Eagles news: As hard as he tries, Carson Wentz can’t do it all by himself

Eagles' Wentz needs more support - Daily News

Very little of that stuff has gone exactly to plan. The Eagles have a middle-of-the-road running game, as long as nothing happens to 33-year-old Darren Sproles. Mathews (five carries, 15 yards Sunday, one carry for 1 yard in the second half) seems to be sinking slowly out of sight, for reasons that have not been adequately explained. The o-line without suspended right tackle Lane Johnson has its ups and downs, is far short of dominant. Wentz gets way more pressure than is ideal.

Wentz should never have tried either of the two passes that were intercepted on the Eagles' first two series Sunday, but the lack of a decent pocket figured into both picks. The first, he was throwing on a dead run after Jason Kelce tripped over Stefen Wisniewski. Wentz should have thrown the ball away, but tried to salvage the play and find Agholor. The second, he tried to step up and was sandwiched between Kelce and Wisniewski, who were both being shoved toward him. The ball sailed because Wentz was throwing from a tight space, unable to turn his shoulders.

Wentz and the Eagles are facing better defenses than in those first few weeks, and the rookie QB is being asked to do too much, trying to do too much, looking for plays that aren't there.

Maybe Wentz is simply trying to do too much - Inquirer

Wentz said after the game that he probably would have made the same decisions on those attempts. The throws just needed to be better. When he has missed receivers - dating all the way back to the spring - the passes have tended to sail high. The Eagles altered his footwork and the way he carried the ball during the offseason, but Pederson said mechanics weren't the problem.

If there has been an overarching issue, it's that Wentz has sometimes tried to do too much. It could be said that he has stretched his limits to compensate for the rest of the offense. And it could also be alleged that he has forced plays because Pederson has asked too much of him.

Plays that give Wentz the option to run have been part of the offense since Game 1, but he has increasingly kept the ball. The results haven't been as fruitful as they were initially. Wentz ran four times on Sunday and lost a total of 4 yards.

"We ask Carson to do a lot with [run-pass option] things, with the read options, making some checks there," Pederson said. "So, I think going forward, yeah, probably should rely on [running backs] just a little bit more."

Film breakdown: Jaws narrates Carson Wentz's struggles on Eagles' final drive - Philly Voice

Alright, now you’re down to one play, fourth and 10. They blitzed the last three plays. Spags says, ‘Shoot, we’re getting to him, we’re gonna bring it again.’ Carson reads it. He brings Sproles in. He brings him into the backfield. They bring Ertz to a tight position. They’re in a position to have seven blockers now, so the guy furthest away from the quarterback will be the guy you let free. He’s actually a little late in coming, because he’s worried about Sproles releasing. Matthews is on the quick fade, should be an easy touchdown throw.

Alex Mack’s pivotal role in the Falcons' potent offense - Sports Illustrated

Coming back from injury and with his offensive coordinator in Cleveland, Kyle Shanahan, now relocated to Atlanta, Mack had a 2015 season that was good for most centers but not for him. In 2016 he's healthy and playing for Shanahan again. ProFootballFocus.com rates him as the No. 3 center this season.

Shanahan employs a run-based scheme similar to what his father, Mike, ran in Denver and Washington. The inside- and outside-zone running system is demanding for a center.

On an inside-zone run, Mack and a guard will usually double-team a defensive tackle and then scoot quickly to block a linebacker. Late in the first quarter of a 48–33 victory over the Panthers, Mack blasted standout defensive tackle Star Lotulelei with his right shoulder, directing him into the block of right guard Chris Chester. Mack then kept moving to hit All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly. Mack squared up Kuechly and turned to the right to form a wall that Freeman could run behind. Kuechly, the best middle linebacker in the game, was rendered helpless for one of the few times in his career, as Freeman scored from 13 yards out.