Gone To Far(ve)
“I can relate to kids going straight to the league. When they recognize that you got what it takes to succeed and that’s around the time that your idols become your rivals. You make friends with Mike, but got to A.I. him for your survival
Damn, I swear sports and music are so synonymous…”- Drake (Thank Me Now)
I’m not quite sure if Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz listens to rap music or how fond he is of the popular, award-winning, Canadian artist Drake. However, this one verse that Wentz can certainly relate to. Criticism is something that Carson Wentz is no stranger too. It doesn’t take much if any time to find discussions surrounding the fifth year man out of North Dakota State. Scrolling down the timeline?
Then surely it’s no way you haven’t seen the trending post that began to make waves shortly after the Eagles playoff loss to Seattle in January
Or you’ve turned on the television looking to watch some sports content and how convenient you run into this
All that is fine but nothing to turn your head about if you’re Carson Wentz. Everyone has their own opinion, right? Yeah, well remember that sentiment. It’ll come in handy in just a second. Though the thought of benching Carson Wentz is preposterous, to say the least, the criticism Wentz has received this year is highly justified. Refusal to throw the ball away, taking untimely sacks, missing on routine throws, and just horrific decision making.
All this inconsistency head led to an unnamed offensive coordinator who recently said he believes “there isn’t anybody holding him [Wentz] accountable.”
Even former Eagles running Brian Westbrook sort of echoed the same thing in a recent interview.
Despite the general public’s perception of Wentz deteriorating, Wentz has said he has the utmost confidence in himself to return to form.
Realizing he has to cut down on the turnovers but emphasizing how he will continue to extend plays for as long as he can;
Of course, this isn’t the first time Wentz hasn’t played well, but it has never gotten this bad. The worst part about all of this? Well, the criticism isn’t wrong, in fact, Wentz knows he deserves it. It seems as if Wentz has taken a massive regression, considering he currently ranks at or near the bottom of the league in many statistical categories including leading the league in interceptions (12) and 31st in completion percentage. Still, as a franchise quarterback, you are taught to have a short term memory and to block out the noise
Well that’s all until your favorite player in the history of the game, the man you mirrored your game after, and someone so close yet so far away from the franchise says the exact same thing.
Of course, when asked about it Wentz says he hadn’t heard what Farve had to say but this is a guy that Wentz admittedly has a lot of respect for.
Here’s a quote from Wentz when asked about Farve during a conference call just days after he was drafted back in 2016.
Q. How do you feel about those Brett Favre comparisons? Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said you remind him a little bit of Brett Favre, that gunslinger-type mentality.
Wentz: It’s pretty unbelievable. Growing up, Favre has always been my favorite guy to watch, just his mentality, the way he played the game, the way he approached the game, he had fun with it, his grittiness, hard-working attitude. I just loved everything about watching him play and being compared — obviously I’ve got a long way to go, but it’s pretty cool hearing that.
Initially, it comes off as no big deal because well, who is Brett Farve? No disrespect to one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game but he has never played for, coaches for, or has been anywhere near the Eagles organization. Though when you take into account the relationship Farve has with Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, it helps create speculation.
Such as why Pederson waited until the third time he was asked to give a vote of confidence to Wentz?
“Carson’s our guy. Carson was our draft pick. Carson’s the guy that is going to carry us and lead this football team. And, listen, everybody’s entitled to their own opinion. Those aren’t my words, those aren’t Howie’s words, Jeffrey’s words. Those are his words. I respect that opinion. Whatever he wants to say, that’s fine, and we’re going to remain friends. It doesn’t bother me one way or the other. All I know is that Carson is our guy, and it’s my job to get Carson Wentz to play better, to do better, to help this football team win as it is to get everybody else to play better. Again, I respect his opinion and his words. Those aren’t mine. Please don’t put words in my mouth or we’re going to have a problem. Carson’s our guy. Bottom line. End of story.”
Photo: Morry Gash/ Associated Press
See Pederson spent several seasons in Green Bay as Farve’s backup. Which led to the two creating a great relationship both on and off the field.
“When Doug was with me, I hate to say he was a lot like a coach, but he was. Very instinctive. He thought the way I thought. He knew me. He knew what I was thinking, and he was able to relay that to the coach, or the play-caller. Not a lot of the backup QBs have the headset on, but I wanted him talking to the coach. He’d tell the play-caller, Mike [Holmgren] or Sherm [Lewis, offensive coordinator] or Mike [Sherman, a Holmgren successor], ‘Think checkdown.’ Or, ‘Third-and-three, expect this.’ He was right so often. Some quarterbacks don’t want anything in their ear but the play. I did. I would say, ‘Make sure to give me reminders.’ So he’d say, ‘Hey, Merton Hanks likes to come from the weak side here,’ or ‘Brad Culpepper is tilted on the nose here—be careful for the weakside blitz.’ He just knew how I thought.
Off the field, just as much. We RAN to the golf course. We RAN off to hunt. Not that anyone ever wants to hear the news their father died, but Doug, it was almost like the good Lord was looking out for me by who he placed with me at one of the worst times of my life.” – Brett Farve
Given his relationship with Farve, Pederson should have known that this question was coming and the implications his answer to it would have.
So when you hear your head coach respond by saying:
“I respect Brett’s opinion. We are friends, but I haven’t talked to him and he’s entitled to that and that’s about it.”
While it an indictment against Wentz, it doesn’t come off as exactly the vote of confidence you’d like to hear either, given Wentz’s recent performance. How Pederson handled this was sort of reminiscent to the Jim Schwartz fiasco during the off-season, in which he was asked would Schwartz be returning to his defensive coordinator position.
Of course, Pederson didn’t give a straight answer then and didn’t give one now. Which you could generally guess how both turned out. Has this situation been blown out of proportion? Probably. In fact, you can make the argument that this situation is more confusing than anything.
This is Pederson to Farve back in 2016 after the Eagles drafted Wentz:
Brett, watching you play and being with you for eight years in Green Bay, this kid has some of the same instincts — and I’ve said this to people — that you had. Eyes are always downfield, you’re looking for that big play, the home-run play, the broken play. And he’s got that in him and that’s something that’s very special. And you can’t teach that. That’s an instinct that a lot of people don’t have and we’re fortunate that our guy has it
And well, he isn’t lying. When you think about Brett Farve what’s some of the things that come to mind? Crafty, instinctive with the ball, always extending the play looking to pull a rabbit out of his hat. At times attempting passes that are ignorant and downright inexplicable but can you really complain when he’s made a career out of doing the unimaginable? Hmmm sounds like someone we know.
It makes you wonder just how could Farve be so critical of just an exact replica himself? Could it be the turnovers? Talk about throwing stones when you live in a glass house; Farve 336 career interceptions (most in league history). Maybe it’s the injuries? While by no means is Wentz the iron man that Farve was (270 consecutive games started; 321 including playoffs) but he’s played in 64 of a possible 72 career contest and has currently started 24 consecutive games. It’s a start, right? Maybe it comes down to the inconsistent production between Wentz and Pederson who are 17-17-1 in games together over the last three seasons.
Either way, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion right?
Featured Image: Chris Szagola/Associated Press
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.