Eagles News: Michael Bennett explains why he’ll never disagree with Nick Foles

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Latest buzz on Carson Wentz, Nick Foles, and the Eagles’ quarterback situation - BGN
The Philadelphia Eagles are in the midst of another playoff run so naturally the biggest topic of conversation is about what’s going to happen with their quarterback situation in the offseason. A number of NFL insiders have recently weighed in Carson Wentz and Nick Foles so here’s a recap of what’s being said out there.

The Kist & Solak Show #67: Divisional Playoffs w/Evan Silva - BGN Radio
Michael Kist and Benjamin Solak are joined by Evan Silva, the Rotoworld Senior Football Editor, to talk about the Eagles’ coaching staff, how the Eagles have turned the season around, their matchup with the Saints, and the rest of the Divisional Round playoff games! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Eagles vs. Saints: Five matchups to watch when Philly has the ball - PhillyVoice
In the Eagles’ Week 11 matchup against the Saints, Ertz had his lightest production of the season, when he caught just two passes for 15 yards. The Saints clearly attempted to take Ertz away from Carson Wentz, and they successfully did. Fortunately for the Eagles, that will be harder for the Saints to do this time around, as there’s a strong argument to be made that Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, and even Golden Tate are playing their best football of the season for the Eagles. Add in that Darren Sproles is now healthy and contributing in the passing game, and Ertz is no longer the obvious “We must take him away at all costs” target for the Saints’ defense. Many of the Saints’ linebackers and safeties are better against the run than they are the pass. In the last four games of the regular season, the Saints allowed four TDs to tight ends. I believe the Eagles would be wise to get Ertz and Goedert involved early to start drawing attention away from their other weapons.

Despite all this Nick Foles magic, Eagles still need to keep plan with Carson Wentz - NBCSP
I understand the Eagles have been playing better this season once Foles became their quarterback. That’s inarguable. But it’s also impossible to know how much of that is because of Foles. Did the Eagles’ O-line get healthy because of Foles? Did the Eagles’ defense start tackling better because of Foles? Probably not. I’m not even denying there’s some magic; I’m just saying there are also some tangible reasons for the team’s improved play. Ultimately, I’m riding with Wentz. He just turned 26 and was having an MVP season before getting hurt last year. I think he will get back to that level of play as he gets further away from that injury. His ceiling is still higher. So high that I think he’ll win an MVP award in this league. I think he’ll win a Super Bowl. Just last year, Wentz was voted as the third-best player in the NFL by fellow players in the NFL Network’s top 100. Sure, a lot has happened since then, but he has undeniable talent.

48-7 And What It Meant For Eagles - PE.com
Forty-eight to seven. The Eagles looked at the scoreboard at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 18 and the score started to settle in. Forty-eight to seven. Not pleasant. At all. “When you lose 48-7, I don’t think you’re ever going to get that taste out of your mouth,” Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz said. “Horrible, horrible feeling. Embarrassing, humbling, all the words that you could possibly think of after that game were true. That’s something you don’t forget, for sure.” Said safety Malcolm Jenkins: “We were beaten through and through. We didn’t have answers. It was important for us to take that game and process it as quickly as possible and move on to our next week. We did that and it helped turn our season around.”

2019 offseason NFL quarterback market: All the options available - ESPN
Foles, Flacco and Bridgewater are three intriguing potential options. Their statistical profiles over their past 16 starts, counting playoffs, are strikingly similar, as the table shows. It’s as though middle-tier quarterbacks are interchangeable. Foles’ future could go any number of directions. He could become a free agent. He could get the franchise or transition tag, although one team’s contract negotiator doubted the Eagles would go that route, for fear of getting stuck with the bill if Foles signed the tender, guaranteeing the elevated salaries that come with those tags. Foles could decide he wants to stay in Philly at a negotiated rate. He could win another Super Bowl for all anyone knows at this point. It’s a highly unusual situation with a range of interesting variables, including what Foles wants for his future and whether other teams think a couple of late-season runs in Philly translate to consistent success over time in another setting.

All-22: Inside the Eagles’ epic game-winning drive that kept their season alive - The Athletic
The Eagles’ offensive line had reason to celebrate. They’d just held the Bears to one sack and five quarterback hits. In three games against the Bears, Rams and Texans, they’d allowed zero sacks and three quarterback hits to Aaron Donald, J.J. Watt and Mack. The focus of the game plan against the Bears was obvious: Don’t let Mack wreck the offense. That meant a number of quick throws, screens and slide protections. It wasn’t the prettiest performance. The Eagles totaled 300 yards and 16 points. But their goal of neutralizing Mack worked well. The offense was able to put points on the board with their first possession, string together drives and get in the end zone late with the season on the line.

