Category: Latest

The legend of Nick Foles

Nick Foles reflection

By: Jake Rajala

Nick Foles is almost as legendary to Eagles fans as Vince Papale is to the City of Brotherly Love. Foles didn’t only win a Super Bowl, but he did it against Tom Brady. Everybody thought Eli Manning was the only kryptonite to Brady. Let’s not forget that Carson Wentz brought the Eagles to the green. Then Foles putted it in the hole.

Foles outplayed Michael Vick in an Eagles uniform. Foles is a man of faith, so my guess is that dog fighting isn’t his thing.

Foles once threw 27 touchdowns to 2 ints in his second season. Flash forward a couple of years later and he struggled with the Rams. He threw 7 touchdowns and 10 ints. He went 4-7. Not even former Rams bust Sam Bradford threw more ints than touchdowns in a season.

Foles still has some serious magic on him. He has a 113.2 passer rating in the playoffs, which is the highest of all time. He also has a playoff record of 4-2. This is why he is called big d*ck Nick!

I would have enjoyed to see Foles not leave the NFL after 2022. He was in his mid 30s. He still has a few seasons left in him. If Philip Rivers can return to the league, then Foles sure as hell can return at 37 years old.

Foles deserves to go into the Eagles Hall of Fame in my opinion. He didn’t only win a Super Bowl there, but he has had some prolific moments. He unleashed 7 passing touchdowns in a game. He went 21-11 with Philly. That’s spectacular. He only had one losing season as an Eagle and that came in his rookie season.

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The outlook for Russell Wilson

Outlook for Russell Wilson

By: Jake Rajala

Russell Wilson is currently in the Big Apple. He isn’t the backup to Jaxson Dart. He is the backup to Jameis Winston, who is the backup to Dart. He is living the life of a journeyman QB, after being pardoned from Pittsburgh and Denver. If he wasn’t Mr. Unlimited, perhaps he would have better luck with Hall of Fame head coaches.

It’s a pity that the Steelers chose to ride with Aaron Rodgers, who looks like a statue in the pocket. Yes, that’s right. He had 61 rushing yards on the season. Lamar Jackson had more rushing yards in one game! Lamar unleashed 70 rushing yards against the Buffalo Bills.

I’d like to see Wilson join the Minnesota Vikings and join J.J. McCarthy. I’m not the first person to like the two sides. Austen Bundy of Fansided said, “Wilson would be the QB you bring in as the veteran mentor who can teach McCarthy a thing or two while also reminding him the starter job isn’t locked down entirely.”

Wilson will most likely not make the Hall of Fame. However, he should be cast into the Seahawks Ring of Honor. He only had one Super Bowl ring, like Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. Well, Brees threw 5,000+ yards five times! A-Rod has also has the highest passer rating of all time.

If Wilson didn’t throw a gift to New England Patriots CB Malcolm Butler on the one yard line in the Super Bowl, he would have a pair of Super Bowl rings. Then I’d say he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame (at some point). Nonetheless, one play in a game can change everything.

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The outlook for Marcus Mariota

What to expect from Marcus Mariota

By: Jake Rajala

Marcus Mariota went 3-9 in his rookie season. The undisputed NFL bust, JaMarcus Russell, only played one game as a rookie, but he started in his second season, and he had more wins (5) than Mariota.

Let it be known that even Vince Young, who didn’t live up to his draft pick, only had one losing season as a Titan. Meanwhile, Mariota had two losing seasons. Mariota has also only had one season with more than 20 passing touchdowns.

Mariota won the Heisman trophy, but that didn’t mean he was going to be an All-Pro and Super Bowl winner at the pro level. Johnny Manziel won the Heisman, but he was far from an NFL stud. The Browns lived in the moment too much when they drafted Manziel in the first round. He was more glamorous than anything.

Mariota’s college coach, Chip Kelly, did his part in struggling to stand out at the NFL level. He was fired in the middle of the season by the Las Vegas Raiders. Not even Matt Canada (Steelers offensive coordinator) was fired this season, or Pete Carmichael (former Saints offensive coordinator) in the middle of last season.

Flash forward to today, Mariota is the backup on the Washington Commanders to Jayden Daniels. Mariota looked like a journeyman, rather than a wise, dual-threat QB. He has only had a 2-6 record, which is the same number of wins as Joe Flacco. Ouch.

Looking back, Mariota will still be remembered as an Oregon legend. However, he won’t be making it into the Titans or Commanders Hall of Fame. He is still 32 years old, so he has a few years left in him.

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The outlook for CJ Stroud

What to expect from CJ Stroud

By: Jake Rajala

CJ Stroud had a marvelous playoff exit this season. He threw four interceptions against the Patriots. Not even J.J. McCarthy threw four ints in a single game this season. Yet, the Texans are going to extend the young QB on a deal worth $224 million for 4 years.

