Justifying the Blameworthiness of Carson Wentz
Carson Wentz’s massive four-year, $128 million contract extension is still fresh as a daisy, which makes Philadelphia Eagles fans all the more anxious about the team’s recent spending spree.
Coming into the 2019-2020 NFL season, the Eagles were pegged by Bleacher Report as favorites to win the NFC East. In the post-Nick Foles era, the team still seemed to have the most experience and most balanced roster in the division. However, with more than 10 games in, it looks as though “The Iggles” are crashing down. And much of this is due to Wentz.
So far, Carson Wentz is 22nd in the NFL’s passer rating, 27th in yards per pass attempt, on top of fumbling the ball eight times — losing five possessions in the process. It’s not surprising then that our very own Jesse Giuffrida suggested to fans who are off the bandwagon to not “ever come back.” This poor run of performances shouldn’t sit well for a team and a loyal fan base that was supposed to be celebrating instead of contemplating and analyzing 6 losses against 5 wins.
And Wentz should be careful not to get on the wrong side of the fans, as no one will forget the events of 1968 when the Eagles fans famously threw snowballs and booed Santa Claus off the field. The ‘NFL 2019 Team Guide’ by Ladbrokes noted how this event reinforced our notoriety as the most loyal and hostile fans in the league. A little over five decades have passed, and yet here we are again, this time voicing out our displeasure against our top quarterback, a guy who we once viewed as our franchise’s savior.
Now to put these frustrations in perspective, Carson Wentz scored 116 on his adjusted passer rating index in both his second and third NFL season (100 was the league average back then), which is an impressive feat especially that early in his career. He became only the 13th quarterback since the AFL-NFL merger to exceed 110 in career years two and three. It’s safe to say Wentz is in elite company, as most of these QBs made multiple Pro Bowl appearances after their junior year.
Today, in his fourth season, this important stat dips at 97 just below the league average, as does his unadjusted passer rating of 89.6 so far. Furthermore, we see how these struggles are within areas of his control, exemplified by his seeming unwillingness to make quick, short pass completions to open receivers. NBC Sports reported that Eagles head coach Doug Pederson planned to use J.J. Arcega-Whiteside more, as the rookie has been delivering and gaining more confidence over the last couple of games compared to Mack Hollins. Presumably, JJAW’s expanded role will be to serve as a back up to Nelson Agholor, Alshon Jeffery, and Greg Ward, as well as be a target for a couple of spots. If the Eagles plan and play this correctly, then hopefully Carson Wentz can bump his numbers up over the coming games.
We have a few more weeks left before the start of the NFL Playoffs, and to be honest, things aren’t looking that great in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. The good news though is that while the team had the league’s fifth toughest schedule at the start of the season, we now only have the Miami Dolphins, the Washington Redskins, and the New York Giants to deal with — all of whom the Eagles should be able to beat.
The pressure is on as Carson Wentz has three more weeks left to prove that he can bring us another Super Bowl ring.
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Categorized:Eagles