Eagles News: Former NFL doctor weighs in on Carson Wentz’s back injury

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Carson Wentz’s back fracture is a mystery - San Diego Union-Tribune
A stress fracture is difficult to detect, possible to play through and often shows up late on scans. If this is the case, the worry is for the long term, and the Eagles will be strongly considering shutting him down. I hope it is not a stress fracture. The most common is sponylolysis (stress fracture to the pars, part of the ring of the spinal canal). Healing for sponylolsis is sometimes tricky and slow. For the record, there is no direct relationship between the ACL/LCL injuries Wentz suffered last season and the back fracture. But one could postulate an indirect link. We have said all along that Wentz would not be 100 percent until late this season or even 2019. The injury could that have thrown off his throwing mechanics to cause extra back stress. It’s possible, but we can’t say for sure until we know what the spine issue actually is. Let’s hope for minimal vertebral body fracture, as this heals reliably. If it is a stress fracture, this this won’t be the last of the Wentz injury saga.

It’s time for Mike Groh to Mike Go - BGN
Success as a positional coach is all milk and cookies, but what has he done, ever, as an offensive coordinator that would inspire hope for a complete turnaround? That’s where I separate Doug Pederson from Mike Groh. Yes, it’s Doug Pederson calling the plays, but it’s also Groh’s job to filter information from the assistants and deliver it to Pederson in the form of a coherent plan of attack. He’s yet to show that he can do that with success. Yes, it’s Doug Pederson who made the decision to promote from within. It’s proven to be one that hasn’t worked out, but he’s had success in the past with his initial choices of Frank Reich and John DeFilippo. Past success. No success. It’s hard to make a case for Groh when there is no past success in his current position.

Carson’s Back, Groh’s Job & The Rams Preview - BGN Radio
John Stolnis and Brandon Lee Gowton react to a bonkers couple of days of news surrounding the health of Carson Wentz, ponder about the future of Mike Groh as offensive coordinator, look back to the Dallas loss and look ahead to the upcoming game with the Rams! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Fractured - Iggles Blitz
Before you think Ross is nuts…a fracture can heal. And this doesn’t require surgery. A disk issue is much trickier to heal. I didn’t realize this, but Wentz isn’t alone among QBs with this injury. Derek Carr and Tony Romo had this problem and missed little to no time. I’m not being delusional. Wentz having a fractured vertebrae is serious news. That’s the heart and soul of your franchise and he’s got a back injury. If not treated properly, back injuries can linger and cause all kinds of problems. This news also brings additional scrutiny on the Eagles medical staff. They were looking into Wentz’s back in October when he first started having problems. They never saw any fractures so he kept on playing. This time around, CT scans did show the break. Was it there the whole time? Did they miss it or did it just take time for the break to happen? These are important questions.

Dr. James Sanfilippo explains Carson Wentz’s back injury - NBCSP
Q: How long a recovery time are we looking at?A: “You’re looking at (a few) weeks type of range. The biggest problem right now is how long is the Eagles’ season? If there’s a playoffs involved and they make a deep run in the playoffs, can he come back? I don’t see a reason why not if he’s symptom-free. If it’s just regular season, is he able to be symptom-free and get back on the field and do everything he wants to do at 100 percent in a couple weeks after this (Rams) game? That becomes a question.”

Philly Not So Special: If Carson Wentz Sits, Don’t Expect Another Nick Foles Miracle - The Ringer
Sunday night’s Eagles-Rams game was originally billed as a rematch between Jared Goff and Wentz, the no. 1 and no. 2 overall picks in the 2016 NFL draft, and their two NFC juggernauts. Now, it’s a referendum on Philly’s season. If the Eagles win, they will have a roughly 1-in-3 chance of making the playoffs, according to The New York Times’ playoff calculator. If they lose, that number falls to 1-in-50. The Eagles like being dogs, but so far this year, they have been more bark than bite.

A List Of Injuries, And The Impact On 2018 Season - PE.com
When running back Corey Clement and defensive end Josh Sweat were placed on season-ending Injured Reserve this week, they represented the 12th and 13th players shelved for the year – 12 of them on IR and one (safety Chris Maragos) on the Physically Unable to Perform list. It’s a staggering number that has, no matter how you look at it, had a tremendous impact on the performance of the team. No excuses, just facts. Here is a ranking of the 12 players and the way their absences have altered the Eagles’ plans in 2018.

