The Eagles are currently 5-5 and somehow still in the race for the NFC East, but concern over their lack of production is at an all-time high. Unfortunately, the receivers have been the Achilles heel for the offense, despite once being labeled its biggest strength, and now QB Carson Wentz has become the questionable target. Whether it’s national narratives involving Nick Foles, or fans pining for simpler times, the finger pointing for the team’s offensive struggles has slowly turned to the face of the franchise…but should it?
In 2017, Carson Wentz was on a tear, playing at a high level in every game. He threw for a franchise-record 33 touchdowns while averaging one in every 13.3 pass attempts. Since week 13 of that season, the tide has turned against Wentz and his remarkable QB play. He endured a lengthy recovery from an ACL tear, and even forced himself to get back early causing him to flare up with a stress fracture last season.
Now, the QB is as healthy as can be, but the struggles that plagued his play last year still remain…but how much of it is really on him? We’ve seen the Eagles struggle at staying healthy on offense. Whether it’s a receiver, running back or even tackle, nothing has been consistent for Wentz since that 2017 breakout, not even the coaching staff. G
Mike Groh has taken the reigns at offensive coordinator and has to be held accountable for a large portion of why this team is struggling.
The Eagles made three significant picks in this year’s draft in the opening two rounds. They went with LT Andre Dillard, who’s been a stud, RB Miles Sanders, who’s been a steal, and JJ Arcega-Whiteside, who’s been hidden in the shadows until last week. They may have drafted pieces that fit the mold of what the offense needed, but they failed to take into account what Carson Wentz really needed.
Take Russell Wilson for example. After Seattle’s Super Bowl loss to the Patriots, the young QB was under the most scrutiny by his own teammates. They questioned his leadership, his ability to play at the level he’s currently at and more. Now, Wilson is balling out of control and is in MVP form…but what’s the difference between him and Wentz?
The Eagles have watched their quarterback endure criticism from anonymous sources on several occasions as well as constant noise around the locker room, but minimal action has been taken to silence those echos.
With rumors of ‘Nelson Agholor’s burner account’ now taking social media by storm, is this really a culture in which a young quarterback can thrive?
Recently, Russell Wilson tweeted out something that made my hamster wheels spin. It was a video of him playing catch with his stepson while the caption said “My teammate and I putting in work during the BYE week! Every NFL Qb Knows it’s the receiver who makes him look good!” The first line isn’t the appeal here, but instead the second is what made me throw my hands in the air and yell, preach!
This season, Wilson has found his ace in speedster Tyler Lockett, who’s only 27-years-old. He’s even been able to rely on rookie D.K. Metcalf, who’s a huge target for the QB. They’ve even added the “disgruntled” Josh Gordon to the mix, a player the Eagles passed on.
While fans can debate that Foles worked with what he had, others can debate the Wentz has been given a limited offense due to the age of his playmakers and the lack of creativity by the offensive coaching staff.
The RB screen-plays have disappeared even after Sanders has shown what he can do with them. The deep threat element is non-existent due to the inability of tracking the ball by some receivers.
Despite all of this, Wentz has still only thrown 4 interceptions this season, with two of them coming in a game where he lost three of his four big receivers. He still has a QB rating of 91.4, that’s for all the rating lovers out there. As much as folks want to get on Went about him pressing, my only question to that is can you blame him? Would blame LeBron James for trying to take over a game to help his team win? No. So why blame the QB for trying to put his team in the best position to win?
Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
