I'll admit, after Sam Bradford was traded to the Minnesota Vikings - I thought that the Philadelphia Eagles were the worst team in the NFL. Two weeks later, they are 2-0, and Carson Wentz is proving me wrong.
Wentz is their rookie quarterback. He was the second overall pick in the draft - with the Eagles giving up their future to the Browns to secure the chance to take him. It was seen as a risk - Wentz wasn't necessarily ready to play in the NFL yet. But the Eagles had Bradford, so Wentz would be afforded time to develop.
Then their plans changed.
Part of why the Browns traded away their pick to the Eagles was because they didn't rate Wentz. He started his first game in the NFL against Cleveland, and put them to the sword impressively, leading Philadelphia to a 29-10, throwing for 278 yards and two touchdowns.
It's @CJ_Wentz's 2nd career NFL game... And he's already throwing into triple coverage with ease. 😯 #PHIvsCHI https://t.co/XuqadjJVEC
— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2016
Then Wentz backed it up with another easy victory on the national stage on Monday Night Football. His stats don't show how well he played against the Bears. In fact, if it wasn't for very catchable drops by his receivers he'd be even more lauded. He outperformed Jay Cutler, leading the Eagles to a 29-14 win. He showed remarkable pocket presence, calm in the face of pressure, and a willingness to go through his reads. Wentz even made audible calls, and changed plays at the line of scrimmage before plays - something that isn't done with rookies.
NOPE. #PHIvsCHI pic.twitter.com/hOwkv6koHC
— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2016
It shows that Wentz is ready, he's smart, and he can learn. There are aspects of his play that he needs to improve - his willingness to throw his body into tackles isn't always a good thing for quarterbacks.
Had Wentz as No. 1 player in draft but wasn't without major hesitations. Those hesitations are quickly disappearing. This kid can flat play.
— Brian Billick (@CoachBillick) September 20, 2016
He hasn't made an interception or a fumble in his first two games after 71 passing attempts - Cowboys rookie Dak Prescott set an NFL record yesterday for 75 passing attempts through his first two NFL games without an interception. But Prescott lost his first game, which means that Wentz is the first rookie since 1970 to win his first two games without throwing a pick. So far he's only played the Browns and the Bears - things will be tougher against the Steelers in week three, but the signs are good.
Wentz could be the real deal, and thankfully - the NFL have a highlights package of all of his throws from the game:
From a fantasy point of view, he's not worth adding yet - but he gives value to the Eagles players. Nelson Agholor is getting targets; Jordan Matthews is worth a play as a second or third receiver.
For the Bears, this was a bad outing. Cutler got injured, their running game was a mess. If Alshon Jeffery wasn't in Chicago - this would be a full blown trainwreck.
You can check out the full highlights of the game here:
