Carson Wentz tries to save season, and maybe keep his job, as Eagles face Seahawks on Yahoo Sports app
It’s understandable why we want to make excuses for Carson Wentz.
Wentz was a dynamic player for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 before a season-ending knee injury. He was a leading candidate for MVP. Patrick Mahomes was still at Texas Tech, and Wentz was considered the future of the NFL. It’s hard to believe the player we saw early in his career has fallen off. We’d rather blame his lack of a supporting cast.
But Wentz’s play has fallen off. We’ve heard all about how his offensive line is in shambles and his receivers are subpar, but that doesn’t totally absolve Wentz of blame. He and the Eagles, who somehow led the NFC East at 3-6-1 after Week 11, face the Seattle Seahawks in a game that can be live-streamed on the Yahoo Sports app.
Instead of Wentz and Russell Wilson headlining a fun Monday game, we can prepare for a night of analysis over what has happened to Wentz. If it goes bad enough, we might even wonder if it’s time to see what rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts has to offer.
Carson Wentz is having a rough season
The frustrating thing about Wentz is that the talent he showed in 2017 still bubbles up to the surface on occasion.
We could see it when he led an upset of the San Francisco 49ers in October with a skeleton crew around him. It showed up again when Wentz made plays to lift the Eagles to a wild comeback win over the New York Giants.
It’s not like Wentz has completely lost it. He still makes big-time throws. It’s just that the mistakes overshadow the highlights.
The loss against the Cleveland Browns was a good example. Wentz held the ball too long, and was hit on a pass that was intercepted and returned for a pick six. He took a sack in the end zone for a safety. When the Eagles had some life left in the final minutes, Wentz threw another interception deep in Browns territory. And that came with the Eagles being as healthy as any NFL team is by Week 11. There weren’t any great excuses for his play this time.
Wentz has 14 interceptions. He has taken 40 sacks, and that’s not all the offensive line’s fault. He leads the NFL with 10 fumbles, losing four.
It’s no wonder why Eagles fans are getting impatient and want a change.
Many Philly fans want Wentz benched
ABC 6 in Philadelphia posted a poll this week: Should Carson Wentz be benched? Of the people who responded, 89 percent said yes. Imagine seeing that in 2017.
The Eagles have resisted benching Wentz. It has to be hard. Partially because Wentz has those great plays in short stretches. But it’s also tough to admit that Wentz, once viewed as an elite NFL quarterback, might not be the guy anymore.
“I think, if you get to that spot, where you don’t start him, or you bench him, you’re sending the wrong message to your football team. That the season’s over. That’s a bad message,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said, via the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Eagles invited these questions when they strangely drafted Hurts in the second round. It shouldn’t be a surprise that people want to see what Hurts can do with Wentz struggling.
Philly will keep going with Wentz, at least for now. It won’t stop anyone from speculating about him being benched if the turnovers keep coming. 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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