Marcus Mariota Has Anthony Gargano Concerned About Backup QB
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 17: Marcus Mariota #8 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on against the Cleveland Browns during the preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field on August 17, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Browns tied the Eagles 18-18.
Anthony Gargano Talked About How Bad Marcus Mariota Looked Last Night in His Opening Diatribe This Morning:
“Mariota stinks. Let’s get that out of the way. Put Jalen in bubble wrap. Tape him up. Because Mariota is horrible. Nick Foles is gonna be at Fan Fest. If I was Howie, the minute he gets off the stage I would say come over here. I know he doesn’t run the offense and the read option stuff. But I would rather have an old Nick Foles, than a putrid Marcus Mariota.
Other than that, there were a couple of things that looked good last night. I watched until the final whistle because I am a loser. Ngata is a player. I think Ngata can play a little bit. We don’t have delusions about him against the competition he was playing. But he is a kid who has pedigree, he has hands. Remember he was highly recruited to Clemson. It was just injuries for him with him. That is why he slipped through the cracks. But he is a guy I like. Zach Cunningham played well. There were a couple of good things. All in all, it was a trash pre-season game. I am not going to make a ton out of it.
The one thing though, was Marcus Mariota was just awful. Absolutely awful. I am actually concerned a little bit. McKee is better. I would have way more faith in McKee for a game. Not much. But I just think he is shot.”
You can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below:
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9 Nick Foles Memories That Defined a Philadelphia Eagles Legend
Nick Foles earned his status as a folk hero with an MVP effort for the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII. However, his unlikely journey wasn’t as smooth as other legendary athletes in Philadelphia sports history.
The bizarre seesaw of Nick Foles swung to the top for the first time during the 2013 season. The Chip Kelly hysteria included the emergence of a lesser-known third-round draft pick under center.
Typically, the idea of a second-year quarterback throwing 27 touchdowns and 2 interceptions would make national analysts gush. Eagles fans surprisingly had to defend Foles against the label as a “system quarterback” who was a product of Chip Kelly’s expertise.
His underwhelming performance in 2014 dropped the seesaw right back to the ground. Most Eagles fans even preferred Sam Bradford over Foles at one point in time.
The deteriorating reputation led to criticism when Howie Roseman brought Foles back to Philadelphia to back up Carson Wentz in 2017. The two-year, $11 million contract looked pricey at first, but it ended up becoming one of the best bargain contracts in franchise history.
The Nick Foles Seesaw
Foles ignited hope with his outstanding performance in 2013. He plummeted and left Philadelphia. He later took ridicule for a bad relief performance for Wentz in Week 9 of the 2017 season. Less than two months before the incredible victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, most Eagles fans didn’t even believe in him.
The remarkable hot streak Foles had in the NFL Playoffs after the 2017 season seemed too unlikely to happen again. Lightning struck for the best relief appearance by a quarterback in league history.
Somehow, it did happen again. The 2018 season sunk unexpectedly because of a Super Bowl hangover. The relegated backup to Wentz swung the seesaw once again with a late-season rally and a road playoff victory. It became clear that Super Bowl LII was no fluke.
The seesaw had its highs and lows, but fans of the Philadelphia Eagles will always think of the best performances from their favorite backup quarterback when they remember Nick Foles.
