by Jack Kerwin | [email protected]
Mechanics, schmechanics …
As the deluge of analysis on Eagles rookie quarterback Carson Wentz falls on a nation of bleeding-green fans in the form of mid-season report cards, retired NFL players’ proclamations and Ray Didinger confirmations, all coming to the same conclusion that “the kid” has lost a little something the last few weeks due to suddenly slumping mechanics, here it the reality:
He is what it is.
Heady. Head strong. Athletic. Flawed. Far more rangy than bull-in-a-china-shop tough (sorry, “yeah, he’s gonna kick some y’ass” yakkers).
Oh … and good arm, not great. Not to mention good accuracy, not great.
Yo, eye test right here. He makes the same throws now that he did at North Dakota State. The same damn ones. He made the same damn ones in that 3-0 start to the season. He’s often high, he’s often just a tick off, either behind or ahead of a receiver.
That’s him. Period.
Expecting anything more of him in his first season, or thinking that he’s actually doing anything more is silly on the former and wishful on the latter.
Put it this way, he’s halfway to a 3,760-yard, 18-touchdown campaign with a 64.4 completion percentage. That don’t read too bad, does it?
Sure, Wentz has had several opportunities to deliver down the stretch the last month and change, and had failed to do so as the Birds dropped four of their last five games. Now this may goes against Malcolm “Becoming Malcontent” Jenkins’ beliefs, but, thing is, the team ain’t even in position to tempt victory without the first-year signal-caller doing some damage to opposing defenses at some point in those games.
Against the Giants, he threw for 364 yards and had the Eagles on the doorstep of enough points to win … had fellow rookie, head coach Doug Pederson, opted for “3” instead of going full steam ahead on fourth down a couple times and the team failed.
Against Dallas, really, Wentz is gonna take the heat for the Birds blowing a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter? Go ahead and sell it. Ain’t buying.
Even against Washington … had the kid not gone off in the fourth, following an afternoon spent looking like the unlucky middle man in a bar-room brawl, there would be no “damn, so close” talk.
The loss in Detroit? Hey, that long bomb on the Eagles’ last possession was lame. No doubt about it.
Thing is, it showed that Wentz ain’t perfect. That, despite comments to the contrary, he doesn’t have a cannon for an arm. That he has flaws, mechanical or otherwise.
They haven’t been hidden at any point this season. They haven’t been hidden at any point prior to this season for anyone who cared to watch film and give an appropriate grade instead of a hopeful, starry-eyed one.
He is what he is, which is pretty good … with the chance to get better.
Mechanics, schmechanics …
As the deluge of analysis on Eagles rookie quarterback Carson Wentz falls on a nation of bleeding-green fans in the form of mid-season report cards, retired NFL players’ proclamations and Ray Didinger confirmations, all coming to the same conclusion that “the kid” has lost a little something the last few weeks due to suddenly slumping mechanics, here it the reality:
He is what it is.
Heady. Head strong. Athletic. Flawed. Far more rangy than bull-in-a-china-shop tough (sorry, “yeah, he’s gonna kick some y’ass” yakkers).
Oh … and good arm, not great. Not to mention good accuracy, not great.
Yo, eye test right here. He makes the same throws now that he did at North Dakota State. The same damn ones. He made the same damn ones in that 3-0 start to the season. He’s often high, he’s often just a tick off, either behind or ahead of a receiver.
That’s him. Period.
Expecting anything more of him in his first season, or thinking that he’s actually doing anything more is silly on the former and wishful on the latter.
Put it this way, he’s halfway to a 3,760-yard, 18-touchdown campaign with a 64.4 completion percentage. That don’t read too bad, does it?
Sure, Wentz has had several opportunities to deliver down the stretch the last month and change, and had failed to do so as the Birds dropped four of their last five games. Now this may goes against Malcolm “Becoming Malcontent” Jenkins’ beliefs, but, thing is, the team ain’t even in position to tempt victory without the first-year signal-caller doing some damage to opposing defenses at some point in those games.
Against the Giants, he threw for 364 yards and had the Eagles on the doorstep of enough points to win … had fellow rookie, head coach Doug Pederson, opted for “3” instead of going full steam ahead on fourth down a couple times and the team failed.
Against Dallas, really, Wentz is gonna take the heat for the Birds blowing a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter? Go ahead and sell it. Ain’t buying.
Even against Washington … had the kid not gone off in the fourth, following an afternoon spent looking like the unlucky middle man in a bar-room brawl, there would be no “damn, so close” talk.
The loss in Detroit? Hey, that long bomb on the Eagles’ last possession was lame. No doubt about it.
Thing is, it showed that Wentz ain’t perfect. That, despite comments to the contrary, he doesn’t have a cannon for an arm. That he has flaws, mechanical or otherwise.
They haven’t been hidden at any point this season. They haven’t been hidden at any point prior to this season for anyone who cared to watch film and give an appropriate grade instead of a hopeful, starry-eyed one.
He is what he is, which is pretty good … with the chance to get better.
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