Wentz excited to make his season debut
PHILADELPHIA » Even the news conference was fun for Carson Wentz, who held court Wednesday for the first time this season as the starting quarterback of the Eagles.
And you should have heard some of the questions.
Carson, how did you learn you were cleared to play? Just guessing the doctors didn’t send him a registered letter, folks.
Carson, which was tougher, the physical or the mental aspect of the nine-month rehab? Did anybody expect him to choose one over the other?
Carson, who was the first one you contacted after getting the news? It’s a good thing he said he texted his wife.
My favorite, and let’s embellish it just a bit, was Carson, what did you learn about yourself during those nine months of rehab, those game days wearing the headsets while Nick Foles played, the Super Bowl, the parade and Jason Kelce’s victory speech on the steps of the Art Museum?
“To not take it for granted,” Wentz said. “I think once you get caught up in the middle of the season and you’re just going through it, you can take the opportunities for granted. And that’s something that I’ll always remind everybody, myself included, is to just never take a play for granted, never take a game for granted. Because you never know when it’s going to be gone.”
It was gone, just like that after Wentz threw a touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery in early December at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. The football gods decreed that he set the franchise record with his 33rd scoring pass. But Wentz knew a few players before, one in which he squeezed into the end through a pile of defenders, only to have the play nullified by a hold, that his left knee was done.
It was an instinctive, testosterone inspired scramble, the Eagles trailing, 28-24, on the raod. And it won’t be the last time Wentz leaves you holding your breath because that’s how he plays, who he is and what teammates expect him to be.
If you hoped, as some have, that Wentz would reduce the scrambling to preserve his health, you’re still hoping. Not long after Wentz said he was working to find that balance of when to extend a play, and when to protect himself, the truth came out. Even in a knee brace, he still doesn’t want to give up on a play.
“I feel extremely confident moving around, on the run,” Wentz said. “Even last year I never said I’m a running quarterback. I never want to be. But I’ll find ways to extend time in the pocket and make plays down the field. And I don’t think that’s going anywhere.”
It was as if someone else had answered the other silly, stupid and deep, deep questions about the long rehab. It was asi if someone else had spoken about the pain of not huddling with teammates or sharing the thrill of victory. It was like Wentz had forgotten what a relief he said it was to be through with the rehab.
And then it hit me, appropriately enough, while Wentz was in his glory standing in the center of his teammates and breaking the team down before practice Wednesday. He wasn’t as loud as tough as Malcolm Jenkins, who shares the job. But there was no question that Carson Wentz was the man.
What was Wentz supposed to say? That he was paralyzed with fear about another possible injury rehab? That he was going to do a Tom Brady and get rid of the ball the second he saw a jailbreak blitz? That the next time the Eagles are at the two-yard line and there’s an open lane, there’s no way he’s going to risk it? Too much information for defenses.
We won’t know, and maybe Wentz won’t know, exactly what he’ll do until the Eagles’ protection breaks down. Looking at the last game, that will be about one or two plays after Jason Peters’ quadriceps acts up in the first half.
We won’t know how much Wentz will be impacted by the nine-month layoff from live action until the Indianapolis Colts hit him Sunday, which could come very early because the Colts like to send linebacker Darius Leonard on A gap blitzes.
Wentz, on the other hand, thinks the Eagles offense will pick up where it left off in L.A. (spoiler alert: Jeffery practiced Wednesday.)
“At the end of the day, I, and really the whole offense, this whole organization always has high expectations,” Wentz said. “We expect to start fast, play fast and be clicking. I truly believe that’s a realistic expectation. Now, it’s football. It’s not always like that. You’ve got to learn how to balance those ebbs and flows of the game and everything.”
Take that as another slice of, what is he supposed to say? Honestly, y’all, we can’t fix this in one week? Or, are y’all aware that we’re so desperate we’re going to play a receiver (Jordan Matthews) and a running back (Josh Adams) we just signed off the streets?
The most important thing for Wentz is to bring energy to an Eagles team that looks tired, yes, tired, in this it’s title defense.
“I’m definitely going to cherish running out of that tunnel,” Wentz said. “I’m going to cherish just finally being back out there with the guys after missing these games. There’s going to be a lot of emotions going on but once the game starts, it’s just football.”
Contact Bob Grotz at bobgrotz@21stcenturymedia.com; follow him on Twitter @bobgrotz.