TNF a chance at redemption for Wentz and the Eagles
PHILADELPHIA >> One year ago, Carson Wentz and the Eagles turned the corner in the sixth game of their season on a Thursday night.
They were the underdogs, Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers the home favorites.
The Eagles never trailed in the 28-23 victory, and it springboarded them to an epic five-game win streak that filled the team with enough confidence to overcome the eventual loss of Wentz to a knee injury. The average margin of victory in those five double-digits wins was a ridiculous 23.4 points.
Do we need to mention that the Eagles average 20.6 points this season?
When the Eagles oppose the New York Giants Thursday at MetLife Stadium, it’s an opportunity to get back on the fast track.
“We’re excited mainly because it’s a divisional opponent,” Wentz said Tuesday. “It’s the next opponent but it’s a divisional opponent and we know where the division is sitting right now. It’s really just wide open and we really want to get off to the right start in our division.”
Wentz, by the way, was limited in practice Tuesday. The Eagles listed the cause as “rest” on the official injury report. The fourday turnaround for a quarterback coming off ACL and LCL surgery is unrelenting.
“It’s definitely tough,” Wentz said. “I don’t know if our bodies are quite made to take these beatings in five days. It’s definitely a lot of mental and physical preparation that goes into it. Taking care of our bodies is number one in weeks like this.”
The NFC East, if you haven’t paid attention is a mess. It’s the only division in football without a winning team.
The Washington Redskins (2-2) lead the division. The Eagles and Dallas Cowboys are 2-3, and the Giants are 1-4.
Poorly as the Eagles have played in losing two straight games, they can turn it around in a hurry. A win over the Giants, coached by former Eagles assistant Pat Shurmur, gives them the weekend to breathe.
The Giants had the second-worst record in football last year. They’re tied for the worst record in the league this year.
Instead of drafting a quarterback the Giants selected running back Saquon Barkley, who Eagles defender Michael Bennett called a cross between the quick feet and power of Marshawn Lynch, the balance of former Eagle LeSean McCoy and the speed of Jamaal Charles. Penn State proud Barkley has 100 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns in each of the first five games, but the Giants have been outscored, 128-104.
The defense has surrendered 33 points in each of the past two games, including a 33-31 loss last week at Carolina on a 63-yard, lastsecond field goal by Graham Geno.
Wentz says the Giants’ defensive personnel basically is the same as it was last year but the scheme is different, new defensive coordinator James Bettcher preferring a hybrid 3-4 alignment.
Though the loss of team touchdown leader Jay Ajayi to a knee injury isn’t going to make it easier for the Eagles to get off to better starts, it’s not like the roster is fresh out of running backs.
Corey Clement played a leading role in the Super Bowl season, and he’s back practicing fully after a quadriceps issue. Wendell Smallwood has two TDs, second only to Ajayi, who had three.
“Jay was the guy, but we’ve always kind of been by committee around here,” Wentz said. “He was a violent downhill runner that loved and sought contact and loved to just feed off that and really got us going. We feel confident in these guys stepping up. We’ve seen Wendell the last couple weeks stepping up and make plays and getting Corey back out there, that’ll be big for us. And Josh (Adams) is going to have (to) now increase his role as well. (Darren) Sproles as well, coming back, hopefully soon. I feel like we still have a stable of workhorses there. “But it’s tough losing Jay.” The Eagles are 0-2 on the road. The Giants are 0-2 at home.
The Eagles have won four of the last five games in the series, one of those with Shurmur as interim head coach to cap the 2015 season. Shurmur stepped in when Chip Kelly was fired with one game to go.
“It was an honor to be their coach for one game,” Shurmur said. “And at that time, it was a time of big change for the Eagles. They brought in Doug (Pederson) and a new staff and it’s worked out really well for them. They’ve won a Super Bowl. I think along the way you learn a lot of things but I don’t know how much of that will help us in this game.”
What would help the Eagles is to get off to a decent start. They’ve been outscored, 23-7, in the first quarter this season. In the first five games of the 2017 season, the Eagles outscored the opposition, 41-3, in the first quarter.
The Giants are slow starters as well, having been outscored, 2320, in the first quarter this season. Opponents, in fact, have outscored them in every quarter.
None of that means much this Thursday, of course. Talent usually prevails on Thursday nights, as there is little time to prepare. Thus, the game is an opportunity for both the Eagles and the Giants to realize how special — if at all — they are.
“A lot of similar faces over there,” Wentz said of the Giants’ defense. “Personnel-wise it seems we know each other really well. With their new scheme it will be interesting to see what they like, what their deal is against us this week. I’m sure they’ll bring something new. It seems like something every team has done against us, but we’re excited about the matchup for sure.”