Philadelphia Eagles Week 3 rookie review: Wentz, Smallwood dazzle
By Ryan Quigley
A pair Philadelphia Eagles rookies wowed the crowd Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
What a week for the Philadelphia Eagles‘ rookies. The Eagles faced their first real test Sunday when they took on the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field after dealing with subpar competition in Weeks 1 and 2.
Despite facing a possible Super Bowl contender, the Eagles rookies did not disappoint.
Next: Eagles take the early NFC East lead after Sunday’s win
Carson Wentz
I was hesitant to say this after his first two games, but after the beatdown he put on the Steelers, I feel totally comfortable saying that Carson Wentz is the real deal.
Once again, Wentz dazzled despite facing a stingy Steelers defense, showing terrific patience, ball skills and an uncanny ability to extend the play with his feet. Wentz finished the day completing 23 of his 31 passes for 301 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
If there is any proof that Wentz isn’t just an ordinary rookie quarterback, this is it.
https://twitter.com/nflnetwork/status/780167162971336705
With pressure in his face, Wentz effortlessly side-steps the pursuer and rolls to his right to buy time. Initially looking like a minimal gain on the ground, Wentz keeps his eyes downfield and finds an open Darren Sproles streaking down the sideline. Wentz hits Sproles right in stride with a beautiful touch throw, allowing the nifty playmaker to weave his way into the end zone for a 73-yard score.
That is not taught, folks. For the first time in what feels like a century, the Eagles have themselves a quarterback.
Wendell Smallwood
After a couple of quiet performances, Smallwood was far and away the Eagles’ best ground weapon Sunday, carrying the ball 17 times for 79 yards and a touchdown.
Smallwood’s most impressive run Sunday came on a 1st and 10 in the red zone. Smallwood took the handoff from Wentz, found the hole and burst through before spinning out of a would-be tackle from Sean Davis. Smallwood was stopped just one yard short of the end zone, which is a shame. That would’ve been quite an impressive way to get your first score in the NFL. Smallwood did end up getting his first touchdown a couple plays later, though.
It was a really good day for Smallwood. Considering Ryan Mathews’ peculiar absence for most of the game, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Smallwood get even more touches in the coming weeks.
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Jalen Mills
Sunday wasn’t a great day for the rookie cornerback selected in the seventh round of this year’s draft. According to Pro Football Focus, Mills was targeted 10 times and allowed nine completions for 146 yards against Pittsburgh.
Mills was tasked with dealing with one of the best receiving corps in the NFL, which isn’t ideal for a rookie playing in his third game. However, Mills really seemed to struggle more than you would expect. His worst moment came on a 3rd and 5 when he was torched by Sammie Coates for a 41-yard completion down the right sideline. Allowing that on any down is bad, but allowing it on a 3rd and long is dreadful. It’s a little surprising he wasn’t beaten for a touchdown.
Mills seems to lack the speed necessary to play on the outside. Despite the hype surrounding him during training camp, he is likely nothing more than a starting slot corner on a good day.