Goff to L.A., Wentz to Philly: How they became the top two picks in 2016 - ESPN
The first game, officially, went to Wentz, as did the first two seasons since the QBs came into the league in 2016. This year, to this point, has belonged to Goff. It appears what we’re seeing develop is a rivalry that has a chance of going back and forth for years to come. Truth is, it started well before either of them played a snap in the league. Goff and Wentz are represented by the same agency, Rep 1 Sports, and trained together during the pre-draft process. That unique set-up brought the competitive side out of both athletes, as they went throw-for-throw with the unspoken understanding that the No. 1 overall draft slot was on the line.

Silva’s Week 15 Matchups - Rotoworld
You couldn’t dream up a better bounce-back spot than the Rams returning to sunny L.A. to face Philly’s decimated defense with Nick Foles quarterbacking following last Sunday night’s primetime loss at 25-degree Soldier Field. The Eagles have placed RCB Ronald Darby (ACL), LCB Jalen Mills (foot), FS Rodney McLeod (MCL), and DE Derek Barnett (shoulder) on I.R. since the end of September and won’t have MLB Jordan Hicks (calf), CB Sidney Jones (hamstring), or FS Avonte Maddox (knee) on Sunday night. Despite Jared Goff’s recent struggles – he also played poorly in Week 13 at Detroit – Goff should be teed up confidently as a high-ceiling QB1 in this gorgeous spot. Whereas Cali-born Goff has struggled mightily with a 9:9 TD-to-INT ratio and 7.41 yards per attempt on the road, he’s been a pinpoint marksman (18:2, 9.82) at home. … Philly’s run defense has been a no-show since its Week 9 bye, yielding 100-plus rushing yards in each of its ensuing five games with an otherworldly 115/697/5 (6.06 YPC) rushing line allowed to running backs. As DC Jim Schwartz’s unit also permits the NFL’s seventh-most receiving yards per game to Todd Gurley’s position (53.8), this is a massive smash spot for football’s all-purpose TD leader (19). Carson Wentz’s (back) absence further favors Gurley with improved projected game script.

Stats to know for all 32 NFL teams entering Week 15 - PFF
This past week, Chris Long registered his 550th career regular season pressure. That is the fourth-most for all defensive players since 2008.

Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams Thursday injury report for Week 15 - Turf Show Times
The Los Angeles Rams (11-2) had a clean initial injury report on Wednesday. No names to be found. A few names popped up on the Thursday report, however. But no need to be alarmed — as none of them are injury related. Specifically for Rams’ center John Sullivan and left tackle Andrew Whitworth, this is standard protocol. Sean McVay has given his veterans plenty of rest throughout the week this season.

Can the Giants really make the playoffs? - Big Blue View
All of this is probably not going to happen. The dream dies for good if the Giants lose a single game. If they manage to win out, the obstacles are really the teams that need to lose two of three. So, pay attention to the Panthers, Eagles and Vikings.

Should the Redskins Consider Signing Teddy Bridgewater in the Spring? - Hogs Haven
As the Alex Smith saga continues to play out before our eyes, all thoughts are surrounding what the Redskins should do at quarterback both for the present and future of the franchise. Many feel a new head coach, if one is actually selected, would like to have a say for the franchise’s next signal caller. If Jay Gruden returns for another season at the helm, some wonder if Colt McCoy will be the guy for the immediate future, until either Alex Smith returns, or a new rookie is broken in. Regardless of who the coach is, the Skins are going to have to plan for the future at the most important position on the field. Enter Teddy Bridgewater.

All 32 NFL defensive lines, ranked - SB Nation
The Eagles, led by Fletcher Cox, have been able to wreak havoc in opposing backfields. Their sack percentage might not be through the roof (23rd), but they get a ton of penetration in the backfield against the run and the pass. Michael Bennett, Fletcher Cox, and Brandon Graham have combined for 27 tackles for loss this season.

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