clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Eagles News: Philadelphia has “a full-blown quarterback controversy that is of their own doing”

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 12/7/20.

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Seattle Seahawks v Philadelphia Eagles Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

Eagles’ decision-makers are responsible for Carson Wentz-Jalen Hurts quarterback controversy - Inquirer
Jalen Hurts would need to develop into a bona fide starting NFL quarterback to at least justify the Eagles drafting him in April. Even if that were to occur, the people responsible for the selection shouldn’t be around if he is to become one in Philadelphia. Owner Jeffrey Lurie can’t fire himself, but he needs to be honest with himself about his role in the Eagles’ recent mistakes in the draft. He needs to frankly assess the job general manager Howie Roseman has done, obviously in relation to the larger picture, but specifically to the Hurts pick. There’s little to defend. It has discernibly affected Carson Wentz. How else to explain one of the greatest regressions in NFL history? All it took was 12 games for Wentz to be benched. A strong argument can be made that it should have come sooner. [...] The Eagles have themselves a full-blown quarterback controversy that is of their own doing, and one that many said was possible the moment Hurts was drafted. The people responsible can’t take much credit for his success because it will come at the expense of the quarterback they banked on. It’s that simple. Of course, Lurie and the Eagles have found a way to overcomplicate since winning a title just three years ago.

Jalen Hurts, not Carson Wentz, has to be the Eagles’ quarterback for the rest of 2020 - BGN
But now that Hurts finally got his foot in the door before it closed and snagged a few series against the Packers, that which has seemed inevitable has come true: He played better than Carson Wentz. Of course he did — it’d be almost impossible to play worse. Hurts threw his first touchdown, took his first sack, gave up his first interception, and kept his head above water in a difficult situation in Green Bay, and with his passable play, forces a question for the Eagles’ beleaguered brass: who is the starting quarterback from here on out? This will be called a tough question; it isn’t one. It must be Jalen Hurts. There is no short-term or long-term benefit to playing Carson Wentz anymore.

The Kist & Solak Show #213: Hurts In, Wentz Out In Eagles Loss to Packers - BGN Radio
Michael Kist & Benjamin Solak relive the excitement created by Jalen Hurts coming in for the benched Carson Wentz in the Eagles loss to the Packers! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Handing out 10 awards from the Eagles-Packers game - PhillyVoice
The best thing that can happen the rest of this season is for the Eagles to lose their remaining games, have Jeffrey Lurie see the light and move on from Howie Roseman, and get the highest draft pick possible. Having the Giants unexpectedly win in Seattle furthers that cause.

Hurts Helps - Iggles Blitz
The result was the same, another ugly loss. But this one at least felt different. Doug Pederson should see that and make the switch to Hurts. Pederson was very down in his PC after the game. Losing is tough on coaches. I’m sure he also dreaded all the Hurts/Wentz questions. I would be that Pederson is also tired of not having the answers to his team’s issues. His offense never snapped the ball inside the Red Zone. That is astonishing. I have no idea when that last happened. This is going to be an interesting week, as we wait to hear Pederson’s decision. Hopefully he’ll give it to us Monday, but it won’t shock me for him to save that for Wednesday. It has to be Hurts, right? It has to be. We hope.

Roob’s observations after Eagles bench Wentz, turn to Hurts (and see a spark) in loss - NBCSP
I don’t know if Wentz will ever be Carson Wentz again and the more I can learn about Hurts the rest of this year the better. This is not where any team wants to be, uncertain about its quarterback. It’s a place that a few months ago I couldn’t have imagined the Eagles being in, but Wentz has had plenty of chances to turn things around, and it hasn’t happened. Maybe one day we’ll see the Wentz of old. But now? An auspicious start for Hurts and a reason to watch this team play its last four games.

Philadelphia Eagles bench Carson Wentz for Jalen Hurts; no verdict on Week 14 starter - ESPN
“I didn’t know what the plan was fully. I was just told he was going in for the next play and the next series,” Wentz said. “So I didn’t really know what was going on there. Obviously, that’s frustrating as a competitor and just the personality that I have, I want to be the guy out there. But it is what it is. They made the call today. At the end of the day we lost, as a team we lost, and that’s what I think for me I’m most frustrated about. I don’t like where we’re at this season record-wise and I know I can play better and we can all be better going forward.” Wentz, 27, has been mired in the worst season of his career, entering Sunday’s game ranked first in interceptions (15) and sacks (46), 31st in completion percentage (58.1%) and 30th in yards per attempt (6.02).

What was behind the Eagles’ decision to bench Carson Wentz for Jalen Hurts? - The Athletic
“I’m not the guy who’s going to point fingers or anything,” Wentz said. “I know I can play better, I can do better, I can help lead this team better. And we all can do the same.” But will he even get the chance? Should he? Wentz has had until the second half of the 12th game to “play better.” The Eagles are 3-8-1 and won’t have a winning season for the first time since Wentz’s rookie season. At that time, the only certainty about the Eagles’ immediate future was that Wentz would be the starting quarterback. That status has never been in doubt more than when he walked off Lambeau Field on Sunday night. Because for the first time in his career, Wentz was benched. And an organization that made Wentz its centerpiece now must navigate life after the benching. The Eagles wanted a spark. They created a fire.

