Philly Fans React to Wentz in Indy
When I saw this trade go through today, I wasn't shocked. I am an avid listener to the Pat McAfee show, and Pat and the boys have been saying for weeks that this would happen. I debated blogging on this topic, I'm not much of an expert on NFL football outside of the AFC North, however I do live in Pennsylvania and have quite a few friends that are Eagles faithful. Growing up where I did, it wasn't weird to see Donavon McNabb and TO jerseys in the hallway at school. I can also distinctly remember being at my friend Jimmy's barn parties in a drunken stuper, listening to friends chant E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES during the 2008-10 playoff runs. With that being said, I trust my friends, and value their opinions, so lets read what they think, and I will chime in with my opinion at the end.
I asked 5 of my closest Eagle loving buddies, and all but one of them seemed pissed off by the way that the Eagles organization handled 2017 MVP runner up Carson Wentz.
Here are a few direct quotes when I asked the question, "What is your take on Wentz to Indy?"
"I'm Pissed"
"I hated the way the Eagles handled him"
"Wentz is a Pro Bowl caliber QB"
"Much like Andy Reid, he will be extremely successful outside of Philly"
"Love to see it. I'm happy for him."
"Wentz was uncoachable."
"Good Riddance."
Coming from the "City of Brotherly Love", I'm not surprised that reactions were mostly positive, for Wentz that is. Executive VP of the Eagles, Howie Roseman, did not not get much praise. In my "research", he was called "a weasel", "Scumbag", and "dumbass" by three different people. Yikes.
I do think Wentz fell victim to circumstance when he was on his MVP run in 2017, when he tore his ACL, which ended his season. For a former FCS quarterback, the kid looked good. He had an accurate arm as well as some weapons around him. His connection with Zach Ertz was Brady/Gronk like, and he also had some nice weapons on the outside. LeGarrette Blount and Jay Ajayi were a great "thunder and lightening" tandem in the backfield, and the big uglies up front were looking solid.
Oh how fast things can change in the NFL. You know the story, insert "Big Dick" Nick Foles. To make a long story short, he came in when Wentz went down and set the world on fire. He went on to lead the Eagles through the playoffs, and ultimately beat Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. "Philly, Philly" He was awarded Super Bowl MVP honors, and a statue in Philadelphia.
I can't help but chuckle, a fucking statue!!! Tom Brady doesn't even have a statue in New England and he brought them 6 rings.
Now to my analysis. I will first add, I am not a professional quarterback, but I was a Pee Wee Midget champion quarterback and led my Junior High and JV teams to undefeated seasons. After that I grew 5 inches, gained 60 pounds, and jumped a one-way flight to lining up in the trenches. I say that to say this, I'm no expert, but I don't think you need to be one to see what's going on here.
Carson Wentz started off with a bang, some would probably say he peaked too early. However, this wasn't all of his fault. No one could have predicted Fole's run, and from that point forward, Wentz played with immense pressure under a huge shadow. Here are his stats from 2017, followed by his stats from 2020.
2017
13 games 265/440 60% 3296 yards passing 7.5 yards per 33td 7int 5 fumbles
2020
12 games 251/437 57% 2620 yards passing 6 yards per 16td 15int 3 fumbles
Besides the obvious touchdown difference, his stats were pretty similar. However, there is one BIG difference, Wentz accounted for 12 turnovers in 2017, while bumping it up to 18 in 2020, this while playing one less game. 15 of those came as interceptions. That hurts. A rookie fumbling the ball 5 times, hurts much less than a veteran, franchise quarterback, throwing 15 picks in 12 games.
So, do I believe that Wentz caved in to the pressure? Did the knee injury effect his pocket presence, explaining the shorter passes and more turnovers through the air? Was Wentz's time up in Philly?
Yes, Yes, and Yes.
Eagles fans, the good news is, you have Jalen Hurts. He will win some football games. Carson Wentz and Indianapolis Colts fans, there's still hope. Let me tell you why I know, because I've seen it all before.
Once upon a time, another red bearded man by the name of Carson broke my heart, along with many other Bengals fans. I will not tell much of this story, it hurts too much.
Carson Palmer tore his ACL, had a few rough seasons for the Bengals, got mistreated by the organization, didn't feel wanted, and ultimately went to play for the then Oakland Raiders, and eventually the Arizona Cardinals. After going West, he enjoyed a pretty good career over there. He won a bunch of ball games, threw a bunch of touchdowns, and went on a playoff run or two. He had what I would say was a pretty peaceful ending to a career that had a really bad middle.
Can Carson Wentz go to Indy and win football games? Absolutely. Can he take them to the playoffs? Yes I think so. Is he going to be successful after this move like Carson Palmer, or even Drew Brees? I guess time will tell.
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