Must-see TV doesn’t have to be all painful for Wentz
PHILADELPHIA » Videos matter, particularly in the case of a struggling quarterback who hasn’t had much to celebrate lately.
So it is with Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, loser of three straight games and looking at an impossible task this weekend – defeating MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in Green Bay. Wentz has been in a season-long slump. He hasn’t had a passer rating of 100 or more since, what’s this, last year in Green Bay?
This would be a good time, then, to put those video highlights on a loop to show Wentz how good he can be, not what he has become.
Wentz was more than efficient in rallying the Eagles to a 34-27 win over Rodgers and the Packers last season. He completed 16 of 27 attempts for 160 yards and three touchdowns in that game, one in which Rodgers connected on 34 of 53 attempts for 422 yards and two touchdowns. Rodgers also had one interception and one fumble lost.
With a 100-plus passer rating, Wentz is 16-5 in his career, including 5-0 last season. At this point he’s at least seen what he did last season to Rodgers and the Packers in front of 80,000 cheese heads at Lambeau Field.
“I have watched that as well as plenty of other tape on these guys,” Wentz said. “It’s a good defense, for starters. It was a very complete game. I don’t think we had any crazy stats throwing the ball. I think we ran the ball really effectively. It was a complete game all the way around. Down to the wire against a really good opponent.”
The Eagles had a run-pass ratio of 33 to 27. Wentz had a 113.2 passer rating that he hasn’t come close to since. He also didn’t commit a turnover, a far cry from this season, in which he’s alone at the top of the NFL with 19 giveaways, including 15 interceptions.
It’s been almost all downhill for Wentz since he threw an interception late in the first half of the opener at Washington. With a 17-0 lead and just 1:44 left in the first half, the Eagles had no business going up top against the Football Team. The turnover set up a short TD drive led by Dwayne Haskins, who’s no longer the starter, and a run of 27 straight points and a victory for the Football Team.
The Birds’ playcalling has been poor. The timing between Wentz and his receivers 12 weeks into the season has been worse.
Even when Wentz was given the simplest of plays to get himself going, he’s failed. After the Seahawks jumped offside Monday night, the Eagles ran a stop-route at five yards. It’s the play the Eagles used to get Donovan McNabb going much of his career. The tight end runs five yards and stops.
So, there Wentz was in the pocket on what’s supposed to be a quick release. Tight end Richard Rodgers was open. Tight end Dallas Goedert was open, too, on a short crossing route. Wentz was so indecisive the throw was batted away en route to the first of five straight threeand-outs by the offense.
Late in the game, Wentz threw an interception into the Seattle end zone, thinking Goedert would break inside. Goedert turned it outside.
The Seahawks prevailed, 23-17.
It was tough stifling a laugh when Wentz, asked if he was being less decisive than in past seasons, replied “It’s hard to say.”
Wentz was sacked six times in the game to swell the Eagles’ league-leading total to 46 sacks allowed. What’s amazing is he’s still whole. He’s been sacked – not just hit – an average of 4.2 times a game.
“My body’s recovering well every week,” Wentz said. “So, I’m thankful for that. Every time there’s a sack there’s multiple layers to it. There’s a handful of times I’ve watched the game and said, ‘Alright, I missed that guy or I should’ve gotten the ball out quicker or been more decisive.’ So, everybody contributes to those. I can be better and kind of orchestrate that as well. But that’s behind us. We’ve got a lot of experience up front now. A lot of different guys have a lot of experience now. I think going forward we’re going to be really solid and find ways to limit that and minimize that.”
The Eagles have started 10 different offensive lines this season. The signs are pointing toward them making it 11 different lineups in 12 games with Jack Driscoll at right tackle instead of Matt Pryor against the Pack.
Regardless of who starts up front or lines up at receiver, Wentz has to regain his confidence.
He defeated quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Ryan in his rookie season, Philip Rivers and Cam Newton in 2017, Andrew Luck in 2018. Since getting the best of Rodgers last year, Wentz hasn’t beaten anyone good. This season he has been better than Nick Mullens at San Francisco, Daniel Jones in the first meeting with the Giants and rookie first-time starter Ben DiNucci with the Dallas Cowboys.
Try wrapping your arms around those highlights.