Tim Jernigan hopes to be a difference-maker in the Eagles’ rematch against the Saints - Inquirer
Defensive tackle Tim Jernigan didn’t play in the Eagles’ November loss to the Saints. But he said the 41-point drubbing “rubbed me the wrong way’’ and he’s hoping to be a difference-maker in Sunday’s rematch in the Superdome.

The Saints’ elite running back duo poses a threat to the Eagles - PFF
No team faced fewer rushing attempts than the Eagles in the 2018 regular season, but few teams had more problems than them wrapping up runners on initial contact, and few teams had as much success in both phases of offense as Kamara and Ingram. The 48-7 thrashing the Saints laid on the Eagles in Week 11 was the warning shot, and Sunday will determine if needed adjustments have been made since then.

What’s the secret to Nick Foles’ magic? The play of the Eagles defense. - Chicago Tribune
While Foles justifiably hogs headlines, the primary reason to take the Eagles’ Super Bowl defense seriously may reside on the other side of the ball. The Eagles’ defense, stacked with stars and surging after a midseason, injury-riddled swoon, carries far less intrigue than Foles seizing fame as understudy. But if they return to the Super Bowl, Philadelphia’s defense may well be the reason. During last year’s Super Bowl run, the Eagles surrendered 10 points to the Falcons and 7 to the Vikings. They yielded 33 in the Super Bowl to the Patriots, but the defense also sealed the victory when linebacker Brandon Graham strip-sacked Tom Brady. Sunday against the Bears, they limited Chicago to 15 points and forced a three-and-out that set up Foles’ game-winning drive. Foles has delivered magic, but Philadelphia’s defense has been an equal partner.

Wild-Card Quick Reads - Football Outsiders
Foles’ DYAR triples due to opponent adjustments. Including sacks and DPIs, he averaged 6.9 yards per dropback against Chicago. Only three quarterbacks in the regular season were that efficient moving the ball against the Bears: Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and -- of all people -- Brock Osweiler. (Those three, like Foles, were all victorious.) He was especially effective when throwing up the middle: 13-of-19 for 147 yards with nine first downs, including a touchdown, and one interception.

Drew Brees and Nick Foles will have a high school reunion on Sunday, sort of - PFT
“I remember seeing him play in high school,” Brees told reporters on Wednesday, regarding Foles. “The 10-year anniversary for my high school football team state championship was 2006. It was actually during the season. It was a Friday night. I remember flying back and kind of being part of that homecoming experience and the starting quarterback for my high school at the time was Nick Foles. Funny how things play out, but he’s done a phenomenal job.”

Saints must “prove them right” in divisional round - Canal Street Chronicles
Again, the Saints are the favorite to win the Super Bowl, and the Philadelphia Eagles have the 7th (of 8th) best odds to win it all. It should be no surprise then that the Saints open as the biggest favorite of the divisional weekend.

The NFL Coaching Carousel Has a Type - The Ringer
From Kliff Kingsbury to Matt LaFleur, the head-coaching hires this offseason have been united by a common philosophy: Find the next Sean McVay. The approach isn’t surprising. The ubiquity of it is.

Vic Fangio hired as head coach of Broncos - Mile High Report
Fangio, 60, had an excellent interview and despite Mike Munchak being the early front-runner, made a good enough impression to win the job. Fangio is a hard-nosed coach who has earned the respect of his players as defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears. He is also the kind of coach that Scotty Payne of Mile High Report saw early on was going to be an Elway-favorite for the job. He has been a respected defensive coordinator for decades. He last two units, the Bears from 2015 to now, and the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014 produced some excellent defensive units.

Adam Gase is the new head coach of the New York Jets - Gang Green Nation
Throughout this search, I have thought Gase was one of the least impressive candidates the Jets were targeting. But it’s tough to be surprised that this was the hire the team ended up with. The Jets made it clear from the outset that they weren’t interested in a coach with the credibility to demand control over Mike Maccagnan. And today news broke that their talks with Matt Rhule fell apart because the front office wanted to dictate the coaching staff.

Ranking all 16 of Super Bowl 2019’s possible matchups, including that Chiefs-Rams rematch - SB Nation
A Brees-Brady matchup leads this list of potential matchups — a game that would also feature the chef’s kiss pairing of All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore and All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas — but there’s a wealth of fun to be found elsewhere. Like in a rematch of Super Bowl 52 with the Eagles. Or the battle to find the NFL’s most hateable franchise in a Pats-Cowboys showdown. Or Sean McVay’s quest to light up a New England defense that ranks 29th in rushing yards allowed per carry and 22nd in passing yards allowed per game.

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