Examining this Philadelphia Eagles sinking ship on overreaction Monday
By Ben Swanger
Carson Wentz has been a liability for the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Philadelphia Eagles undoubtedly trust Carson Wentz, but trust, which is hard to come by in the NFL, can be fleeting.
It’s no secret that Wentz has had an atrocious start to the 2020 campaign, but the fifth-year quarterback can’t shoulder all the blame. He surely can shoulder a healthy portion of it though.
Wentz flashed in Week 1, but a week later versus the Rams, Wentz failed to show us anything. Sure, he found some rhythm to start the game versus Washington, but against L.A., even with the better protection that we said he needed, a relatively clean pocket for most of the afternoon in Week 2, and a healthy supporting cast around him, Wentz showed flashes of what we’d see from a rookie quarterback.
Wentz and company pieced together their best drive of the game early in the third quarter. Down five points, the Eagles were nearing the end zone, but Wentz executed the boneheaded play of the weekend. As if tossing the rock in J.J. Arcega-Whiteside’s direction isn’t bad enough, he threw late and into double coverage. The wind left the sails, and the Eagles never had a chance after that. The momentum was stolen by the Rams, and Sean McVay throttled his way to a second win.
Why did Wentz make that throw? It’s simple. He’s trying to do too much. He trusts his arm far too much. He overestimates his talent and underestimates what the opposing team’s secondaries are capable of. It seems Wentz still thinks he’s back in Fargo playing teams like Western Illinois and Indiana State where he could roll out of bed and dominate.
Trust is fleeting in the NFL, especially when a second-round quarterback is in the terminal waiting to take off. Wentz has five turnovers to just two passing touchdowns through two games. He once had a fumbling issue, now Wentz has both a fumbling issue and an interception issue. One more disappointing week out of Wentz and don’t be surprised if Jalen Hurts whispers begin to arise.