Hopefully Wentz has learned how to move on to the next play
PHILADELPHIA » The Eagles got the weekend off, having opened the season last Thursday with a win over the Atlanta Falcons.
And there on Twitter was a photo of Carson Wentz and his wife enjoying a little “we time” at some creek in the great outdoors.
Instead of trying to find meaning beyond the inspirational remarks attached to the tweet (like what it means about his impeding return to action), here’s a suggestion the groom might want to consider so the relationship remains joyful once he starts playing football again: Learn how to take a play off.
There wouldn’t be any Eagles pressers and “who’s your starting quarterback this week” questions if Wentz really understood what a big target he is and how much opponents want to take him out with a kill shot, the same as they would Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers.
Wentz needs to be reminded that his left knee blew up because he, and nobody else, turned upfield and challenged a couple of L.A. Rams defenders in goal line. He didn’t make it; didn’t really have a chance. And oh, by the way, he threw a touchdown pass on one good knee on the next down. Was all of the resulting pain necessary?
That’s not the only example of Wentz getting caught up in the moment and making the instinctive decision for himself, and not in the best interest of his football team. He survived a crushing hit earlier in the season trying to score against the Carolina Panthers. What he’s refused to do is change the way he plays, partly because it is who he is. Well, he can still be that guy, just a smarter version of it.
There’s no reason Wentz cannot rip a page out of the Brady book of selfpreservation and lay up in the fairway.
When Brady sees a troubling blitz coming, he gets rid of the ball so quickly it’s a short gain or an incompletion. A perfect example of that occurred a few week ago in preseason when Eagles linebacker Nate Gerry broke free on a blitz with a clear shot at Brady. The quarterback ran the other way and as soon as he was outside the tackle box, threw an incompletion. The Patriots eventually scored on the drive.
When Brady is trapped inside the pocket, unless it’s the last play, he does, what? Right, he hits the ground.
Now, even the latter response doesn’t always work. Rodgers hit the turf anticipating a sack Sunday night and still injured a knee as he was trampled by big defensive linemen. After some tests, Rodgers returned and beat the Chicago Bears on one knee.
While we try to grasp the hypocrisy of why the NFL - so concerned with player safety - swiftly takes a wobbly player out of the game when a concussion is suspected, lets an obviously hurt star continue on one leg, let’s ask ourselves why Rodgers survived in limited form.
Rodgers said he got rid of the ball quicker in the second half than the first, when it was apparent he was reluctant to give up on plays. Quicker and smarter got him through the night.
Wentz is smart enough to grasp down and distance situations, sense blitzes, know where the safe escape route is and act accordingly. There’s no reason to take big hits to fire up the teammates he taught to win. Sure, there would be a few less, how in the heck did he do this or that plays? But there would also be more big plays. And that’s not a hunch, given the skills Wentz has.
It will be fascinating to see what kind of effort, if any, Wentz makes to protect himself once he returns to action. Depending on which insider you believe, that could be weeks (NFL Network) or sooner, rather than later (ESPN). Eagles offensive coordinator Mike Groh said Tuesday that Doug Pederson would announce a decision in the next day or two.
What the Eagles’ coaches might want to do is provide Wentz with at least a mental snapshot of the hit he took in L.A., and a discourse on the almost endless series of interviews he’s endured discussing the injury and the rehab.
If Wentz doesn’t realize how painful that’s been, remind him that if you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.
Brady missed all but the first game of the 2008 season due to a knee injury. Clearly, he learned something from that, for he’s started every game since, with the exception of the 2015 season, when he sat out the first four games for his role in Deflate-Gate.
“I think when you sit on the sidelines for an entire year you realize how much you love it,” Brady said during the rehab process. “Not that you need that to happen to be grateful to play but you experience things in a much different way and a way that I never experienced as an athlete. I love being out here. I love participating and being around these guys.”
Wentz is no less of a competitor. And there will be no need to look back if he simply goes on to next play.