Why No Rollouts on Sunday? Doug Pederson, Carson Wentz Roll Out Answers

PHILADELPHIA - As the sacks piled up and the heat just kept getting dialed up by the pass rush of the Washington Football Team on Sunday, the Eagles never seemed to adjust.

The biggest adjustment that never came seemed to be the most obvious – roll out quarterback Carson Wentz. Get him away from that rush. Maybe two-step drops and quick slants. It seemed the Eagles fell in love with the deep pass and patterns that took too long to develop.

Of course, we aren’t in the film room each week with the coaching staff.

“I'd love to be able to sit down and kind of maybe show you guys game film and study the tape and talk about scheme and all that kind of stuff, and there are opportunities,” said head coach Doug Pederson prior to Wednesday’s practice.

“Carson is a great out of the pocket thrower. We understand that. But when we have 13 snaps that are second down and 7-plus, we didn't do a very good job on first down, whether we are running or passing the football.

“Utilizing an out-of-the-pocket throw, a movement-type throw, when it's second and 13, I don't know, maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. But I think you have to push the ball differently down the field, drop back, play action, whatever it might be, screen.”

Anything other than roll out the quarterback, it would seem.

“Everything we do, obviously it starts with first down and if you're not positive on first down, it now affects what you do on second down and then it affects you on third down or fourth down," said Pederson.

“I would love to have Carson out of the pocket more. He is dynamic outside of the pocket, great vision, and all that. But again, we've got to do a better job on first down in order for a lot of those plays to take place.”

Maybe those roll-out plays just don’t work on second-and-eight or longer.

Armed with that information, SI’s EagleMaven asked quarterback Carson Wentz after the morning walkthrough about the rollout, or the lack of them.

He had some reasons.

One: “I just think it was kind of the flow of the game. I think they made a good play earlier on one of them. “

Two: “We didn’t stay ahead of the chains like we really should have to be conditioned to those types of plays.”

Three: “It’s always one of those things where you come out of the game and you wish you might have done this differently or whatever. But as players, we gotta execute the play when it’s called. If it’s not executed properly or well, sometimes you get away from those things.”

Wentz then came back to reason number one before finishing his answer this way:

“I don’t know fully the right answer.”

During the dozen training camp practices the media was allowed to watch, Wentz seemed to be rolling out more than in previous camps.

The thinking was that this was the Rich Scangarello effect, the big offseason hire from outside the organization to be the senior offensive assistant.

Maybe reporters just weren’t paying attention to down and distance, though.

Get the latest Eagles news by joining the community. Click "Follow" at the top right of the EagleMaven page. Mobile users click the notification bell. And please follow me on Twitter @kracze.