Postgame takeouts from Sunday’s action in the NFL
Mike Jones on QBs for Eagles, Ravens, plus Burrow, Tua, Fitzpatrick and more.
The hopes of their respective franchises rise and fall with them, and as the final month of the regular season approaches, pressure mounts for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz and Baltimore Ravens counterpart Lamar Jackson.
On Sunday, the Eagles (3-6-1) fell to the Cleveland Browns and suffered their second consecutive loss at a time when they need to establish their positioning in the beleaguered NFC East.
Meanwhile, the Ravens (6-4) also squandered a prime opportunity after leading the Tennessee Titans in the fourth quarter before being beaten in overtime. Also on a two-game slide, Baltimore has fallen out of the playoff picture for now as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns stand ahead in the AFC North.
Each team has its own set of unique struggles, as do the quarterbacks. Wentz has fans calling for his job. Although firmly entrenched as Baltimore’s starter, Jackson is dealing with questions about his ability to defeat elite teams just one year after winning MVP.
The Eagles and Ravens both find themselves in sizable holes. Their ability to claw their way out will hinge on their quarterbacks’ abilities to rediscover the magic they once displayed. Wentz’s play this season has ranked among the more perplexing storylines of the season. The Eagles view Wentz, an MVP candidate just three seasons ago before a torn ACL prematurely ended his year, as one of the best young quarterbacks in the league and awarded him a four-year, $128 million extension in 2019.
However, Wentz has played the worst football of his career when the Eagles badly need him to mask the deficiencies of a battered line and depleted receiving corps.
He leads the league in two dubious categories: sacks (40) and turnovers (18). Although pass protection has been an issue, Wentz deserves a good deal of the blame, and many of his turnovers (14 interceptions, four fumbles) can be pinned on poor decision-making. Despite cries among the fan base for a change at quarterback, coach Doug Pederson insists that Wentz gives them a better chance to win than rookie Jalen Hurts does. However, to validate his coach’s loyalty, Wentz has to correct some bad habits that have worsened as the season has progressed.
Wentz fell into the trap of trying to do too much to compensate for deficiencies around him, leading him to force throws, gamble and make costly mistakes. His mechanics have also deteriorated. At times, he rushes rather than taking time to set his feet and deliver.
Wentz’s field vision appears to have gone south as well. He makes throws to predetermined locations rather than assessing coverages and adjusting accordingly, which is alarming for a quarterback in his fifth year.
There’s a saying among football coaches and players: “If you’re not getting better, then you’re getting worse.”
Jackson and the Ravens have embodied this quote amid their lack of development, which looks a lot like regression.
Jackson at least can count himself fortunate the Ravens own a winning record. But the quarterback and his team haven’t made the leap forward, and defenses seemingly have caught up to them.
With the Ravens having lost to likely playoff squads in the Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs, critics have declared that Jackson can’t lead Baltimore from behind or put good teams away.
Although this is a team problem, the third-year quarterback draws the most intense scrutiny.
Jackson is on pace to essentially equal his passing yardage total from a season ago, but his rushing and touchdown totals will fall well short of his 2019 production.
He has topped the 200-yard mark as a passer just four times this year after nine last season. He already has tied 2019’s interception total (six).
As a result, the Ravens’ offense no longer strikes fear into the hearts of opponents after losing its potency from a year ago. Baltimore is 24th in yards per game (343.9) and 12th in points per game (26.8) a year after ranking second in the former (407.6) and first in the latter (33.2).
Injuries along the offensive line and to running back Mark Ingram factor into the diminished impact. Another issue is related to the predictability of Baltimore’s offense.
The playbook hasn’t appeared to expand in Year 2 with Greg Roman as the play-caller. Jackson has lamented that defenders have at times called out the plays the Ravens intend to run. Too often, Baltimore telegraphs what it intends to do based on formation and personnel groupings.
But even so, this is where Jackson – unanimous league MVP last season described by many opponents as the most dangerous offensive player in the league – has to be better mentally and fundamentally.
For both Wentz and Jackson, the fates of their teams hinge on the quarterbacks’ abilities to recalibrate.