It looks like Stroud is playing for the Bills or Steelers, who both cannot advance deep into the playoffs. Stroud shouldn’t feel too bad, however. The Texans failed to win a Super Bowl with J.J. Watt or a prime Deshaun Watson.

Stroud is arguably the worst QB in his division this season. That says a lot because Philip Rivers came back from the dead to play for the Colts.

Stroud was taken with the second overall pick. It’s safe to say the second overall pick is cursed, when it comes to drafting quarterbacks. Zach Wilson, Mitchell Trubisky, and Marcus Mariota were all recent second overall picks.

To be somewhat fair, the Texans are treating Stroud in the same way that the Packers once treated Aaron Rodgers. They aren’t giving him a lot of firepower. DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Johnson can’t save him.

I believe Stroud is on the same path that Tua Tagovailoa is on. I expect Stroud to continue on his downward slope and get benched. I’d love to see the Texans bring back Deshaun Watson or trade for someone like Spencer Rattler.

The Texans do have the number one defense in the league. Defenses win championships, too. They still need a QB that’s “at least” a game manager and won’t constantly turn the ball over.

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The tale of Todd Bowles

Todd Bowles outlook

By: Jake Rajala

Todd Bowles was kicked out of the Big Apple, just like Adam Gase and someone by the name of Donald. Bowles took his talent to Tampa Bay as a DC. He was a key reason that Tom Brady got his seventh Super Bowl ring. Bowles’s defense slowed down Drew Brees and Patrick Mahomes in the same playoff journey.

After TB12, Gronk, and even Bruce Arians left town, Bowles was promoted to the HC spot. So, what did he do to keep the train rolling? He brought in Baker Mayfield. Yes, the same QB that has had double digit interceptions in each of his past three seasons.

I’m not saying Baker is Josh Freeman, but I don’t believe he is ready to bring his squad to the Super Bowl. He allowed the Carolina Panthers to win the division.

I believe doom is on the horizon for Bowles and the Bucs. I expect him to be on the golf course with Suh, JPP, and Shaq Barrett next January. I believe Mike Evans, who had his first non 1k+ yard season, will retire this offseason or the next.

The Bucs have Lavonte Davis, Vita Vea, and Haason Reddick on defense. Yet, their defense ranked 20th in PPG allowed and 16th in PPG allowed. They look like they are being coached by former Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith!

So, what can save Bowles? I’d like to see the Bucs bring in a stud TE and gifted RB. When they won their recent Super Bowl, they had Gronk at TE and a couple of stud RBs (Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette).

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The tale of Matt LaFleur

Matt LaFleur outlook

By: Jake Rajala

The Green Bay Packers had a magical season. They had the same amount of wins as J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings! Yes, I’m talking about a Vikings QB that threw fewer touchdowns than former Vikings QB Christian Ponder in his rookie season!

Nonetheless, the Pack made the playoffs.

The Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur lost in the postseason, yet again. It’s essentially a ritual for him. Usually, they prefer to have the number one seed and then lose in the playoffs. The worst part about it is that they lost to the Chicago Bears in the playoffs. Jordan Love threw 4 touchdowns, but his defense decided to look like former Packers defensive coordinator, Mike Pettine was still their DC. They coughed up 31 points.

If his football mind was on par with his haircut, then perhaps they would have won a Super Bowl by now. Perhaps he also needs to get as hyped up as Jim Harbaugh on the sideline to motivate his team.

Perhaps the Packers would have won a Super Bowl in recent memory if Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, and Mike McCarthy were still together in Green Bay. After all, these guys have found success elsewhere. Rodgers was the only one who could say he “owned” the Bears, as well.

The Packers need to get back to the drawing table and figure out how to be the NFC North king, again. After all, I don’t foresee the Detroit Lions missing the playoffs again. Dan Campbell will pop a vein out of his neck if this happens again. LaFleur may get his kneecap bitten off if he doesn’t bring his A game, too.

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Reflecting on Super Bowl LIX

What happened in Super Bowl LIX?

By: Jake Rajala

Super Bowl LIX consisted of two juggernaut teams: the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. On the Chiefs, we witnessed Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce show out in the games leading up to the Super Bowl. Sure, they both look like they have dad bods and they aren’t quite on par with Brady and Gronk. Nonetheless, the Chiefs head coach Andy Reid needed them.

God forbid, we also seen Taylor Swift every minute. If 10 million people go to her tour, then she probably helps the NFL ratings by showing her face. The NFL may not get her long, as she’s had several boyfriends in her past. It’s smart to capitalize off her watching Kelce from the suite.

On the Eagles, we saw them in the big dance, and they didn’t even have Nick Foles! Furthermore, we didn’t even see the Philly special. However, we did see the tush push, which was automatic.

