The Adventure Begins
Posted: September 11th, 2016 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 73 Comments »The 2016 Eagles open their season on Sunday.
Doug Pederson opens his coaching career.
Most importantly, the Carson Wentz era begins.
The Eagles are not going to win the Super Bowl this year. Okay, there is that 2.37 percent chance that this turns out to be that magical season where things come together and you feel like destiny is part of the starting lineup. But realistically, this season is about the future as much as anything else. If you aren’t competing for a Super Bowl in a particular season, you want to do everything you can to put your team in position to be a contender the next year.
For the Eagles, that means playing Carson Wentz.
I wrote my weekend piece for PE.com on the beginning of the Wentz era. Don’t expect Wentz to come out on Sunday and look like a finished product. This is the beginning. There will be ups and downs. Enjoy the ride.
If Wentz pans out as the Eagles expect him to, this will change the fortunes of the franchise.
1995 – Rodney Peete
1996 – Ty Detmer
1997 – Peete/Detmer/Bobby Hoying
1998 – Hoying/Peete/Koy Detmer
Donovan McNabb arrived in 1999 and the world changed. He never won a Super Bowl, but McNabb brought a lot of success. 2000-2009 was about as good as you could want without winning the Lombardi Trophy. McNabb had plenty of help in all that success, but the point is that it makes all the difference in the world if you have a franchise QB. If you don’t, winning on a consistent basis becomes exponentially harder, if not impossible.
We don’t know if Wentz will pan out. We do know he’s very talented and everyone around him praises the young man like you wouldn’t believe. It feels like he should pan out.
This isn’t Bobby Hoying, the 85th pick in the 1996 draft. This isn’t Kevin Kolb, a 2nd round pick. This isn’t A.J. Feeley, a late round pick who didn’t even start in college. This isn’t a mid-round gamble on Mike Kafka. This isn’t a 3rd round pick on Matt Barkley, who you’re shocked is still on the board.
Wentz went second overall. He has a big arm. He is huge and athletic. Wentz won a pair of national titles at North Dakota State. He played well at the Senior Bowl, where more than a few teams fell in love with him. The Eagles were one of those teams. Tom Donahoe initially scouted him prior to the 2015 season and then tried to convince everyone he could that Wentz was the real deal. Pederson and Howie Roseman got their first up-close look at Wentz down in Mobile and clearly they were impressed.
It also helped that the Eagles needed a QB. Think about recent years. Kevin Kolb to Michael Vick to Nick Foles to Mark Sanchez to Sam Bradford. Matt Barkley wasn’t even good enough to compete for a job. Now the Eagles have Wentz. He offers talent, youth and stability at the most important position in sports. There is every reason to be excited.
*****
One added benefit of seeing Wentz in action, PE.com will have some new higlights to show. When Wentz gets interviewed and they mix in some highlights to punch up the video, we see the same 5 plays over and over and over and over. No more, and thank god for that. I am sick of seeing that pass to Ertz and the throw to Turner. Give me some new highlights.
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[…] Tommy Lawlor The 2016 Eagles open their season on Sunday. Doug Pederson opens his coaching career. Most […]
Man I’m so psyched for the game tomorrow.
Eagles gonna win!!!!!
TOP TEN first plays in order of probability:
10. Short dig to Ertz to calm Wentz’s nerves… negated by Brandon Brooks “Welcome to Philly” hold.
9. Huff drops a slant.
8. Mathews gains 2 on a dive, sprains MCL.
7. 30 yard post bobbled and dropped by Matthews. But look at the way he sprints back to the huddle!
6. Wentz hits a wide open Paul Turner, sitting on the bench in street clothes and looking confused.
5. Huff fumbles an end-around.
4. Trash Can off tackle for 5.
3. Surprise Donnie Jones punt!!!
2. Huff catches a slant, gains 15, THEN fumbles.
1. Lane Johnson scoops up whatever iteration of Huff’s fumble it will be and charges down the field, shucking Browns hither and yon, only to be stopped at the one yard line by his B sample.
What about ‘Peters has lower back issues and misses a snap?’
