Carson Wentz Silences Critics - at Least for Another Week
This Eagles season may still hit a dead-end before the month expires, but for one game, they are still alive for a third straight trip to the postseason.
The reason they still have a pulse is due to many plays and players who stepped up to help the Eagles capture an improbable 23-17 win over the New York Giants on a windy, rain-swept night in South Philadelphia. Perhaps no player stepped up bigger than quarterback Carson Wentz.
It is a position that has been said gets too much credit when a team wins and too much blame when a team loses. Heaven knows Wentz has had his share of criticism, especially for his perceived inability to lead the Eagles to a win in crunch time.
Wentz silenced those critics – at least for another week, until they play the Washington Redskins on the road Sunday.
This was the signature win Wentz needed, the one Eagles fans had been clamoring for him to deliver.
The quarterback did it with a fourth-quarter drive to tie the game then engineered another one in overtime after the Eagles won the toss to get the ball to start the extra session.
“I think it could be the start of hopefully many fourth quarter comeback-type wins for him,” said head coach Doug Pederson.
Wentz did it without his three top receivers, DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor, and without Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson.
He did it with a roster that had one healthy receiver left by the end of the game, and he did it with Boston Scott, Josh Perkins and Greg Ward, three players who began the season on the practice squad.
“It’s big for me and for all of these guys,” said Wentz. “You know, the emotional rollercoaster of the day and obviously realizing how poor we were in the first half and just how it spring-boarded us into the second half. We just made plays and kept making plays. Winning late in overtime like this, it’s been a while. Shoot, I don’t think I’ve had an overtime win. That was just a lot of fun.”
On the game-tying drive, Wentz completed seven-of-10 passes for 86 yards, finishing it off with a third-and-goal throw from two yards away to Zach Ertz with 1:53 to go in the fourth quarter. The drive used 14 plays and 6 minutes, 17 seconds, traveling 75 yards. It included a fourth-and-one Wentz sneak for a first down from the Eagles’ 29-yard line and a Giants illegal contact penalty after a third-down incompletion.
On the game-winning drive, Wentz was four-for-four with 32 yards and another two-yard touchdown throw to Ertz. The drive went 75 yards in eight plays and took 4 minutes, 50 seconds.
“Carson is an incredible athlete,” said Scott, who had two runs for 31 yards on the overtime drive. “He’s an incredible individual, very hard working, very committed, very dedicated, and I saw him take control of the game and do his thing like he always does. I have the utmost confidence in Carson and what he’s able to do. He’s a great quarterback and he’s going to be one of the greats. It’s cool to see him do what he does.”
Wentz would never admit to any win being more important for him personally, so Ertz, his good friend, was asked if Wentz took any extra delight in authoring drives to tie then win.
“He is happy that we won the football game,” said Ertz, who finished with nine catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns. “He doesn’t really care how we win. Obviously as people, you want to be a big part of wins, but all he cares about is winning right now.”
