Wentz, East-leading Eagles to face playoff-hungry Browns
Birds hope to get back on track against run-oriented Browns
CLEVELAND » Before he ever soared — or, in the case of this season, sputtered — for the Eagles, quarterback Carson Wentz was connected to the Browns. They passed on the chance to draft him.
On Sunday, their paths cross again.
Wentz has been inconsistent, turnover prone and barely looked like himself for much of this season. Still, he’s got the Eagles (3-5-1) leading the pathetic NFC East and they won’t be an easy matchup for the Browns (6-3), who just may be a legitimate playoff contender.
Rewind to 2016. The Browns were desperate for a franchise quarterback, and their front office at the time was not enthralled with Wentz. So they traded the No. 2 overall pick and a fourth-round selection to the Eagles for five picks, including first-rounders in 2016 and 2017.
Philly took Wentz, and never looked back.
“Heck, yeah, I’d do it all over again,” said Eagles coach Doug Pederson, who has stood by his QB through thick and thin. “He’s the guy we wanted back then, he’s still the guy we want today. And I love everything about Carson Wentz, and he’s a great leader for our team and our city.”
Wentz’s stats in 2020 are alarming for a player of his stature.
His 12 interceptions lead the NFL. He’s 32nd in completion percentage (58.2). His 73.1 rating is a career worst and he’s been sacked a league-high 35 times.
One of the knocks on Wentz is that he holds the ball far too long, waiting to make a play. That’s risky behavior, but at least this week Wentz won’t have to worry about Browns defensive star and league sacks leader Myles Garrett, who will miss the game after testing positive for COVID-19.