The NFL and NFL Players Association had their first major effort to resolve the anthem situation 17 days ago. Despite some initial optimism Demetrius Harris Jersey , as publicly hinted by Steelers owner Art Rooney II, it currently appears that, while there eventually may be a resolution, there still will be no solution.

Peter King reports in his latest Football Morning in America column that, according to one unnamed source, there are doubts that the end result will include all players standing for the anthem. Which gets back to something I was told three weeks ago: There’s no end game for the anthem controversy.

Two weeks ago, some believed maybe there was. Some thought maybe, just maybe, the union, which doesn’t need unanimity to agree to rule changes, would tie the hands of those who would kneel or otherwise protest during the anthem. The problem, however, is that even though the NFL Players Association can get things done with simple majorities, it’s not nearly as simple as having a majority of players or player representatives wipe away rights currently exercised by a very small percentage of the rank and file.

Even if the 99 percent of players who aren’t protesting were to agree on behalf of the 100 percent to stand Grady Jarrett Jersey , some percentage of the one percent would resist, and possibly would continue to protest — creating a situation in which the protests become even more significant and noteworthy.

King makes no bones about blaming the current mess on Commissioner Roger Goodell, and King is right to say, as he does, that on this issue Goodell has failed to lead. But King misses the mark just a bit by suggesting that Goodell should have sprung to action last September to resolve the situation with De Smith, Goodell’s counterpart at the NFLPA.

By last September, it was already too late. Goodell should have engaged Smith the moment former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was spotted sitting during the anthem in August 2016, and Goodell and Smith should have worked out a deal that fixed the loophole the league created.

And that’s where a hostile, cantankerous, belligerent relationship between management and labor can hurt both sides. Because Goodell and Smith don’t enjoy the kind of trust that their respective predecessors, Paul Tagliabue and Gene Upshaw, shared, Goodell and Smith aren’t able to quickly fashion win-win outcomes. Also, given the league’s desire to not just win but crush the opponent during any and all negotiations Tarvarius Moore Jersey , Goodell and the league never, ever would have gone to Smith and the union and said, “Um, we have a little problem. Can we work together to solve it before it becomes a big problem?”

If Goodell had engaged Smith two years ago this month, Smith justifiably could have responded by saying, “So, you have a little problem? How did that little problem come to be?”

The honest answer would have been, “Well, we made the problem because someone wrote the policy in a way that created an unintended loophole, requiring players to be on the sideline for the anthem but not requiring them to actually stand for the anthem.” And the candid reply from Smith very well may have been, “That stinks for you.”

The bottom line is that the NFL made this mess by creating the right to protest and then, when a player chose to protest, acknowledged that, indeed Dan Feeney Jersey , players have the right to protest. Two years later, every headache and hassle relating to the anthem flows from the league’s failures in that regard, and it seems that the issue long ago made it past the point of no return.

Nick Foles could end up playing a new position when Carson Wentz comes back if he keeps this up.

Foles caught another pass in a clutch spot to spark a sputtering offense that looked out of sync and the defense picked up right where it left off last time it faced Atlanta.

After seeing their "world champions" banner unveiled, the Philadelphia Eagles took the first step toward trying to become the first team to repeat in 14 years by stopping Matt Ryan to Julio Jones on the final play again in an 18-12 victory over the Falcons on Thursday night.

Foles hardly looked like Super Bowl MVP until coach Doug Pederson called his number in the third quarter when the offense needed a spark. Foles caught a 15-yard pass from Nelson Agholor to extend a drive that ended with Jay Ajayi scoring the first of his two touchdown runs.

"It's great to have it at the right time if you can catch a team (off guard)," Foles said. "Everybody loves a good trick play."

Foles caught a 1-yard TD pass from tight end Trey Burton in the first half of Philadelphia's 41-33 win over New England in the Super Bowl. Foles asked Pederson on the sideline if he wanted "Philly Philly" but called the play "Philly Special" in the huddle. This one was "Philly Philly" and Pederson said he borrowed it from New England's playbook. Tom Brady dropped that pass.

"Offensively, we were sort of misfiring a little bit," Pederson said. "Just were looking for a big play, somebody to make a play. It felt like the right time."

If the Eagles need any help at receiver once Wentz is cleared to play after knee surgery last December, Foles is ready to go.

Well, not really.

A sloppy, mistake-filled game that featured 26 penalties came down to Ryan throwing an incomplete pass to Jones in the left corner of the end zone on the final play from Philadelphia's 5.

Jones couldn't come down with Ryan's pass from the 2 in the right corner of the end zone in Atlanta's 15-10 loss in the divisional round in January.

"It was deja vu," said cornerback Ronald Darby, who covered Jones on the last play this time around instead of Jalen Mills. "Jones is one of the best but we got the stop."

A weather delay pushed kickoff back 45 minutes, forcing fans to wait a bit longer for the championship ceremony. Wearing his gold Hall of Fame jacket Cornellius Carradine Jersey , former safety Brian Dawkins riled up the sellout crowd with owner Jeffrey Lurie by his side and led a chorus of "Fly Eagles Fly."

It was the most excitement for a while on a hot, muggy night that seemed more like an August preseason game than a playoff rematch. Both teams looked rusty after many starters didn't play much in preseason.

Here are some things we learned from the game:

RED ZONE WOES: The Falcons were 1 for 5 in the red zone after struggling inside the opponents' 20 last year. Second-year offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian spent plenty of time in the offseason trying to improve the team's scoring efficiency. Jones only had three TD catches last season. He had 10 receptions for 169 yards but didn't score.

"It's never discouraging," Jones said/ "We just got to keep working, stick together and make plays and get things called down there."

JAY TRAIN

Jay Ajayi had 62 yards rushing on 15 carries. His 11-yard TD run and 2-point conversion gave the Eagles a lead with 2:25 left. Ajayi ran in from the 1 on the drive Foles made the catch.

"I knew I would have a good day if I just stayed being myself and being the Jay Train," Ajayi said.

HEALTHY HICKS

Eagles linebacker Jordan Hicks had 1陆 sacks in his first game since rupturing his Achilles tendon last October. Hicks also committed a penalty on fourth down that allowed the Falcons to have one more play at the end but the defense bailed him out.

"The ability to get back out there and have fun and celebrate and have passion no matter the play, it feels good," Hicks said.

INJURIES

Falcons safety Keanu Neal left the game with a knee injury in the first half but coach Dan Quinn said it doesn't appear serious. Long snapper Josh Harris had his streak of 103 consecutive games played end because of a hip injury.

Wentz, who hasn't been medically cleared for contact, threw passes and did other drills while wearing a brace on his left knee during warmups.

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