Wentz would put end to Birds’ ongoing clown show
PHILADELPHIA » Nothing against Nick Foles, but if Carson Wentz was quarterbacking the preseason games, there’s no way the Eagles would be playing as poorly as they have, regardless of personnel.
Wentz wouldn’t put up with the fundamental mistakes of his offensive linemen, running backs or wide receivers, no matter where they stood on the depth chart. Preseason or postseason, he’d call guys out in his own way; subtly at first, then louder and finally with a frustrating, one-word answer. That’s a sign they’re going to have to do something great if they want to get back on his wagon. Ask Nelson Agholor.
Foles is much too accepting of flaws, whether they’re his, those of his teammates or simply shortcomings of his coaches.
Foles chooses his moments to be edgy, then leaves the translation to those annoying apologists who think it’s their job to tell everyone what they’ve seen isn’t really what they’ve seen.
The bottom line is that when Wentz, coming off surgery for a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee, is finally deemed healthy, the Eagles won’t be giving away sacks and scoring opportunities, and hiding behind the excuse that it’s preseason, regular season or postseason. He’s splitting first-team snaps with Foles now, an arrangement that always leaves a lot to be desired.
We’ve heard the old, “it’s only the preseason” defense for weeks now. Yeah, obviously it is. It’s three games into the preseason, that time when penalties, sacks and turnovers are supposed to fade. Do we have to remind you that in the most recent preseason game there were four turnovers and a safety in that first half – and this is so painful to write – of the game against CLEVELAND?
Why would the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles even want to practice the way they’ve played in the preseason?
Let’s look at the defense, which not only adjusted but raised its level of play from the second to the third preseason game. The Eagles committed just four penalties in their most recent outing after totaling 20 in the first two games, too many of those flags for initiating contact with the helmet. Lessons learned. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz obviously reached the fellows.
The disturbing news is in the same game the Eagles gave up seven sacks, including a safety, raising the total to 17 sacks allowed in three preseason games. That’s two more than they gave up in the first eight preseason games under Doug Pederson. You can’t run a passing attack with so many jailbreaks. And you can’t expose your quarterback to such beatings unless you think Pederson has become the Joe Gibbs of NFL coaches, which is to say capable of winning multiple Super Bowls with multiple starting quarterbacks. It’s a bit early for that.
Critics point out that veteran left tackle Jason Peters hasn’t been out there with the Eagles in the preseason. He hasn’t been out there for what seems like an eternity after his ACL injury early in 2017. Peters wasn’t around for the Super Bowl, either, when the Eagles gave up zero sacks. Left tackle Halapoulavaati Vaitai was, and is now. And for whatever reason, he’s become one of those guys the opposition cannot wait to line up against. But he’s not the only one on that line that’s rusty.
Sacks, penalties and decision-making by Foles and Nate Sudfeld have resulted in nine turnovers in 12 preseason quarters. That’s a problem no matter who’s in the lineup.
The Eagles offense is just 10-for-39 (25.6 percent) on third down.
The defense has gotten off the field on third down at a 28.9 percent success rate.
More telling is the Eagles haven’t scored a point in the preseason in the first quarter, which is when the good players play, or the fourth quarter, when you get to see if you’ve evaluated and coached your subs better than the opponent has evaluated and coached theirs.
Not one damn point in the first quarter? Always a problem, no matter the surrounding personnel.
Foles often speaks about attention to detail and how important it is. The same with preparation. He doesn’t demand it from his teammates nearly as much as Wentz does. That could be largely due to Wentz being your basic Type A personality in the field, in the locker room and during games. Foles can be a leader, but his well-defined role as the backup lacks the credibility the Eagles need to get players to wake up and smell the start of the season.
If you want to see what makes Wentz so dynamic as a football player, and a leader, check out the Wentz Brothers Outdoors videos on YouTube. No detail is overlooked, no stone unturned for Wentz or the people he hunts with. Wentz, unlike a lot of quarterbacks, is the hunter. Guys gravitate toward that.
Now, let’s get silly for a bit. The Petplan dog insurance company asked veteran Westminster Dog Show host, David Frei, who knows canines probably better than 99 percent of the people on the planet, to use dog breeds to describe various NFL players. He likened Wentz to a “Border Collie, (herds) his flock up and down the field, smart, athletic and intensely focused on the job at hand.”
The same author labeled Tom Brady an Afghan Hound. It’s that tall rascal with the really long and pretty hair; strongwilled, independent and aloof.
All of that said, if the Eagles want to be 100 percent ready for the Sept. 6 season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, they need to clear Wentz for contact and let him start herding. That will be the end of the unpreparedness. And the beginning of the Eagles’ relentlessness.
Contact Bob Grotz at bgrotz@21stcenturymedia.com; follow him on Twitter @bobgrotz.