What is Wrong with Carson Wentz?
Carson Wentz is far from the only reason the Eagles are 0-2 this season, but it is fair to say he is one of the biggest reasons.
He currently leads the NFL in turnovers and posted the league’s second-worst passer rating in a Week 2 loss to the LA Rams. He has been inaccurate, made poor decisions, turned the ball over in bad situations, and has not used his legs much if at all this season.
So, it’s absolutely fair for Eagles’ fans to ask, what the hell is wrong with #11.
Doug has placed some blame on the awkward offseason, no preseason games, and lack of reps throughout the summer. Personally, I think that is a bad answer from the head coach because we are seeing many other quarterbacks throughout the league thriving early on and not just the Mahomes and Jacksons of the league but also Josh Allen, Derek Carr and as we saw Sunday, Jared Goff. The scoring average in the league through two weeks is significantly higher than last year’s scoring average and the Eagles have yet to break 20 points. Another commonplace to lay blame, especially after week 1 is the offensive line. Not anymore, the offensive line didn’t allow a sack on Sunday and held Aaron Donald to only one tackle all day.
While Wentz was pressured a few times, the hits did not come as frequently or as vicious as they did in week 1 and we saw a ton of improvement from the offensive line (who lost Seumalo because why wouldn’t they?).
At the end of last year, it was easy to point to the lack of weapons as a real reason for some of Wentz’s struggles but this year they appear to have a much more reliable receiving corps to go along with the tight end duo or Ertz and Goedert as well as Miles Sanders out of the backfield. While the jury is still out on guys like Reagor and Hightower, blaming the weapons should be minimized so far this season.
So, what’s going on with Wentz? I think it boils down to three factors, the play calling, Carson’s mechanics, and his “make a play *in the pocket* mentality.”
I do not think Doug Pederson had a good game on Sunday at all. While the Eagles ran the ball more effectively than week 1, rushing for 121 yards, the play-calling seemed choppy all day. In week 1 the Eagles took 8 deep shots (20+yard throws) but in week 2 they only attempted 2 deep shots. The goal may have been to get the ball out of Wentz’s hands quicker, but it takes away the advantage the Eagles worked all offseason to acquire which is speed to stretch the defense.
The next factor in Wentz’s play has been his mechanics. Wentz has been inaccurate in his first two games this season and a majority of his inaccuracies have been high throws. If you look at his misses, his left knee is straight and locked. He has no bend in his lead knee and therefore cannot follow through on his throws causing them to sail. Clearly, this isn’t always the case because he has made some great throws this year, but a fifth-year quarterback should not be experiencing the mechanical inconsistencies that Wentz has shown in weeks 1 and 2.
Dan Orlovsky puts it simply in this tweet with a good break down as well, Straight-bad. Bent-good.
The last factor is what I’m calling his “make a play *in the pocket* mentality.” Wentz has always displayed the ability to make great plays out of bad situations, make defenders miss, and make throws that wow everyone. This season, however, he seems determined to make these plays from the pocket. He hasn’t used his legs to get out of trouble, make throws on the run, or even just use his legs to pick up yards. Instead, he is holding on to the ball in the pocket and trying to force plays that aren’t there. His lack of mobility and desire to make plays has Wentz pressing and has led to sacks, fumbles, and game-changing interceptions (i.e. the end zone interception intended for JJAW).
The positive about these three factors leading to a poor start for Wentz and the Eagles is all three are fixable.
Doug Pederson is a good offensive coach that should be able to get rolling once he understands what he actually has in his weapons. Not preseason probably has factored into this a little bit but a week 3 game against Cincinnati should help. Carson has displayed this season that he can make great throws and has smooth mechanics, it is important that he quickly becomes more consistent with his delivery. And lastly, he has to trust himself and the offense. He should know by year five that a throwaway is sometimes the best play because it lets your offense live another play in a reasonable position. He also has to use his legs to his advantage and be mobile in and outside of the pocket.
Again, Wentz is just one of many problems the Eagles have so far this season but he needs to be better in order for the Eagles to bounce back and have a successful season.
Featured Image: Yong Kim/Philadelphia Inquirer
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