Wentz Continues to Carry the Eagles on Late-Season Run

by Marc Narducci; Photo Marc Narducci | Dec 25, 2019

Carson Wentz has picked an opportune time to be playing some of the best football in his career. While Wentz may not be up to his 2017 level, when he would have likely been named the MVP had he not suffered a season-ending injury, he has been clutch when the Eagles needed it the most.

After the debacle of a loss in Miami, where Wentz threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns, he has been both highly efficient when the Eagles had no margin for error.

The Eagles have won three in a row and the skeptics may say that none have come over a team with a current winning record, but that isn’t Wentz’s fault.

The 17-9 win over Dallas, puts the Eagles one game away from earning a third straight playoff berth.

In the first two wins over the New York Giants and Washington Redskins, Wentz led the Eagles to four quarter comebacks. Against Dallas, he had a mistake-free game (although he did recover one of his own fumbles).

Here are Wentz’s three performances in the last three Eagles wins:

23-17 OT W NY Giants: 33-50 passing, 325 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT, 97.5 passer rating

33-23 W at Washington: 30-43 passing, 266 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT, 109.3 passer rating

17-9 W Dallas: 31-40 passing, 319 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 108.2 passer rating.

In the three games the Eagles needed Wentz threw six touchdown passes and no interceptions. One can see his confidence growing each week.

The dialogue before the game was that Dallas QB Dak Prescott was better than Wentz. We don’t see it and as stated last week, Prescott doesn’t elevate his teammates. Yes, Dallas had six drops against the Eagles, but Prescott also missed some key throws.

The Prescott-Wentz debate will likely go on for years, but from this vantage point, Wentz is the clear winner.

Now the Eagles have to finish their business when they visit the New York Giants in Sunday’s 4:25 p.m. game.

The scenario is simple. If the Eagles win, they are in the playoffs. The only other way they can get in is if they lose but the Cowboys also lose to the Washington Redskins.

The Giants may be 4-11, but they won’t be a pushover if the last game is an example. Plus New York is coming off a 41-35 overtime win at Washington.

Rookie Daniel Jones, who missed the Eagles game due to injury, completed 28 of 42 for 352 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions against the Redskins. He had a 132.1 passer rating.

Granted, it was against a weak Redskins defense, but it was impressive nevertheless.

The Giants feel that Jones is indeed a quarterback to hitch their wagon on and they very well could be right.

But Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has a way of confusing young quarterbacks, so we will see how that goes.

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Either way, knowing the way things have been for the Eagles, Sunday won’t be easy against the Giants. Then again, if Wentz continues his late-season surge, then the Giants also could be in for a long late-afternoon.

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Author: Marc Narducci; Photo by Marc Narducci

Wentz Continues to Carry the Eagles on Late-Season Run

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