Jalen Hurts sparks, but Eagles fall short in Green Bay - PE.com
That the Eagles lost wasn’t the big story on this Sunday. The immediate future of the quarterback position was on the front burner, as rookie second-round draft pick Jalen Hurts replaced Wentz late in the third quarter and played the rest of the game, throwing a touchdown pass, making some plays with his legs, and injecting some life into an offense that had very little to celebrate before Hurts entered the game. “At the time, I just felt like where we were as an offense, we needed a spark,” Head Coach Doug Pederson said. “We needed something to kind of go our way, so I decided to put Jalen in the game.” When asked who would start at quarterback next Sunday against New Orleans, Pederson did not commit. “Let me get through this game. You just heard me say we needed a spark in this game to try to get some things going. I’ve got to get through injuries, I’ve got to get through the tape, there’s a lot of things that I’m going to consider and evaluate before anything is decided,” he said. “Look, opportunity arose and, like I said, we just needed that opportunity to get us back in the football game today and we came up short.”

NFL Week 13 PFF ReFocused: Green Bay Packers 30, Philadelphia Eagles 16 - PFF
On the opposite side of the field, Wentz endured yet another rough outing, this time leading to a seat on the bench. He didn’t commit a turnover but completed just 6-of-15 passes for 79 yards and took four sacks, stunting the offense on nearly every drive. Hurts entered midway through the third quarter and tried to lead the Eagles to a comeback. He had some help from fellow rookie Jalen Reagor, who took his one and only punt return 73 yards to the house, making it a one-score game. Hurts and company would come up just short as second-year safety Darnell Savage made a nice play to force an interception and effectively put an end to any hopes the Eagles had of a comeback. Now sitting at 3-8-1, Philadelphia finds itself in third place in the NFC East but just a game and a half back from the 5-7 Giants. It is unclear if Wentz will be back under center this season, but it does not harm the Eagles to trot out Hurts and see what they truly have in the young signal-caller.

Philadelphia Eagles could face New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees in Week 14: report - PennLive
“It’s not definite that Brees will play against Philadelphia, but he clearly has progressed enough in his recovery that New Orleans could have another quarterback decision to make next Sunday, when he is eligible to come off injured reserve,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday. NFL Media reported Brees is more likely to return when the Saints play the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15.

The state of the NFC East after the New York Giants win and Philadelphia Eagles lost on Sunday - Blogging The Boys
The Eagles lost as expected on Sunday, but they might be the team that applies the most randomness to this season’s finish as it looks like the very fabric of who they are has now changed. Philly quarterback Carson Wentz was finally benched in this game and rookie Jalen Hurts showed legitimate signs of promise. Not to say that the Eagles have a shot at winning the NFC East, but they could now theoretically present a more difficult road block for Washington and even the Cowboys without Wentz under center. Call it a butterfly effect, if you will.

‘Things I think’ after Giants-Seahawks: Time to take the Giants seriously - Big Blue View
I think it’s time to take the New York Giants seriously. Sunday’s stunning 17-12 victory on the road against the Seattle Seahawks was the Giants’ fourth straight, guarantees they will stay in first place in the NFC East for another week and proves that they can indeed beat a good team outside the division. The Giants, playing a backup quarterback who had not won a start since 2014, were not supposed to win this game. They were double-digit underdogs. When they headed into the locker room at the half trailing, 5-0, it looked like no matter how well their defense played it wasn’t going to be good enough to beat Seattle, one of the league’s best teams and 56-0 at home before Sunday. The ‘Fightin’ Joe Judges,’ though, found a way.

Justin Jefferson continues to impress in rookie season - Daily Norseman
We know that the Minnesota Vikings got the best wide receiver in the 2020 rookie class when they managed to steal Justin Jefferson at the 22nd overall pick. He should probably be the Offensive Rookie of the Year this season, but there’s plenty of football to be played before we can make that determination. However, one thing that has already been determined is Jefferson’s spot in the record books in a couple of impressive ways following his 9-catch, 121-yard performance in Sunday’s victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. First, today’s performance gave Jefferson his fifth 100-yard performance of the season. This sets a brand new record for Vikings’ rookies, eclipsing the four 100-yard games that Randy Moss had in his spectacular rookie season of 1998.

Week 13: After Stunning The Seahawks, Giants Have NFL Thinking They Might Be A Problem In January - FMIA
The more I watch Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson (61 catches, 1,039 yards, 17.0 per catch), the more I think we’re watching the next superstar in the NFL.

How the NFL playoff picture looks coming out of Week 13 - DraftKings Nation
The Saints beat the Falcons and with the Bears rather stunning collapse against Detroit, New Orleans clinched a playoff berth. The Saints remain atop the NFC South and could clinch the division as soon as next week. The Browns thumped the Titans, but Tennessee remains atop the AFC South thanks to their divisional record. Meanwhile, the Raiders will hang around the playoff race after a miracle last second win over the Browns. The afternoon slate saw the Seahawks suffer a stunning upset at the hands of the Giants. With the Rams beating the Cardinals, LA is now in first place in the NFC West.

...

Social Media Information:

BGN Facebook Page: Click here to like our page

BGN Twitter: Follow @BleedingGreen

BGN Instagram: Follow @BleedingGreenInsta

BGN Manager: Brandon Lee Gowton: Follow @BrandonGowton

BGN Radio Twitter: Follow @BGN_Radio

BGN Cameo: Click here for a personalized video message

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Bleeding Green Nation Daily Roundup newsletter!

A daily roundup of all your Philadelphia Eagles news from Bleeding Green Nation