Getty Eagles QB Carson Wentz has been compared to Matt Ryan by several of his coaches.
Everyone is always trying to find the “next” this or the “next” that. LeBron James was supposed to be the next Michael Jordan; Tom Brady the next Joe Montana. You get the idea. Beat reporters were digging for a fair comparison for Carson Wentz early on in training camp — and Eagles senior offensive consultant Rich Scangarello gave them a surprising one: Matt Ryan.
Scangarello likened the way Wentz handled the mental aspect of football to the Falcons quarterback, calling them both “elite processors.”
“It’s interesting in the league now that I’ve been around a little more and had to work with a number of guys the last few years. I think I would compare Carson more mentally to like a Matt Ryan,” Scagarello told reporters on Aug. 25. “I wasn’t in the room with Matt, but I was there and around it. I talked a lot about people. I have a great deal of respect for Matt as a player and his mental ability.”
Scangarello served as the offensive quality control coach in Atlanta in 2015, the same year Ryan made his lone All-Pro team. He stopped short of making a “direct comparison” but obviously saw a lot of similar traits in both Ryan and Wentz.
“Carson, he’s an elite processor in my opinion, both pre-snap and post-snap,” Scangarello said. “He’s able to do a lot of things because of it. That’s what separates him to me from a lot of people in this league.”
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Doug Pederson Agreed with Scangarello’s Assessment
Doug Pederson for his opinion on Scangarello’s comments about Wentz mirroring Ryan, specifically in his ability to process plays both pre-snap and post-snap. The Eagles head coach agreed with that assessment, adding that he thought Wentz was a “deep thinker” who processes things “extremely fast.” He didn’t deny the comparison.
“You know, Carson is — Rich is right,” Pederson told reporters on Aug. 26. “He’s not only a smart, quick thinker but he’s a deep thinker when it comes to football, and he does process things extremely well, extremely fast. You know, obviously, now that he’s going into his fifth year with us and understanding our system, understanding our offense, things process even faster for him.”
The two NFC rival quarterbacks’ numbers stack up favorably as well. Ryan, a Philly native, has thrown for 52,432 yards and 328 touchdowns (149 interceptions) in 193 NFL games. Meanwhile, Wentz has thrown for 15,121 yards and 101 touchdowns (42 interceptions) in 60 NFL games.
It’s a battle of the birds in Philly, as Carson Wentz and the Eagles host Matt Ryan and the Falcons #ATLvsPHI
That’s 252 passing yards per game for Wentz and 271 for Ryan, with 1.68 touchdowns per game for Wentz and 1.69 for Ryan — along with 0.70 interceptions per game for Wentz and 0.77 for Ryan. At that rate, Wentz would be at 48,636 passing yards and 324 touchdowns (135 interceptions) when he gets to the same stage of his career. Ryan has a higher passer rating — 94.6 to Wentz’s 90.8.
Most Drops on Catchable Balls in 2020
Another weird stat, per RotoWire, for Ryan and Wentz has to do with the “most drops on catchable balls” this year through Week 4. Tom Brady has the least sure-handed receivers, with a whopping 17 drops.
But second place belongs to Wentz and his ragtag of practice-squad receivers who have let 12 balls fall through their fingertips, compared to third-place quarterbacks Matt Ryan (11) and Matt Stafford (11). Just some more food for thought for all the Wentz bashers.
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