Eagles News: Calls to bench Carson Wentz grow louder

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Pederson has to bench Wentz now - NBCSP
Wentz is broken right now. And it’s not just a few weeks. We’re heading into Week 12. So let him sit and watch. I don’t know what the Eagles have in Jalen Hurts, but they drafted him in the second round for a reason and they elevated him to No. 2 in Week 2 for a reason and they’ve been getting him snaps every week for a reason. He’s had 2 ½ months now to learn the offense, develop chemistry with the receivers and get a feel for the speed of the NFL game. He can’t be any worse than Wentz and who knows, maybe he’ll inject some life into the offense? What do you have to lose? It doesn’t mean Wentz will never start another game for this team. It just means the offense needs a jolt of electricity and Wentz needs to stand on the sidelines and see things from a different perspective.

Week 11: Patrick Mahomes and the Moments Competitors Love; Alex Smith and the Spirit of Thanksgiving - FMIA
Goats of the Week — Carson Wentz, quarterback, Philadelphia. Another discombobulating game by the quarterback who looks less and less like a franchise player every week. Wentz threw an ugly pop-up interception that Cleveland linebacker Sione Takitaki returned 50 yards for a TD to open the scoring on a miserable day by Lake Erie. Then Wentz took a dumb safety to put the Eagles down five in the third quarter. In a 22-17 game—that was the final in Cleveland’s favor—the quarterback can’t hand the other team nine points. It left coach Doug Pederson to answer for whether he’s thinking of playing Jalen Hurts now. Pederson said no. But seriously: How can he not be thinking about it?

Even on the Day They Lose Joe Burrow, the Bengals See What They Have in Him - MMQB
Carson Wentz’s two picks were ugly, and the one that should’ve been picked by Mack Wilson (he threw that one into a Browns team meeting) was just as bad. I haven’t really been a believer that Philly should sit Wentz down. But I’m starting to wonder if it’d be the right move now, just to clear his head. Coaches I know who’ve worked against him the last year think it’s very psychological.

Handing out 10 awards from the Eagles-Browns game - PhillyVoice
Right or wrong (wrong, probably?), the Eagles aren’t going to bench Carson Wentz. They are tied to him through at least the 2022 season, and the easiest path to contending again is if Wentz somehow snaps out of this funk that he is in. But how much longer can they watch him play the way that he has played this season? On the day, against a shaky Browns defense, Wentz was 21 of 35 for 235 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 INTs. He was lucky to only be intercepted twice. In his post-game press conference, Doug Pederson was peppered with questions about benching Wentz. Pederson said that he didn’t consider benching Wentz during the game, and that Wentz will start next Sunday. When asked if he had the authority to bench Wentz or if a second or third party had to also turn their key, so to speak, Pederson didn’t answer the question directly, and instead said that pulling Wentz would signal to the team that he was waving the white flag on the season.

The Eagles need to reset. Here’s why it won’t be easy. - BGN
It is not the clueless linebackers or failing offense or head-scratching coaching decisions that make the Eagles so painful to watch: it is the absence of self-awareness, the bullheadedness, the tunnel vision. They are the man at the bottom of the hole, certain if he digs a little deeper, the buried treasure will finally break the surface. Installing a new general manager or a new head coach would change the perspective — they’d look up instead of down; consider not the reward at the bottom of the pit, but the steep climb to get back to the top. But a new guard of decision-makers would not change the harshness of their reality: this is their quarterback and this is their roster, for better or (far more likely) for worse, for the remained of this season, and through the next one as well.

The Kist & Solak Show #209: The Misery Continues w/Loss to Browns - BGN Radio
Michael Kist & Benjamin Solak recap the Eagles loss to the Browns! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation

Lost - Iggles Blitz
Jeffrey Lurie should be very worried. Something is lost in translation. What is the problem: the messengers, the message or the guys receiving it? The franchise QB is a mess. That’s enough to make you question everyone, but then you look at the rest of the offense and there really are problems everywhere. There isn’t anything compelling about the Eagles offense right now.

Jason Kelce, Brandon Graham wasting twilight seasons on moribund Eagles team - The Athletic
Among 33 qualifying quarterbacks this season, Wentz ranks 32nd in completion percentage (58.4 percent), 32nd in net yards per pass attempt (5.5) and first in turnovers (18). On Sunday, his pick-six turned a scoreless game into a chase-from-behind game for an Eagles team ill-equipped to do so. He may not be the only one to blame for the offensive failures, but he certainly isn’t helping. Still, with Jalen Hurts lurking as an option, Doug Pederson said after the 22-17 loss that he never considered benching Wentz and that Wentz is “without questions” the team’s starting quarterback. This is not a decision that should be taken lightly and it’s not like their upcoming stretch of opponents is exactly quarterback-friendly. But the Eagles drafted Hurts to give them optionality at the most important position in sports. They may not have foreseen Wentz’s collapse but they paid the expensive price of a second-round pick for an insurance policy. If they don’t believe Hurts is capable of playing quarterback at a higher level than Wentz’s current standard, then they shouldn’t have picked him in the first place.

Carson Wentz, Eagles fail to back up the talk versus Browns - ESPN
QB breakdown: Wentz finished 21-of-35 for 235 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and absorbed 10 QB hits. Tackles Lane Johnson and Jason Peters and center Jason Kelce were in and out of the lineup because of injuries, which didn’t help matters. But Wentz continues to be hesitant with his decisions and has regressed significantly. Sunday’s performance will only heighten the calls for backup Jalen Hurts to get a shot as the starting QB.

