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Eight sacks. Two interceptions. One forgettable day.
The Eagles dropped their season opener 27-17 in what will go down as one of Carson Wentz’s most disappointing performances. The franchise quarterback was under intense pressure all afternoon, thanks largely to an inexperienced offensive line. With Lane Johnson nursing a sore ankle, the team trotted out second-year guard Nate Herbig at right guard and rookie Jack Driscoll at right tackle. Neither one had ever started an NFL game prior to Sunday.
While it’s true Wentz was feeling the heat every time he dropped back, he needed to do a better job of getting the ball out. He threw two costly interceptions, on errant and misguided throws. He also fumbled the ball on a busted play but Jason Kelce (luckily) was there to recover it. The Eagles quickly watched a 17-0 second-quarter lead evaporate into thin air. Washington unapologetically scored 27 unanswered points to send Philly home losers in Week 1.
“It definitely didn’t make me skittish,” Wentz said of being under pressure. “Some of the things I have to clean up. I might’ve had guys that I could’ve thrown to and gotten rid of the ball quicker [and didn’t]. I missed some throws, but it didn’t have anything to do with being skittish or anything like that. That happens. But I have to be better.”
Wentz’s 75.2 passer rating was his lowest since a brutal loss last year in Atlanta. He posted a 61.3 passer rating in that one. On a third-and-3 late in the fourth quarter, Wentz put a ball on the numbers to Zach Ertz who watched it bounce off his fingertips. That play symbolized the whole game.
“It was definitely frustrating walking off that field but there’s a lot of good we can learn from,” Wentz said. “Shake off some of these things, and get back to it next week.”
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What Happened to DeSean Jackson?
DeSean Jackson was seen talking to trainers several times on the sideline. The speedy receiver saw just 37 offensive snaps (54-percent) and caught two balls for 46 yards. It never felt like he was invested in the football game and concerns over an injury were the topic of conversation. According to Jackson, he’s not hurt.
Meanwhile, Wentz leaned on his two standout tight ends against Washington. Dallas Goedert played on 79-percent of the offensive snaps while Zach Ertz was in on 85-percent of them. Goedert finished with eight catches for 101 yards and a score, with Ertz grabbing three balls for 18 yards and a touchdown. Rookie Jalen Reagor paced the wide receivers and his highlight-reel reception was arguably the best play of the day. He tracked the ball perfectly 55 yards down the field.
“I came out feeling good,” Wentz said. “We moved the ball right down the field, put up points and got ahead in the game. But I’ve got to clear up the interceptions. I put our defense in a bad spot on a couple occasions, then we lost some momentum.”
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