Jaws: Wentz on a similar track as Derek Carr

[darthseinfeld]

PHILADELPHIA -- Has Carson Wentz regressed?

That is a popular conversation of late as thePhiladelphia Eagles' offense continues to trend in the wrong direction, taking the team's playoff chances with it.

Statistically, the answer is yes. Wentz has thrown four touchdowns to seven interceptions over the past seven games after posting seven TDs and one interception over the first four. He was the best in the league against the blitz over the first quarter of the season with an 84 percent completion rate, per ESPN Stats & Information, and has completed just 56 percent of this throws when facing heat in the weeks following. Wentz owns the lowest Total QBR in the NFL (41.2) among quarterbacks to start more than two games since the Eagles came off their bye in Week 4.

There are plenty of variables at play, however, including a crumbling foundation around the young quarterback. Ron Jaworski believes Wentz continues to perform despite the worsening conditions.

"I have no concern for numbers," the former Eagles quarterback and current ESPN analyst said. "My concern is how he's playing. And I think he is playing very well."

Jaworski is quick to note that there have been plenty of imperfections. He believes the dip in success against the blitz, for instance, is due in part to Wentz simply missing some opportunities. He points to a red-zone play on the Eagles' final drive in an eventual close loss to the Giants a couple of weeks back as a good example of that.

"He had two [receiving options] that he just flat-out missed. He didn't see them. And that's going to happen. There was no eye contact with [Zach] Ertz or [Jordan] Matthews on those plays, and there were blitz-beaters built in. He didn't see them."

http://www.espn.com/blog/philadelph...carson-wentz-on-a-similar-track-as-derek-carr

 

[Idgit]

"He believes the dip in success against the blitz, for instance, is due in part to Wentz simply missing some opportunities."

Ground breaking stuff. Simple.

The league is full of guys who'd be great QBs if not for all the missed opportunities.

 

[JDSmith]

I think he meant David Carr.

 

[Longboysfan]

The Eagles do not have a lot of talent sitting on their roster to bring them forward as the Raiders do from all their seasons of drafting at the top.

 

[John813]

Wentz needs some talent on the outside. However, I hope they continue to pick busts at WR

 

[Yakuza Rich]

That's a poor use of statistical information by Jaws. The big error is he's using a small sample size and likely has an agenda of 'what good QB can I find that had similar stats to what Wentz is doing now?'

I would also say there are glaring differences between Carr and Wentz. Carr had an excellent throwing motion coming out of college. His footwork needed to be cleaned up, but his throwing motion was excellent. Wentz has a terrible throwing motion where he winds up, gets the mid-humerus parallel to the ground and 'flares' out the right elbow. It causes him to miss high and disrupts the timing of the pattern. And my experience is that QB's can quickly re-learn footwork...but if you have an elongated release, it takes a serious amount of time on the bench and working on it to perfect it.

Carr also played at Fresno State where he did play against lower level competition, but they weren't a powerhouse and on several occasions were inferior talent-wise to the competition. Wentz played at NDSU which is basically ole D-IAA ball and he won 2 National Championship from a program that won 3 in a row prior to him being there. He was playing against a very low level of competition and almost always had superior talent around him.

Lastly, Carr's brother played in the NFL. He had been preparing him for the NFL since he was in high school.

It's not to say that Wentz can never be a successful NFL QB. But, Jaws' agenda driven 'similarity score' to Carr is outrageous and I think the simple fact is that the Eagles started Wentz right away instead of sitting him for a year is more likely to be to his detriment that he may never overcome.





YR

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Obviously I hope he doesn't ever play anywhere near as good as Carr.

 

[Doomsday]

One question I have is, what does WRs dropping balls have to do with him being a check down charlie?

 

[Yakuza Rich]

One question I have is, what does WRs dropping balls have to do with him being a check down charlie?

It's ESPN's love(fear of their fans) of the Eagles. Just like how they keep telling us that his receivers never get open downfield and All-22 shows a completely different story...he just can't anticipate the throws and goes to the checkdown.

Gotta keep hope alive instead of facing the cold, hard truth.




YR

 

[Proximo]

It's ESPN's love(fear of their fans) of the Eagles. Just like how they keep telling us that his receivers never get open downfield and All-22 shows a completely different story...he just can't anticipate the throws and goes to the checkdown.

Gotta keep hope alive instead of facing the cold, hard truth.




YR

I don't think I've ever seen a QB (a rookie, at that) ever have so many excuses made for their horrible play.

Wentz has played like absolute TRASH for the better part of the last couple months. His game Sunday against the Bengals was ATROCIOUS. Threw several picks along with a number of other very interceptable balls that Bengal defenders just failed to pull in. He is regressing big time.

The notion that it's all because "his WR's can't get open, and they drop balls" is absurd. No they don't have the best group of pass catchers in NFL history, but to act like NONE of them EVER get any separation is laughable.

Hopefully he keeps stinking it up and the Philly fan base turns on him completely. Damage his confidence and psyche to help speed up his journey down the road of "highly drafted QB bust".