WHAT’S WRONG WITH WENTZ?
QB Carson hasn’t refound MVP form since ACL injury
PHILADELPHIA >> One year ago, Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz rolled into Los Angeles at the top of his game, stoked and ready to compete against the only player selected ahead of him in the 2016 NFL draft.
Wentz was playing at a Most Valuable Player level for a worst-to-first Eagles team in search of its first NFL championship since 1960 when he went headto-head with Jared Goff of the Rams. And then it happened. Wentz got the Eagles the lead in what would be a playoff clinching victory over the Rams but wasn’t around to finish it.
Since undergoing reconstructive surgery to repair the ACL and LCL ligaments in his right knee, Wentz has shown only flashes of what he used to be. Football has become work. Too often he’s been overwhelmed during a start-and-stop comeback that flamed out in a 29-23 overtime loss Sunday to the hated Dallas Cowboys.
The defeat upset Eagles fans enough to wonder why the coaching staff didn’t turn to backup Nick Foles, the Super Bowl LII MVP, to give them a chance to win. There’s no way that will happen as the Eagles are as afraid of upsetting Wentz before finalizing his mega-bucks contract extension as he is of wondering if he’ll ever live up to it. If Wentz thinks the scrutiny is tough now, just wait until he gets $150 million guaranteed. Fans will expect him to win a Super Bowl regardless of whether the team can afford to pay a starting-caliber defense with the money left in the salary cap. But that’s drama for another week.
Wentz returns to Lala Land this weekend for the rematch with Goff and the Rams’ defense that twisted his knee the wrong way.
It’s just not the same Wentz. And it’s not the same Eagles team.
Wentz has 21 thrown touchdown passes against seven interceptions in 11 games. He has 31 sacks, 13 turnovers and a 69.6 completion percentage. Stats nerds appreciate those numbers more than the bottom line, which is the Eagles have become irrelevant this season, unless you think they’re worthy of playing a spoiler role down the homestretch.
It’s not just the quarterback. The Eagles lack a receiver who can go deep and a reliable running back. They’ve not recovered from losing a chunk of the veteran leadership either in free agency or by trade.
The 2017 Super Bowl season was totally different as Wentz threw a club-record 33 TD passes in just 13 games, with 28 sacks, 11 turnovers and a 60.2 completion percentage.
Wentz also had 64 rushes for 299 yards (4.7 average). This year he’s been more fearful than fearless, accumulating just 34 rushes for 93 yards (2.7) despite his, and his coach’s assertions he’s 100 percent healthy.
Wentz isn’t much of a pocket passer. He’s best when he’s moving around, keeping plays alive and taking off when a crease opens.
“I think what you’re seeing is he’s had the ability to do that this year,” Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said. “He has escaped the pocket. I think if you’re referring to yesterday’s game, part of the sacks was just a collapse of the pocket and keeping him in the pocket. So there really were no running lanes yesterday to escape.”
There were no lanes that Wentz saw, at least.
Wentz is third in the NFL in completion percentage and seventh in passer rating, keeping company in those categories with Matt Ryan, the wily old timer with the Atlanta Falcons. The numbers are worthless. Ryan is 4-9 where it counts, Wentz 5-6. The Eagles are 6-7 and in need of a minor miracle to get back into the playoffs.
When the topic is Wentz, Pederson chooses his words carefully. And so, it was Monday when he was queried about the accuracy of the franchise quarterback, who has been all over the place on all types of throws and is throwing more checkdown, short passes than at any time in his career.
“I think he’s been good, I wouldn’t say it’s been great,” Pederson said. “I would say he’s been good. You look at the fourth quarter yesterday and it was great. Accuracy comes in many forms. It’s not necessarily the quarterback. I have to factor in route running. I have to factor in coverage. I have to factor in protection. There are all kinds of aspects that go into accuracy for a quarterback.”
The fourth quarter was all Pederson could remember, at least at his news conference. Pederson really dug the “lasers” Wentz got to rookie tight end Dallas Goedert on corner and seam routes.
“Pinpoint accuracy, and that’s where he’s at and what he’s doing,” Pederson said.
Most of the playoff probability models say the Eagles actually have a slightly better chance of going to the playoffs if the Seattle Seahawks were to prevail over the Minnesota Vikings Monday night.
The Eagles still could win the division if they win out and the Cowboys (8-5) lose out, remote as the possibility is.
No matter what happens in the MNF game, an Eagles loss to the Rams (11-2) and the Eagles should lay up and start playing the young offensive linemen. The Rams won’t be accommodating as they’re in a race with the New Orleans Saints (11-2) for homefield advantage throughout the postseason. The Eagles are 10-point underdogs Sunday night.
Contact Bob Grotz at bgrotz@21stcenturymedia.com and follow him on twitter @ BobGrotz