For the Eagles, the truth Hurts

Time to sit Wentz down to see what rookie can do

We must start with the following disclaimer: Quarterback Carson Wentz was not entirely to blame for the crime against pro football that was committed Sunday in Cleveland by his wretched Philadelphia Eagles.

His depleted offensive line, which came out of the game even weaker than it went in, didn’t give him much help. Neither did wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who almost looked like he leaped too soon on purpose for a jump ball he used to catch 101 times out of 100 on an interception late in the fourth quarter that essentially sealed a 22-17 win for the Browns. A reception there would have given the Eagles more than a puncher’s chance to pull it out.

But Wentz certainly was complicit in the felony and once again proved, as he has for the better part of the last three seasons, that he’s not the kind of quarterback who can strap a wayward team on his back and carry it safely across the finish line.

On the other hand, rookie secondround draft pick Jalen Hurts just might be that kind of player.

Time to start finding out if he is. Because there’s nothing left to lose.

The Eagles may not face a more vulnerable opponent the rest of the season than they had in Cleveland, which was missing explosive wide receiver Odell Beckham. The Browns also didn’t have helmet-swinging wild man Myles Garrett available to rush the passer and had a quarterback in Baker Mayfield who didn’t perform much better than Wentz.

And still the Eagles couldn’t win. So why, with Seattle (7-3) coming up next week, followed by Green Bay (7-3), New Orleans (8-2) and Arizona (6-4), wouldn’t the Eagles think of throwing Hurts into the fire? They’re going to be under

dogs in all of them anyway, regardless of whether Saints quarterback Drew Brees and his 11 broken ribs are available by the time they meet.

Because, coach Doug Pederson said after the game, “If you get to that spot where you don’t start him or you bench him, I think you’re sending the wrong message to your football team: ‘The season’s over.’ This sport is bigger than one guy, and we all have a hand in it and we all need to fix it.”

With all due respect, Pederson has this bass ackward.

This season has reached the point where the coach would be sending the wrong message to stick with a quarterback who can’t do anything special anymore and continues to turn the ball over more than anyone else in the league.

Wentz came into the game having thrown an NFL-high 12 interceptions. He increased that total to 14, including one that was returned for a touchdown. His one fumble and five sacks brought his league-leading totals in those categories to 10 and 40, respectively.

One of the sacks was an inexcusable safety.

It means the Eagles’ offense gave up almost as many points as their defense, which other than allowing a 54-yard run by Nick Chubb slammed the door shut on Cleveland’s powerful running game.

But because the offense and the quarterback play was so poor, one run like that was all it took. Chubb stiffarmed deep reserve defensive end Joe Ostman — an emergency call-up from the practice squad who was only in uniform because Vinny Curry was on the reserve/COVID-19 list — and two players later the Browns were dancing in the end zone. Former Eagle Cody Parkey added the extra point for a 19-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.

So their defense didn’t play poorly, but the Eagles essentially still had no chance to win.

This is why you make the move to Hurts — before it’s too late for a team that remained in first place in the

NFC East with a 3-6-1 record.

The Eagles have to be realistic here. They’re not advancing in the playoffs even if they qualify. And they’re not even going to qualify if they continue on this path with Wentz, who to his credit keeps promising to do what it takes to get better but keeps getting worse.

Like Pederson, Wentz had no interest in addressing the elephant in the virtual meeting room after Sunday’s game.

Question: “Doug Pederson was asked several questions about benching you. He said he wasn’t going to do that, but does it surprise you that this should come up at this point, and how do you think you’re playing?”

“You guys can ask whatever questions you want,” Wentz responded in his Zoom news conference. “So I know that’s part of the deal. I know that it’s always a scrutinized position ... so I can take it, I can wear it. It is what it is. Are we playing as good as we can as a team? No. AmI playing my best football? No.

“You know, there’s some circumstances out there today that we left some plays on the field, and we’ll be critical, we’ll go back and watch the tape,” he said. “But yeah, I mean at the end of the day that stuff is what it is. You guys can ask whatever questions you want, bring up whatever you want. For me. I’m just going to put my head down and go to work.”

Making the switch to Hurts may be complicated by the Eagles’ inane power structure as well.

When Pederson, who has no control over the 53-man roster nor, apparently, the hiring or firing of his assistants, was asked if the call would be his to make, he paused before proceeding with his answer about how it would be sending the wrong message to bench Wentz.

He didn’t answer the question. There’s a reason.