That happens on the second play…
Well played sir
Brilliant start to the day
You forgot the “Play they’ve tinkered with all offseason to get Burton the ball, that they forgot to take out of the script”
And on third down, the absurdly easy jump ball TD to DGB negated by a naked and intoxicated GermanEagle streaking across the field.
Wentz backs off from center and barfs from fatigue, not nerves.
Genius
We used to play this game with the Kotite Eagles. By week 5 it had narrowed down to one option: “Off Tackle Right for no gain.” There was no point in choosing anything else.
So Negative! Huff will make it at least 20 yards on the slant before he fumbles. But they will say how much potential he has. Same with N.A. He does everything right in practice. We’ve been impressed by him.
Let’s go Birds! Let’s get that first W!
E-A-G-L-E-S
Good to have actual games back. Time to get a W.
With only 4 WR and 2 TE’s active today, it’s going to be important for those 6 to not get dinged. Otherwise they’re going to have to get real creative real quick.
Smells like an excuse to be run heavy.
Except if Celek or Ertz get’s hurt we can’t exactly load up the line…
If Gordon is active I would guess he’s the fullback if not it’s probably Beau.
Burton being hurt isn’t exactly great timing on his part. If we lose today I’m going to demand Howie deduct monies from any future contract extension offer.
Burton is actually just a figment of our imagination. He and McAllister only exist to launder money for the University of Florida.
chomp chomp
I don’t know that it’s for sure that Burton won’t be active today. They could have added Goode because he’ll be a game-time decision after warming up.
Split out Sproles.
Hopefully that’s an indication that Dougie doesn’t intend to throw the ball much today.
I’m in a knockout pool where a group of us have pooled our entries in attempt to split the prize money if we win. There are 7 of us this year.
We like to spread out picks around to multiple games so as to avoid all of us getting knocked out at once.
More than one of us already jumped on Seattle hosting Miami and Houston hosting the Bears.
I wound up taking Baltimore at home vs. the Bills.
Should have taken the Eagles.
I picked KC for my suicide pool. Considered the Ravens.
Not to nitpick, but I believe Matt Barkley missed being a third rounder by one pick and one sleepless night.
Not to double nitpick, but why on earth would Matt Barkley be a guy for whom you trade up?
Because Chip Kelly.
Nah, he was going top10 the year before. It was a smart pick.
Barkley’s struggles are why it’s important to see if a QB can survive in a chaotic environment. Most look good to great when allowed a clean pocket regularly. Barkley was just the latest.
And a day three pick is an acceptable price to find out.
I’d say Sammy Sleeves was the latest 🙂
20/20 hindsight, dude.
Lots of little goals — one main goal — Kept Wentz healthy. Avoid any lengthy injuries.
The Jeep has its doors back on and I have my Dawkins jersey back on: time for football
Goin old school…
Thot that was gonna ve a 6’3″ Sproles
Saving that for the playoffs…
I’ve started to see why Howie and Lurie never wanted to flush the season down the drain. No one really has the luxury of tanking a year for the benefit of another. We don’t have the resources to drastically change. For better or worse the core of this team is in place. We need to see if Doug can win with it. Armed with a legitimate season, we can then know what sort of adjustments the team needs to make, and be a year ahead in our evaluation of Dougie P
This team can be decent if players stay healthy… That’s a big if… Next year Howie the Magnificent can produce some trades out of thin air, and we can add depth and a few key positions for a solid team.
Need reliable playmakers on offense. Need depth and reliability at LB. Need playmakers to step up at CB.
The elephant in the room is we need Wentz to develop into a solid starter at some point this year or next at latest. If Wentz doesn’t develop, the rest is for naught.
NEVER FORGET
ALWAYS REMEMBER. Thanks, Dave, for the reminder on this somber/exciting day.
How many passes does Wentz throw today?
How many yards does R. Matthews get?
How many turnovers from the rook?
How many times do they show LeBron sitting in his box with his NY hat on?
Hmmm, no good at predictions, but how about prescriptions?
Wentz should throw no more than 22 passes today.
Ryan Mathews should get more than 20 carries today.
