It’s Carson Wentz’s Team, but It’s Jalen Hurts’ Show
“You know, I’m going to enjoy this one, I’m going to go home, relax, be with my family tonight and enjoy this win and get ready for the week,” said Doug Pederson as he declined to name a starter for next Sunday’s contest against the Arizona Cardinals.
Which was odd given the performance Hurts had just delivered. 273 total yards; including 106 on the ground, a touchdown, and a massive upset over a Saints team coming off nine straight wins.
Of course, by that point reports had already begun circulating that Hurts would not only be in line for a second start but could be the guy for the remainder of the season.
What’s interesting about this sequence was his reluctance to send an extensive amount of praise in the direction of Hurts. Here is Pederson after the win against the Saints
“It took everybody in uniform to win this game, not just one guy, and I’m going to repeat myself again that it takes a village to get this stuff done. Jalen was a part of it, yes, but it took a team effort to win, honestly.”
Pretty astonishing when you think about it. This is the same Doug Pederson who couldn’t stop drooling over the play of Carson Wentz after his first career game against the Cleveland Browns back in 2016. One could make the argument that then it was a case of a first-year head coach watching his franchise quarterback perform well enough to come away with what was the first professional win of either of their careers.
While in this instance, you see a coach giving a conservative answer. An answer that looked to complement the play of his first-year quarterback in his first start, while protecting any semblance of a relationship left with his franchise quarterback.
Pederson was asked about the possibilities of Wentz causing him to modify his word choice.
“Yeah, you know I was thinking of a lot of things quite honestly. I was thinking of Carson, but I was also thinking about the rest of the team and how the rest of the team played in the game. After looking at the film again today, Jalen played well. He was a big part of the success we had on offense and obviously helping us win that football game. But there were a lot of other great individual performances on both sides of the ball. I think of Miles Sanders; I think of Josh Sweat and Javon Hargrave. You know Fletcher Cox had a big game, big sack. We had two defensive takeaways in the game, you know? So there were a lot of positives coming out of the football game and I just didn’t want to say it was all about one guy. You guys know me and my answers, I’ve always been about the team, and really that was a team win yesterday.”
Which sounds about right given the response of players in the locker room since the quarterback switch. While veterans such as Miles Sanders, Jason Kelce, and Fletcher Cox (who went to the extent of calling Wentz his best friend on the team) have acknowledged the sentiment that it’s sad to see Wentz in this position given the role everyone has played in this season. As Kelce has made clear, the season is far from over, the division is still insight, and the draft position is not a priority. Which makes it understandable to all parties exactly why Jalen Hurts was inserted into the starting line up.
A “spark” is what Doug Pederson declared it, something to get the team going. A spark that obviously worked as Hurts was able to lead the Eagles to their best offensive performance of the season. That word spark seems infectious amongst the Novacare Complex, as everyone seems to use the word when describing the rookie quarterback.
Including Miles Sanders during an interview on NFL Network, when asked about the impact Hurts has had on his game and the improvement of the team.
The locker room has raved about the ‘natural leadership’ Hurts has, despite him being a rookie.
He has command of the huddle, is making smart and decisive decisions, and has bought a much-needed sense of life to the offense.
Something that has impressed head coach Doug Pederson.
Despite being relegated to the backup, Carson Wentz has continued to show his worth to the team.
Whether it’s helping prepare Jalen Hurts or serving as the scout team quarterback; something Pederson recently discussed.
Wentz has taken an initiative to try to help the team in any way possible.
“He’s done really well. It’s exciting, actually, to watch him because you see him doing the things that when it’s 7-on-7 or team drills or whatever it might be, just how he’s out there just kind of running, and I wanna say a little carefree when you’re on the service team or the scout team. But he’s been doing a real good job. He’s really taken that and really working with some of the younger guys. We obviously present the picture to the defense and he’s able to coach up even the younger guys based on what they’re seeing on the card from a route standpoint or a protection standpoint or whatever it might be. But he’s done a really nice job there.”
Though the playoffs may be a long shot, playing in the NFC East they certainly aren’t out of reach.
In fact, it’s possible the Eagles could lose against the Cardinals and Hurts could still lead Philadelphia to their second NFC East championship in as many years.
Week 15
- Eagles lose to Cardinals
- Football Team lose to Seahawks
- Giants lose to Browns
Week 16
- Eagles defeat Cowboys
- Football Team lose to the Panthers
- Giants lose to Ravens
Week 17
- Eagles defeat Football Team
- Giants defeat Cowboys
However the season finishes, Philadelphia will have massive questions on their hands. Should they move on from Carson Wentz, and continue with Hurts and Pederson? Do they believe Hurts could possibly be the answer? Should they ship Hurts to the highest bidder, fire Pederson, and find someone to help ‘fix’ Wentz? Or, do they think the situation between Carson Wentz and Doug Pederson is salvageable?
Though maybe this quote from Pederson is something to consider when thinking about a possible solution to this problem.
“You’re absolutely right. We are married to this. It’s something I pride myself on. He [Wentz] and I are definitely in a situation we’ve got to work ourselves out of. My job is to help him and to help him improve and get better, to help this football team win. My job is also to take a look at the big picture, too, and look at the entire football team. Those are all things I’ve got to consider as we move forward.” – Doug Pederson
It’s building up to be an interesting off-season in Philadelphia.
Featured Images: Stacy Revere/Getty Images
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Categorized:Eagles