The Philadelphia Eagles best decision was not made on Draft Day when they selected Carson Wentz. It was made when they took the phone call and agreed to trade Sam Bradford to the Minnesota Vikings.
That decision opened the door for what we have seen so far this season for the 2-0 Eagles. Say what you want about the competition in regards to the Browns and the Bears but NFL players are still NFL players. Wentz made me a believer Monday night during the first drive for the Eagles.
Doug Pederson decided he was going to show the Bears, the fans, and all the world that his QB was the real deal. The Eagles came out in a no-huddle, hurry up offense to open the game. The backfield was empty and Wentz was changing plays on the fly, looking every bit of Peyton Manning. The only thing missing was “Omaha”.
The Eagles netted only three points that drive but the stage was set for his first MNF game and he did not disappoint. His total stats were not as impressive as his debut against the Browns but he showed poise and toughness as the Bears defenders tried their best to rattle the young signal caller. He took hits, ran for extra yardage and displayed one of the best touches on a few passes that I’ve seen in years. This kid is a player.
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Wentz completed 21 of 34 passes for 190 yards and one touchdown but it’s what he didn’t do again that proved to be satisfying. There were no picks or turnovers, the staple of a winning QB in this league. Most young QBs get happy feet when they feel the pressure closing in but Wentz looked like a 10-year vet as he stepped up or hit the corner to gain a few extra yards.
You can see the extra bounce the players have when this season, that’s due to the unknown of where the ball is going. For teams like the Giants and Cowboys, you know it’s Dez Bryant and Odell Beckham but for the Eagles, its spread around. Seven different Eagles players caught a pass from Wentz as he managed to keep the defense off-balance all night.
With Wentz opening up the game in the shotgun formation it made the defense play the pass which in turn set up the run. The Eagles ran the ball 32 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns. This is the production the Eagles wanted from their young QB. The same production they knew they weren’t going to get from either Bradford or Chase Daniel.