Carson Wentz's Struggles Sounding Like a Broken Record

Carson Wentz started his fifth season with the Eagles on Sunday and the quarterback is still doing the same thing, holding the ball too long at times while trying to make a play.

That competitive fire that burns deep inside Wentz has been difficult to bring under control for head coach Doug Pederson and his staff, and it’s time to start wondering if it can ever happen.

“We still have to continue to address him and to address those issues,” said Pederson on Monday. “It's part of the football game. We just have to keep talking that it's okay to throw the ball away. It's okay to dirt the ball on a screen pass or something of that nature and look, it's something that we've just got to continue working through.

“There is a fine line, obviously, as we know, between the aggressiveness, but at the same time, we want to be smart.”

Wentz’s play is always under a microscope, but perhaps never more so than now because it is his fifth season and because of what transpired in Sunday’s loss to Washington, when he had three turnovers and took eight sacks.

He is being paid big money now to be the guy.

Last year, he showed he can be by taking the Eagles on a season-ending four-game winning streak to capture the NFC East title, yet, he continues to make the same mistake of not knowing when to give up on a play and live for the next one.

There are also some benchmarks that have yet to be reached, with the big one being never having won a playoff game.

Wentz fumbled for 49th and 50th in his career on Sunday, one of which was pounced on my center Jason Kelce to avoid disaster because the Eagles were in the Washington red zone at the time.

The other fumble went for a turnover, and all but extinguished any slim hopes the Eagles may have had of a comeback when Washington defensive end Ryan Kerrigan recovered the ball with 3:15 to play in the game. By the time the Eagles got the ball back again, they had time for one play before the game clock expired.

Also, by holding the ball too long, Wentz opens himself up to a greater risk of getting hurt again.

It’s fair to wonder now if it is a lesson that will ever get through.

“I do believe he can learn that, and I do believe that we can continue to coach it better,” said Pederson. “You're probably going, well, it's a broken record, but it's what we have to do. We have to continue to discuss and continue to talk with him about it, and look, if he's holding the ball, there's a reason.

“There's a reason, maybe we've got to coach the routes better. Maybe I have to call a play better. I've got to put our team in a better situation. There are all types of scenarios and possibilities on every play, and it's all about the communication that we have throughout the week.”

The line and running backs have to block better, too.

Left tackle Jason Peters was particularly noticeable for how badly he played and Pro Football Focus confirmed it, ranking him 50th among offensive tackles in Week 1, with a 48.7 run-blocking grade and a 58.2 overall.

There were times on Sunday when Wentz had no time to even throw the ball away, the defense was on him so quickly.

He threw a third interception deep in Eagles territory that was negated because Matt Ioannidis jumped offsides. On that play, Peters was beaten soundly to the outside by rookie Chase Young who hit Wentz has he tried to throw.

Still, there were opportunities for Wentz to lessen the damage of an embarrassing sack total and physical punishment to his body.

He needed to get rid of the ball quicker on a third-quarter play that began at Washington’s 22-yard line with the Eagles ahead 17-14 and looking to blunt Washington’s momentum after scoring on its previous possession. But Wentz took a 13-yard sack that, forcing a 53-yard field goal try from Jake Elliott.

The kick, that would have made the score 20-14 with just over five minutes left in the third quarter, came up short. It would have been a 40-yard try had Wentz only found a way to throw the ball away.

“I think that’s just the mentality I have I’ve always tried to make the play and extend the play when it’s there to be made,” said Wentz. “Sometimes you make them, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes bad things happen, you take a sack.

“I got to do better and get rid of the ball when I can but I’m sure my mentality on that front doesn’t change within a game or within a week, but I just got to know better and know when to just get rid of the ball.”

It is a fine line of knowing when to get rid of the ball and when to try to make a play, but right now, Pederson is right, with Wentz not being able to yet make that distinction it is beginning to sound like a broken record.

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