in 54 games in his college career and earned second-team All-Big 12 Conference as a senior after catching 19 passes for 327 yards and four TDs. Meier, who primarily served as a blocking tight end and fullback his first three seasons at Oklahoma, signed with the Jaguars as a rookie free agent following the 2019 NFL Draft and participated in Jacksonville’s rookie minicamp.
The Jaguars have 90 players on their active roster.
Tony Gonzalez: The 2012 Falcons gave me my best chance to win a Super Bowl(VIDEO)
Heartbreak and the Atlanta Falcons have been synonymous over the years, and nothing epitomizes that more than 28-3 in Super Bowl 51. The Falcons were cruising to a victory in that Super Bowl before Tom Brady, and the Patriots pulled off an improbable comeback to beat Atlanta in OT. Those are the types of losses that you never get over.
Four years before the heartbreak in Super 51, Falcons fans dealt with another crushing defeat. This time in the NFC title game, at home, against the 49ers in 2013(2012 season). In that game, the Falcons, who had the best record(13-3) in the NFC, jumped out to a 17-0 lead and led 24-14 at halftime. Unfortunately for the Falcons, they would not score another point and would lose 28-24 to Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers.
Hall of Famer and former Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez remembers that game all so well and believes the 2012 Falcons gave him his best chance to win a Super Bowl.
“We were balanced,” Gonzalez recently said about the 2012 Falcons. “We had John Abraham on defense. Obviously, the offense was off the charts with me, Roddy(White), Julio(Jones), Matt(Ryan), Michael Turner in the backfield, and a really good offensive live. So, yeah, it was the best opportunity. We just came up a little short. ”
The 12-time Pro Bowler discussed some of the things that went wrong in the NFC Championship game against the 49ers.
“It was one of those things where that game could have went both ways,” Gonzalez said. “We were up 24-10(24-14) at halftime or something like that. I don’t think we scored after halftime and it isn’t because we weren’t moving the ball. We were moving the ball, but just bad luck. It’s really weird.
“I looked at the game one time, and one of the snaps went right through Matt’s(Ryan) hand. I remember Harry Douglas, we had this great call where he’s wide open, and he trips out of nowhere on his own feet, which he never does that. Roddy(White) is running a route one time, and he rounds it at the top, and he never rounds it. He always comes back. He’s an All-Pro receiver, and the ball gets intercepted. Harry(Douglas) catches the ball but falls down, and it would have been a touchdown right there, and all this kind of stuff happened in the second half. It was just a fluke.”
According to Gonzalez, who spent 17 years in the NFL, things were just not meant to be for the 2012 Falcons:
“The 49ers were supposed to be there,” he said. “That’s where we got Colin Kaepernick. Maybe it was all meant to be. That’s the way you gotta look at it and say, ‘hey, I’m right where I’m supposed to be, and I’m happy.'”
Before that 2012 season, Gonzalez had not won a playoff game, but 2012 marked the first time Gonzalez would win a game in the postseason, and while he did not win a Super Bowl, Gonzalez did get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last weekend, so fortunately for him, he will be immortalized forever.
However, for Falcons fans, the heartache continues.
Listen below as Gonzalez talks the 2012 Falcons:
Shurmur to Giants fans who think Jones should be the starter: ‘Slow your roll’
New York Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones made his NFL debut on Thursday night against the Jets at MetLife Stadium, and he did not disappoint. Jones played one series and was impressive as he went 5-5 for 67 yards and punctuated the drive was a 12-yard touchdown pass to WR Bennie Fowler.
“Yeah, I thought it went well,” Jones said after the game. “It was good to move the ball down the field and score, so as far as expectations, I didn’t really know what to expect. I just wanted to play well and glad we were able to move the ball and execute.”
Giants fans may not have been happy when the sixth overall pick’s name was called on draft night, but they were delighted tonight, and so was Giants head coach Pat Shurmur.
“He got all completions, and he got us in the endzone,” Shurmur said. “That was a very effective drive. He did a good job. He had a couple of mistakes in there that we’ll clean up. I guess to the naked eye it was a good job.
While Shurmur was pleased with Jones’ performance, he did make it clear that it is only one game, and he had a message for any Giants fan who believes that Jones should be the Week 1 starter after this performance.
“I think, ‘Slow your roll.’ This is just his first go around,” Shurmur said. “I think he did a good job. As I mentioned, all along, he has done nothing to disappoint us, and certainly when you take the team down the field and score a touchdown—that’s a good start. It’s something good to build on. We have a lot of time left before we start playing games. Nothing at this point has changed.”
It is only one game, but the Giants have to be happy with what they saw out of Jones in Week 1 of the preseason. Hopefully, he builds on this performance next week against the Bears.
HOF Gil Brandt believes the Cowboys can win it all(VIDEO)
Near the end of the 2018 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys started to play their best football, and after starting the season at 3-5, the Cowboys went 7-1 in the final eight games to finish the season at 10-6 and win the NFC East. Dallas would beat Seattle in the Wild-Card round before being eliminated by the Rams in the Divisional round.
Coming into the 2019 season, the Cowboys are a very talented team on both sides of the ball, but there are some uncertainties. RB Ezekiel Elliott is currently holding out and is hoping for a new contract. Also, QB Dak Prescott’s contract may have to be done as well, but he’s in camp, so it’s not as big of an issue as Elliott’s contract situation.
However, Hall of Famer and one of the architects of Tom Landry’s Cowboys, Gil Brandt, thinks the Cowboys have a great chance to win a Super Bowl in 2019.
“I visit 13, 14 training camps each year, so you get a pretty good feel for what the league looks like,” Brandt recently said. “The competitive balance in this league is unbelievable, as you know the Bears started from last to first, and every year we have that situation.
“The Cowboys started 3-5 last year and ended up in the playoffs, and if they could stop the run, they still be playing.
“I really do believe that the Cowboys have a team. They have a great, young quarterback, they have some great, young players, and I think they have an owner that really wants to win, and he’s going to do anything possible to win, so I like the Cowboys.”
Obviously, Dallas needs to make sure they have Elliott in the fold if they want to win anything, but if Prescott can make just a little more plays, and the defense picks up where they left off last season, Dallas could be one of the teams to beat.
Listen below as Brandt talks Cowboys:
