Grotz: Foles has to stop thinking, play like a statue
2018 NFL season opens with Eagles meeting Falcons and saluting last year’s Super Bowl champs
Only seven franchises have repeated as Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots last nailing the double in 2004-05. The Pittsburgh Steelers accomplished the feat twice.
To join those clubs, the Eagles have to fight through a bevy of formidable opponents. Every team has upgraded, including the Colts.
Here’s how the NFL will roll, from worst to first:
32. COLTS » With the first pick in the NFL draft, the Colts select Nick Bosa, defensive end, Ohio State. Head coach Frank Reich, who coordinated the Eagles to a Super Bowl title, figured this could be a worstto-first opportunity providing Andrew Luck returns to good health. This is your worst year, Frank.
31. JETS » Rookie Sam Darnold is the quarterback, and he may not be wired for life in this big city. Enough said, although head coach Todd Bowles feels better about himself after shedding a ton of weight.
30. BROWNS » Quarterback Baker Mayfield has the ‘it’ factor. He’s a warrior. At 6-foot, he’s just going to have a tough time finding the warriors with his throws. Consider this the last year here for Hue Jackson, just 1-31 the past two seasons.
29. DOLPHINS » The Fish are excited about the season despite moving on from Ndamukong Suh, Jarvis Landry and elite pivot Mike Pouncey. Well, Ryan Tannehill is healthy. Ditto weapons Frank Gore and Danny Amendola.
28. BEARS » Khalil Mack, acquired for two first-round picks and a ridiculously large cash outlay, is the building block. Not, unfortunately, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who cost the Bears four draft picks, including a first-rounder.
27. BUCCANEERS » How can Jameis Winston, suspended by the NFL for the first three games for a matter he allegedly lied about, remain the face of the franchise? Executive Jason Licht will be haunted by these draft night words: “If he wasn’t a good guy, we wouldn’t have used the first pick on him.”
26. REDSKINS » The Alex SmithAdrian Peterson era is at hand. Head coach Jay Gruden deserves better.
25. BILLS » Last year, coach Sean McDermott got the Bills into the playoffs for the first time in 18 years with a quarterback he didn’t want. First-round pick Josh Allen is no Tyrod Taylor — at least for the moment. But he’s a candidate to win a postseason game, which the Bills haven’t done in 22 years.
24. BRONCOS » Anybody else still having trouble imagining John Elway, one of the all-time great quarterbacks, selling Case Keenum how much his services are needed in Denver?
23. CARDINALS » The Cardinals are turning the page from Carson Palmer to Sam Bradford. One aging injury waiting to happen in place of another. Larry Fitzgerald probably will catch more balls from rookie Josh Rosen.
22. LIONS » Matt Stafford is the best quarterback stuck on a team that can’t get over the hump. Four winning seasons in nine years, including two in a row, and he’s 0-3 in the playoffs. Make it zero playoff wins for the Lions in 26 straight years.
21. RAIDERS » Trading Mack pretty much confirmed the rebuilding job Jon Gruden is facing. But it will be fun to watch the Raiders when they have the ball. Derek Carr has a choice of Marshawn Lynch, Doug Martin, Jordy Nelson or Amari Cooper.
20. COWBOYS » Already desperate, they’re going to learn what life is like without all-world center Travis Frederick (Guillain-Barre Syndrome). Jason Witten retired. Dez Bryant was finished before he was cut. Dak Prescott has Zeke Elliott, and no Plan B. Jason Garrett? See ya.
19. BENGALS » The Bengals haven’t won a playoff game in 27 years, the last 15 with Marvin Lewis strategizing. Lewis and quarterback Andy Daulton are the MOAT (most overrated of all time) coach-quarterback combo.
18. 49ERS » Jimmy Garoppolo is
7-0 as a starter over five seasons, including 5-0 last year with the
49ers. Three of those Niners wins were against playoff teams. Richard Sherman leads the defense.
17. RAVENS » Joe Flacco and his teammates are relatively healthy, which hasn’t always been the case. Thinking you can turn the corner relying on Michael Crabtree and John Brown to catch balls is risky business.
16. CHIEFS » Andy Reid has been out in the sun too long if he thinks Patrick Mahomes is ready to win games. This season has disappointment written all over it, considering the rest of the talent level.
15. GIANTS » The Giants have the top running back-wide receiver tandem in the league in rookie Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr., who got a blockbuster contract extension. Eli Manning won’t mess that up although he has one good offensive lineman, veteran addition Nate Solder.
14. SEAHAWKS » It’s The Legion of Whom, not Boom. And safety Earl Thomas wants out. But Russell Wilson gives the ‘Hawks a chance.
13. PANTHERS » Former NFL MVP Cam Newton and linebacker Luke Kuechely make them competitive. Christian McCaffrey looks ready to take the next step.
12. TITANS » Marcus Mariota is 1816, including a playoff victory, the last two seasons. His go-to guys are Derrick Henry and Corey Davis. Mike Vrabel is the new head coach. This is going to be really interesting.
11. TEXANS » If J.J. Watt and quarterback Deshaun Watson stay healthy, the Texans will be in the playoff hunt. Heads, they’re healthy.
10. CHARGERS » We may be sipping the Kool Aid here but the Chargers won nine of their last 12 games last year. Thirty-six-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers is an ageless wonder. Joey Bosa is the best defensive end in football.
9. PACKERS » Aaron Rodgers got an obscene contract extension with
$70 million guaranteed in this season alone. That doesn’t leave a ton of money to fund a defense. A-Rod couldn’t have been happy when management let elite pass rusher Mack land to Chicago.
8. VIKINGS » Kirk Cousins chose Skol Nation over a fully guaranteed three-year, $90 million contract to quarterback the Jets. So would you. If the Vikings get their offensive line squared away, they’ll do a lot of damage.
7. EAGLES » The NFC East pennant is theirs on the strength of the offense alone. The defensive line is pretty good, too. But there’s a quarterback controversy looming. Carson Wentz’s knee still isn’t 100 percent and Nick Foles, the Super Bowl MVP, will start the opener. He’d better win.
6. JAGUARS » Loaded with talent, including much maligned quarterback Blake Bortles, they’re not getting much respect. The defensive talent is to die for. They had the Patriots on the ropes in the AFC title game.
5. FALCONS » Quick, name the only NFC team to make the playoffs the last two years? The Falcons are really good. They will challenge for the NFC title.
4. STEELERS » This is the last year the Steelers have Le’Veon Bell, who declined their final offer of a contract extension. It’s exactly the type of challenge Antonio Brown, Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin need.
3. SAINTS » We all saw the Saints lose to the Vikings on that lastsecond TD play 30 million times. And we all heard how Alvin Kamara said the Saints would have beaten the you-know-what out of the Eagles had the Vikings not gotten lucky. If the Saints weather the league’s second-toughest schedule, there could be such a showdown.
2. RAMS » The Rams went Dream Team crazy stocking themselves with talent. Defensive additions Suh, Brandin Cooks, Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib are a pretty good nucleus alone. With Todd Gurley powering the offense, this is going to be an incredibly fun team to watch.
1. PATRIOTS » Give the GOAT coachplayer tandem of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick their ninth and final trip to the Super Bowl together and sixth title. One or the other is moving on after this season. Seriously.