Getty Former Eagles QB Michael Vick.
The line of people questioning Carson Wentz is getting longer than the one to see the Liberty Bell.
There are cracks in both the legendary bell and the franchise quarterback, but enough to sink the season? That remains to be seen.
The Eagles still control their own destiny despite playing miserably on their way to a 5-6 record. The team has plenty of time to make a playoff run, assuming their enigmatic leader can turn it around.
Two former Eagles quarterbacks were asked for their opinions on Wentz’s recent struggles. Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb were mostly diplomatic in their answers, but they both seemed to answer one unavoidable truth. The ghost of Nick Foles forever looms large and seeks to cast a spell over another season. Wentz appears to be pressing against that haunted backdrop.
Vick Predicts Failure for Wentz in Philadelphia
Michael Vick didn’t mince words when asked a direct question about Carson Wentz’s ultimate fate in Philadelphia.
The former Eagles quarterback predicted he would fail because the bar was set too high by Nick Foles. He also referenced those pesky anonymous sources that keep questioning Wentz’s character and leadership abilities.
“He will fail in Philadelphia,” Vick told the FOX Sports’ podcast “Speak for Yourself” on Sirius XM. “I just think the bar has been set so high by Nick Foles and regardless of when he came in, he did what he did. They won the Super Bowl.”
Former Eagles QB @MichaelVick on Carson Wentz
“He will fail in Philadelphia.”
“Now there’s a ceiling that’s been set,” Vick continued, “and, along with Carson Wentz’s character which sometimes has been questioned, you know by his teammates and the public, it just makes it difficult for him. So I think he is just fighting an uphill battle continuously week in and week out to win.”
McNabb Wonders If Wentz Can Match What Foles Did
The comparisons between Carson Wentz and Nick Foles will never go away. The two are attached at the hip flexor for life.
Donovan McNabb, the former face of the franchise and its greatest quarterback, tried to provide context on how much pressure Wentz is under. Eagles fans expect a lot from their quarterback and Wentz appears to be feeling the intense pressure.
McNabb thinks he’s pressing way too much.
“You know it wasn’t a stellar performance which I think at this particular point he’s pressing,” McNabb told “Farzetta & Tra In The Morning” on 97.5 The Fanatic. “And he’s pressing harder than I’ve seen him before. And a lot of it is trying to please the fans and trying to show what he really can do instead of just going and playing football.”
“It wasn’t a stellar performance, he’s pressing harder than I’ve seen him before. He’s trying to please fans & show what he can do except just play football, this team has no identity still.” – @donovanjmcnabb on Wentz’s performance yesterday
McNabb also broke down the Eagles’ failed game plan against Seattle, pointing out that “Carson Wentz isn’t Russell Wilson” and the team should have run more play-action passes and stuck to the ground game with Jay Ajayi.
He also echoed what Michael Vick was saying about playing under the specter of Nick Foles. It has to haunt him every day.
“One thing everybody has to understand is that it’s not easy to be labeled as the franchise quarterback,” McNabb told 97.5 FM. “Everybody wants that tag but there’s a lot of pressure that goes with it and he is feeling the pressure.
“Think about it. We’re at the same point we were pretty much last year until Nick Foles took over. Now can Carson do the same thing Nick Foles did last year? That’s a big question.”
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