Speechless. A wave of silence almost drowns the City of Brotherly Love. What does a fan feel in such a juxtaposed moment? The thrill of clinching the NFC East? The ecstasy of securing a playoff birth? Or how about the sheer fear of watching a franchise quarterback limp off the field after his knees buckled? What about the heart and soul of the team being ripped out deep into the heart of the most physical and important game of the season?
The mood is somber. Carson Wentz was back to his surgical ways this afternoon. Other than a pass that was ripped from the chest of Nelson Agholor and intercepted, Wentz was nearly perfect. Slinging 4 touchdown passes and throwing for 291 yards, the pride of North Dakota State was magical. His footwork was the best its been all year and despite a few overthrows, the Eagles quarterback went toe-to-toe with Jared Goff and a defense that was intent on punishing the Birds…that was until this happened.
The Carson Wentz injury update from Erin Andrews seems less than ideal… #FlyEaglesFly #NFL https://t.co/ZDuVkBv5iN
— Joshua Sánchez (@jnsanchez) December 11, 2017
Silence. Nobody knew where to look. Nobody knew what to say. Carson Wentz got right back up and threw a touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery…but moments later he headed to the locker room. Nick Foles would enter the game. The Eagles couldn’t afford to mourn the loss of their quarterback, there was a game to be won.
Foles would lead the Eagles to victory. Huge catches from Nelson Agholor and Alshon Jeffery were supported by an emerging run game and a ferocious defense late on, with the team playing to avenge their fallen leader. The Eagles are NFC East champions…but none of it matters. None of it matters without the man who has thrown 34 touchdowns this year, a single-season franchise record. None of it matters without the quarterback who can turn a negative play into a touchdown with athleticism that you simply don’t see from any other player.
It’s not yet known what the extent of the injury is, although Adam Schefter has reported that the Eagles are fearing a torn ACL. If that’s the case, all of this work, all of this progress, all of this hope…it all gets pushed onto the shoulders of Nick Foles. A quarterback who has been to the playoffs before with this team…and a quarterback who has also set franchise records with this team,
But it feels empty. If Wentz is sidelined, the season loses meaning in a sense. Just like this time one year ago, when Derek Carr was having an MVP season and leading his Oakland team back into the spotlight…when a freak tackle left his leg broken, and the quarterback panicking out on the field with the mindset his season would be over.
If Carson Wentz really is out for the rest of the season, the Eagles enter a complete unknown. It is after all why they pay Foles so much money, but how far into the postseason can they go? This team has shocked and proved people wrong every single week this season, but now they’ll be expected to do the same without the man who propelled them to a dominant 11-2 record to begin with.
There was SO much to talk about in this game too. The strange running back conundrum, the bizarre disappearance of secure tackling, some questionable play-calls, the return of Torrey Smith. But all of that suddenly loses meaning. Carson Wentz is the heartbeat of Philadelphia. Until the severity of the injury is known, the city is sleeping with one deep breath and one eye open.
Mandatory Photo Credit: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
