Looking for Answers

The hot topic right now is whether Carson Wentz should be benched. As with anything involving the 2020 Eagles, the answer is much more complicated than a simple yes or no.

Benching a QB for a full start or multiple starts is a big deal. A huge deal, really. It should not be done lightly. You don’t know how the QB will respond. Does it help him to sit and see things from a different perspective? Or do you permanently hurt the coach-QB relationship and affect the player’s confidence?

There is a great line in a film called Miller’s Crossing (make sure you see this if you haven’t).

“The reason you run this town is because they think you do. When they stop thinking it, you stop running it.”

That’s sorta true with QB. Players see the QB as their leader and the key to the team. When they stop thinking that, the effects are real. Donovan McNabb was never looked at the same way after TO questioned him. McNabb had been a great player and was the face of the Eagles, but that changed.

Wentz is still dealing with Nick Foles comments/questions. You don’t want to add another QB to that mix. It would really complicate matters.

If the Eagles were right at .500 or even better, but Wentz’s play was hurting the team, you could make an argument that sitting him needed to happen. You tell him he’s got to sacrifice for the good of the team. He might be able to wrap his head around that.

Wentz is the struggling QB of a bad team. If you bench him and go with Jalen Hurts (or even Nate Sudfeld), I’m not sure the results change all that much. You can certainly argue that it would be worth trying, but you really have to think big picture with Wentz. If you are committed to him long term, you can only bench him if he’s not functional. Things are certainly bad, but we’re not at that point.

Back in 1998, Bobby Hoying had a six-game stretch where he didn’t throw a TD pass and didn’t throw for even 125 yards in a game. That’s a guy who isn’t functional. Wentz is a mess, but he’s nowhere near that point. I think he’s still worth saving. How do you fix him?

Mike Kaye wrote a piece explaining that Doug Pederson and the coaching staff have tried changing things up and they just aren’t working.

Doug Pederson admitted in his press conference that the coaches are trying to simplify things, but not just for Wentz.

Doug Pederson says he has simplified things for Carson Wentz & the offense

“we also simplify because of some of the mistakes that we're making at the skill positions with some of the young guys too. So, it kind of goes hand in hand with yeah we want to simplify overall”@6abc pic.twitter.com/XmTZuxU9oO

— Jeff Skversky 6abc (@JeffSkversky) November 26, 2020

Jalen Reagor is a rookie. Travis Fulgham is in his first year as an Eagle. John Hightower is a rookie. Then you mix in all the OL changes and young guys playing there. That’s a lot of change/youth to build an offense around.

Pederson and his staff have not come up with the right answers for how to get the most out of this hodge-podge offense. And it isn’t easy. This isn’t about just call more of this or that kind of play and things will be fixed.

I would suggest that Pederson take a look at the Patriots offense and what they’ve done. They know they have a dysfunctional passing game so they turned into a running team. NE is second in the league in rush attempts and fourth in yards. It hasn’t led to a lot of wins, but they have very limited weapons in the passing game. They are doing the best with what they have.

Run the ball more and take it out of Wentz’s hands. Embrace ugly, defensive football. It isn’t like the Eagles are scoring a lot with the current play-calling.

I doubt this happens. Pederson seems to have other ideas on how to fix things. That’s fine. He’s the coach, I’m just the critic. The bottom line is that he needs to figure out something that helps his offense and his QB to perform better.

Stat that best reflects Eagles' offensive issues: Carson Wentz has taken 33 sacks on plays where he's held the ball for 4+ seconds.

That is 12 (corrected from 14 in earlier tweet) more than any QB.

So many plays where he doesn't know where his answers are. Opposite of 2017.

— Sheil Kapadia (@SheilKapadia) November 24, 2020

Wentz is still a very talented QB, but he has serious issues right now. Pederson’s ability to show some progress with Wentz will be his biggest selling point for keeping his job.

*****

Speaking of which…

“Someone is going to lose their job if they don’t win the division” – @AdamSchefter on the Eagles & the dreadful NFC East

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) November 25, 2020

I doubt Jeffrey Lurie told that to Schefter specifically. That is likely the feeling in league circles. If you have this bad of a season, someone has to pay.

*****

Once again Pederson made things far more difficult than they should have been when talking with the media.

Eagles’ HC Doug Pederson when asked today about Carson Wentz and the criticism that’s out there: pic.twitter.com/Ovyu8O1KOb

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 25, 2020

Les Bowen broke down the confusing situation in detail.

Why does Doug talk in circles? Just say “Yes, Wentz is my starter.”

I know he gets frustrated with having to answer that question each week, but hesitating and giving odd answers mean that the questions will keep coming. Pederson talked about how the media can try to spin it or run with it, but that’s all on him. If he just said yes to the first question, the subject goes to the back burner.

Words matter.

How you say them matters.

I don’t know how Pederson doesn’t get this. I beg someone on the Eagles to please beat it into his head. Save him from himself.

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