In the big dance, Mahomes looked like Matt Cassel. He threw two interceptions. The sad part is that he even led the team in rushing with 25 rushing yards. Kelce only hauled in four grabs for 39 yards. It wasn’t a love story, to say the least.

Chris Jones didn’t make a mental error or act lazy in critical situations and they still allowed 40 points! Jalen Hurts looked like Steve Young in the contest.

The reason the Eagles won the game was due to their pass rush. They had six sacks against Mahomes. When the Buccaneers beat Mahomes in the Super Bowl, Suh and Shaq Barrett were in Mahomes’s face constantly.

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The story of Matt Ryan

The tale of Matt Ryan

By: Jake Rajala

Matt Ryan was taken third overall in the 2008 draft. He came out of Boston College. If he was better than former Boston QB Doug Flutie, perhaps he would have been selected first overall.

Ryan wasn’t a loose cannon. He did find success in Atlanta. After all, he was Offensive Rookie of the Year.

However things were often bumpy. He was the recipient of the elite New Orleans Saints pass rusher, Cameron Jordan sacking him. After all, he sacked him 23 times! That is the most sacks by one player against another in NFL history! It’s sad that the Falcons pass protection couldn’t slow down Jordan. Even at the age of 36, Jordan sacked Ryan once in each divisional showdown.

In all seriousness, Ryan won MVP in 2016. He did have the best WR in the league, Julio Jones, and an elite play-caller in Kyle Shanahan. Nonetheless, he did his part and did a fine job with it. Yes, they even reached the Super Bowl!

Falcons fans, you may not want to hear this. In the Super Bowl, Ryan helped the Falcons score 28 points in the second and third quarter. The problem was that Ryan didn’t put up any points in the fourth quarter or overtime! Fellow legendary Falcons QB Michael Vick would never disappear at the end of the Super Bowl!

Ryan really went out swinging at the end of his career. He didn’t have a winning record in any of his last five seasons! It’s safe to say a team won’t want to lure him out of retirement.

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Did Eli Manning miss the Hall of Fame?

Why did Eli Manning miss the Hall of Fame?

By: Jake Rajala

Eli Manning, also known as the second best Manning QB, didn’t enjoy the Hall of Fame news in 2026. He was left out of Canton for the second straight season. Perhaps he’s been hanging around his father too much.

Let it be known, he has won two Super Bowl rings. Sure, he had wide receivers that have caught footballs on their helmet or with one hand while being held. Nonetheless, he has been clutch and wise with the football. Yes, it takes a lot of talent to lead the league in interceptions three time! Philip Rivers has only led the league in interceptions twice!

With that said, it would be a shame to leave him out of football heaven. After all, he has as many Super Bowl rings as Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers combined. Fellow legendary Giants QB Phil Simms only has one Super Bowl win. Eli has the most passing yards and passing touchdowns among Giants QBs of all time.

I guess Eli shouldn’t feel too bad for not being cherished for winning multiple Super Bowl rings. Bill Belichick won six Lombardi trophies and he didn’t make it into Canton this year. Of course, there will be riots in Boston if Belichick doesn’t make it into Canton in his second season.

Perhaps Belichick was left out of the Hall of Fame for losing two Super Bowls to Eli.

Eli already has a spot in the Giants Ring of Honor. In the end, he will have a gold jacket, alongside Peyton. He will also see Lawrence Taylor and Bill Parcells in Canton, as well.

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What does Robert Saleh bring to the Titans?

Titans are bringing in Robert Saleh

By: Jake Rajala

The Tennessee Titans are hiring Robert Saleh! The new Titans head coach, who could be confused for Vin Diesel, hasn’t had a ton of success as a head coach. He went 20-36 with the New York Jets. Even Adam Gase had a better winning percentage!

Saleh went back to the Bay area after he was kicked out of the Big Apple. Under his watch, the 49ers had the least amount of sacks in the league. They had 20 sacks! Myles Garrett had more than 20 sacks by himself!

Saleh made a wise move by bringing in Brian Daboll to be his offensive coordinator. How could someone not like Daboll? Maybe because he had the same amount of wins as Saleh as a head coach.

If Saleh doesn’t work out in Nashville, then he could always return to San Francisco. It’s a popular thing in New England for assistants to fail as head coaches elsewhere and then return to the Pats as assistants.

Saleh didn’t have Nick Bosa or Fred Warner for most of the season. So, it is impressive that his defense didn’t fall apart. They ranked 13th in PPG allowed.

I would have enjoyed to see Saleh return to the 49ers for a few more seasons. I don’t love the move to be the head coach of the Titans. The Titans were 30th in PPG and 28th in PPG allowed last season. The Titans have a young QB in a brutal situation. I believe Saleh is set up to fail.

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