LeBron should not get air time, but I can’t blame them for the inevitable, because there’s a good chance that this game is going to be as exciting as watching grass grow.
How is it not going to be exciting? The Eagles have a QB that is going to be able to extend plays with his legs after all the WR patterns have broken down. Just like McNabb, only instead of throwing worm burners into the turf he’s going to sail them over guys’ heads.
I don’t know, I think it could definitely be a low-scoring slopfest of two teams picked to finish in the late 20s.
That’s the mentality that has lead to Bengals vs Jets on TV here in Oahu…
Would love to see a continuation of the lack of penalties on O. Will go a long way towards easing everyone’s reservations about the lack of talent on the that side of the ball. This DL could be something special.
Protect the kid at all costs.
prediction time
31-10 Eagles.
Browns score 10 on this HOF defense???
I figured RGIII is going to get loose at least once before the Eagles knock him out for the season. Then I added three for a Wentz INT.
17-10 for the Verdant Feathered Eaters of Small Animals.
NYG 24 dal 17…
28-24
Browns 30 Eagles 13
Its ugly.
I think Wentz is going to be a successful QB in the NFL. Goff is a backup who will have a few good games after the Rams tragedy ends. Like Goff (and Chip Kelly), the pressure on Wentz might be too much for him to settle down for his first team – one of the reasons you shouldn’t overpay for him. Howie said the two were like vanilla and strawberry, the consensus in the league, and I’ve always thought of Howie as a skilled negotiator whose player evaluation skills extend to ‘eat where there’s a line’ and ‘get what the kids on the playground are fighting over.’ The 2010 draft – trading down in incredibly shrewd fashion and then getting Nate Allen, Riley Cooper and other nobodies – is the quintessence of Howie, along with the question of whether he can retain quality assistants. What’s I’m saying is mostly positive though, as the good news is:
!. Because the Rams picked Goff, Eagles fans get a QB who looks to be a special player and person, even if he will be put under too much pressure out of ND State to succeed, with depleted picks hurting his supporting cast down the road;
2. They somehow got quality picks for Bradford, after dedicating an unprecedented amount of cap space to QB, which partially offsets overpaying for Wentz.
+ don’t forget who said Rowe should have never played CB
Too bad we let CK and his amazing player evaluation skills escape Philly.
He has a GM now. Chip’s best picks (Logan and Hicks) were from outside the PAC-10.
I think Wentz has the winners mentality and natural leadership that McNabb never had. I feel very confident in Wentz from the neck up. Now we need to see if he has the physical skill.
He has the physical skill, but he needs help making the jump from his level of college play to the NFL. It may take a while.
*Someone who never watched Rowe play S.
Did you knock the Rowe pick?
I had him as a 4th round guy predraft. He’s a cover 1/cover 3 CB. He has his issues as a corner and needs to be in the right scheme. I thought he played well last year in a scheme that fit his skillset.
He’s not a safety. People didn’t watch much of his tape at S. I did. He struggles alot with angles at S. You can’t have that. You blow a pursuit angle and it’s 6.
I was initially against the Rowe pick and took a lot of flak for saying Byron Jones was overvalued (not that he can’t improve). I was pushing Kevin Johnson and I may have said once or twice don’t be afraid of Marcus Peters (was definitely thinking it).
I had Jones at the top of that group he’s way more fluid that Rowe. Johnson was solid. And Peters was definitly a talent it’s just one of those things where from the outside we have 0% chance at telling the dumbasses from the true shitheads.
Burton is inactive today, so no 3 TE sets unless they get a little creative.
Carson throws 20 times, 12 are for less than 12 yards…
Barwin played TE in college. I thought I read somewhere that Marcus Smith played it some in Louisville but it appears that that is incorrect.
Lane Johnson also…
I don’t think they’ll put a defender out there, but maybe go with a bit of an unbalanced look moving some linemen around and plugging in Wiz. I think they’d only do that down in the redzone or short yardage situations.
I also wonder if they go with more 2TE 2RB sets since our WR talent is questionable.
New thread: http://igglesblitz.com/2016/09/game-preview-cle/#disqus_thread