It’s understandable why we want to apologize for Carson Wentz.
Wentz was a dynamic player for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 before a season-ending knee injury. He was one of the main contenders for the MVP job. Patrick Mahomes was still at Texas Tech and Wentz was seen as the future of the NFL. It’s hard to believe the player we saw early in his career has fallen. We would rather blame his lack of a supporting cast.
But Wentz’s game has fallen. We’ve heard all about how his offensive line is crumbling and his receivers are poor, but that doesn’t totally absolve Wentz of blame. He and the Eagles, who sort of led the NFC East to 3-6-1 after Week 11, face the Seattle Seahawks in a game that can be streamed live on the Yahoo Sports app.
Instead of Wentz and Russell Wilson headlining a fun Monday game, we can prepare for a night of analysis on what happened to Wentz. If that goes bad enough, we might even wonder if it’s time to see what rookie QB Jalen Hurts has to offer.
Carson Wentz is having a tough season
What’s frustrating about Wentz is that the talent he showed in 2017 still surfaces on occasion.
We could see him when he led a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in October with a reduced crew around him. It manifested again when Wentz played to bring the Eagles to a wild comeback victory over the New York Giants.
It’s not like Wentz has completely lost him. He always throws big. It’s just that the mistakes overshadow the highlights.
The loss to the Cleveland Browns was a case in point. Wentz held the ball too long and was hit on a pass that was intercepted and sent back for a six pick. He took a sack in the end zone for safety. When the Eagles had some life in the dying minutes, Wentz threw another interception deep into Browns territory. And that came with the Eagles being as healthy as any NFL team at Week 11. There was no good excuse for his game this time around.
Wentz has 14 interceptions. He took 40 sacks, and it’s not entirely the offensive line’s fault. He leads the NFL with 10 fumbles, losing four.
It’s no wonder Eagles fans are impatient and wanting a change.
Many Philly fans want Wentz to be benched
ABC 6 in Philadelphia released a poll this week: Should Carson Wentz be benched? Of those who responded, 89% said yes. Imagine seeing this in 2017.
The Eagles held off against Wentz bench. It must be hard. Partly because Wentz has these great games for short periods of time. But it’s also hard to admit that Wentz, once considered an elite NFL quarterback, may not be the guy anymore.
“I think if you get to that place, where you don’t start it, or put it on the bench, you’re sending the wrong message to your football team. That the season is over. That’s a bad message, ”Eagles coach Doug Pederson said via the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Eagles invited those questions when they weirdly drafted the Hurts in the second round. It shouldn’t be surprising that people want to see what Hurts can do with struggling Wentz.
Philly will continue with Wentz, at least for the time being. That won’t stop anyone from speculating on his benching if the turnovers continue. It’s just a matter of how close Pederson is to losing patience and making the change that most Eagles fans seem to want.
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