NFL Week 11 PFF ReFocused: Cleveland Browns 22, Philadelphia Eagles 17 - PFF
Carson Wentz’s ineptitude was easily the story of the game. While the conditions prevented much from getting going through the air, Wentz did little to overcome the situation. He had an adjusted completion percentage of only 67.7% on the day. His two interceptions weren’t the worst decisions, but his inability to keep the ball out of harm’s way keeps popping up week after week. Add in the sack and safety that could have easily been avoided with some semblance of an internal clock from Wentz, and it was an all-around rough performance. Wentz’s bad day just so happened to coincide with one of the best games of cornerback Denzel Ward’s career. He allowed only four catches on 10 targets for 27 yards — one of which went for a first down. Ward also picked off a pass and forced incompletions on two others.

Carson Wentz, offense fizzle as Eagles lose in Cleveland - PE.com
On a rainy Sunday in Cleveland, the Eagles’ offensive struggles continued against the Browns, accounting for just 209 net yards in the passing game, turning the football over three times, and costing the team two points on a safety in a 22-17 loss that dropped Philadelphia to 3-6-1 in this frustrating 2020. While the defense hung in there against Cleveland’s powerful running game, limiting the Browns to 3.4 yards per carry, the offense managed only one touchdown after a defensive takeaway and a last-minute touchdown to make the score close. Quarterback Carson Wentz completed 21 of 35 passes for 235 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. His only real bright spot a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Richard Rodgers following Fletcher Cox’s strip-sack of quarterback Baker Mayfield that linebacker Alex Singleton recovered. Otherwise, Wentz was ineffective until the Eagles were down late in the fourth quarter and the Browns backed off in coverage. Against a Cleveland defense minus star end Myles Garrett, the Eagles opened with a 10-play, 71-yard drive that ended on a Miles Sanders fumble at the Cleveland 4-yard line and then had not much of anything else.

Loss to the Browns is latest sign the Eagles’ arrogance is catching up to them - Inquirer
It goes too far, of course, to say that winning the Super Bowl was the worst thing to happen to the Eagles. But now that we’re nearly three years removed from the last of the confetti being swept up from Broad Street, it’s not outlandish to suggest that the franchise hasn’t handled its greatest success with the proper proportion of confidence and humility. What has happened since that marvelous night in Minneapolis has been a steady decline, from a championship in 2017-18 to a playoff berth and a playoff victory in 2018-19 to a playoff berth in 2019-20 to … whatever degree of oblivion awaits this year’s team after its unsightly 22-17 loss Sunday to the Browns in Cleveland. What stands out most about that regression is how eager the Eagles have been, time and again, to assure everyone and try to demonstrate to everyone that they were incapable of such regression. In ways big and small, they set themselves up for this heaping helping of comeuppance.

Browns vs. Eagles Final Score: Cleveland wins a rainfest 22-17 as Carson Wentz sucks - Dawgs By Nature
The scouting report on the Eagles’ sack situation was true: some of it is on the offensive line, but much of it is on Wentz and how long he holds onto the ball. Olivier Vernon had 3 sacks (including a safety), Adrian Clayborn had 1.5 sacks, and Larry Ogunjobi added a half sack. Somewhere, Myles Garrett is both cheering his teammates on, but whimpering at the career day he could have had if he were playing.

Early fantasy football waiver wire adds for Week 12 - Fake Teams
TE Richard Rodgers, Philadelphia Eagles (3% rostered). In his last two games, Rodgers has either had 60 yards receiving or scored a touchdown. He’s certainly a boom-or-bust risk, but we might be seeing the Eagles passing game revert to the two tight end focus we’ve seen in the past with Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, only this time with Goedert and Rodgers. If you’ve been struggling at the tight end position—like I for one have—Rodgers isn’t a bad deep add.

How the NFL playoff picture looks coming out of Week 11 - DraftKings Nation
The Browns got a huge win over the Eagles, improving to 7-3 and firming up their playoff position amidst a mess of teams that entered Week 11 at 6-3. Meanwhile, the Eagles drop to 3-6-1 and suddenly are only half a game ahead of the Giants and Washington. The NFC East is truly atrocious and we now have three teams at 3-7 or worse added to our outside looking in info below.

Five winners and five losers from the Cowboys victory over the Vikings - Blogging The Boys
Winner: CeeDee Lamb. It is hard not to imagine what CeeDee Lamb would be doing this season if he had stable quarterback play. Why is that the case? Take a look at the type of talent that he possesses. It was Minnesota’s rookie WR Justin Jefferson that entered this game with much of the fanfare, but Lamb has had to deal with rotating quarterbacks. There is no question about the Lamb’s future, he is on his way to becoming the superstar that we all envisioned on draft night. Seriously. This is unreal.

Washington defeats Cincinnati 20-9, stays relevant in the NFC East division race - Hogs Haven
The tone of the game completely changed when Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow went down screaming in pain from a left knee injury. The rookie has been phenomenal this season, and looked like he was poised to continue picking apart Washington’s defense apart in the 2nd half. Washington took full advantage of a demoralized Bengals team, and shut them out in the 2nd half. Burrow’s replacement, Ryan Finley, got abused by Washington’s pass rush, and gave up a pick on his final drive. Antonio Gibson had one of his best days on the ground, and helped Washington lock up their first win since Week 7.

So Far, the Saints’ Taysom Hill Experiment Looks Like a Success - The Ringer
When Drew Brees went on injured reserve last week, Sean Payton turned to Hill to take over under center. And in Sunday’s win over the Falcons, that gutsy call proved to be the right one. [BLG Note: The Eagles will host the Saints in Week 14.]

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