Carson Wentz makes MVP case in divisional win over Redskins
25 October 2017 Eagles News
To give the Eagles a solid lead in the NFC East, the Monday Night Football rivalry game was one of the most important games the Eagles played almost halfway into the season. Through injuries and plenty of adversity the Eagles were able to successfully sweep the Redskins this year after previously getting swept by the division rival for the past two years. After the Eagles came out victorious 34-24, here are some of the takeaways:
Wentz the magician: Carson Wentz put on a clinic against a battered Redskins secondary after starting the game off slow. He leads the NFL with 17 touchdowns thrown after throwing four of them on Monday night. Plenty of times Wentz showed his composure after getting knocked around and escaping plays later when all looked lost. Wentz’s field general presence has given his offense and team as a whole the confidence to overcome any obstacle. After receiving a heap of praise after his dominating game, Wentz is certainly in the conversation for league MVP.
Rookie play: Give props to Howie Roseman for this past NFL draft. Derek Barnett had 2 sacks and multiple pressures, Corey Clement scored a receiving touchdown, Mack Hollins scored his first touchdown of the season (64 yard TD), and Douglas was in for 44% of defensive snaps. The young group is certainly proving themselves and feeding off of the team’s confidence as a whole.
Linebacker loss shows: Jordan Hicks is out for the season with an Achilles injury and Mychal Kendricks was out with a hamstring injury leaving Joe Walker and Najee Goode with the middle linebacker duties, something not ideal for the Eagles. The middle of the field was left wide open for the Redskins tight ends as Vernon Davis and Jordan Reed were Kirk Cousins’ top receivers of the night. Hicks’ dominance on zone coverage will be felt, but there is a positive note that Kendricks will be back to take over as the main middle linebacker for the rest of the season.
Eagles lose Peters for the season: There’s no other way to put it other than the Eagles have an issue to fix at left tackle. All-Pro Jason Peters will be out for the remainder of the season with an ACL tear. Lane Johnson previously tried to work at left tackle last year but showed that it is not in the team’s best interest to switch positions. The Eagles will likely roll with Halapoulivaati Vaitai or recently signed Taylor Hart at left tackle. Doug Pederson should keep a tight end on the left side at all times or an extra blocker to give some help to whomever takes on the role of Wentz’s blindside protector.
So here are the biggest questions coming out of Sunday’s game: Will Darby finally take the stage as the Eagles No. 1 cornerback? Are the Eagles complete even with all of their injuries? Who will replace “The Bodyguard” in Jason Peters?
Stay tuned for my periscope on Thursday @ 12pmET where I will go further into detail about how the Eagles defense can can keep their composure given the injuries they’ve sustained.
Twitter: @BWalkerNFL
#FlyEaglesFly
Brendan Walker Carson Wentz, Corey Clement, Derek Barnett, Mack Hollins, Philadelphia Eagles