Before going down with a season-ending knee injury, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz looked like the front-runner for league MVP honors, and if you were starting a team from scratch, Wentz would be the guy you want to build your team around.
He will be dearly missed, but does the injury ruin Philadelphia’s Super Bowl aspirations?
Of course, it is a setback. In fact, it is a massive setback. But all is not lost for the Eagles; they're fortunate to have one of the better backup quarterbacks in the sport in Nick Foles. It also helps that, at 11-2 - the best record in the NFC - the foundation has already been poured for the Eagles to rest during Wild Card Weekend and then possibly host every playoff game thereafter.
The Eagles' next game is on the road against a Giants team that recently fired its head coach and GM. They then have a home date against a lackluster Raiders team with huge problems on the defensive side of the ball. The Eagles finish the regular season in Philadelphia against a Cowboys team playing much better of late. Dallas will also be rejuvenated with Ezekiel Elliott back in the fold.
Philadelphia should finish the regular season with a 13-3 record give or take, and that should be good enough for a first-round bye, giving Foles more time to practice with the starters before they traverse the playoffs.
There certainly is a difference between Wentz and Foles, though. Wentz is the total package, both physically and mentally. Foles is much slower and more deliberate with everything he does and certainly doesn’t offer the out-of-structure playmaking skills or run threat that Wentz brings to the table.
Foles is a pure pocket passer that will absolutely stand in and take a big hit to make a throw. Foles will not create the 'wow' plays we have come to expect from Wentz, and his passes lack Wentz’s zip and velocity. Where the drop-off is significant is on third downs and in the red zone, where Wentz’s production was simply off the charts this year.
Foles throws the ball well enough, though, and has about double as many touchdowns as he has interceptions over his career. However, his touchdown-to-interception numbers are skewed by an unsustainable 2013 season with Chip Kelly when Foles threw 27 touchdowns against a measly two interceptions.
If you eliminate that season, Foles' ratio becomes 29/25, which is much less rosy. Protecting the football will be of the utmost importance for Foles now as the Eagles will have to rely even more on their defense and running game with Wentz out of the picture. But all is not lost.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
Foles’ supporting cast is excellent. If there is a roster that can withstand such a huge loss, it is Philadelphia’s. This front office has done an excellent job of building a complete team. It would be great to still have Jason Peters, but otherwise, this is a complete offense with an excellent line. Foles can rely heavily on the team's quality and diverse weapons as well as a deep, potent backfield.
On defense, the Eagles have an exceptional front seven led by the league’s deepest defensive line. Their cornerbacks, once a weakness, have collectively come on strong as an overall playmaking unit.
What tactical approaches can Philadelphia take to help their new starting quarterback and remain highly competitive the rest of the way? Foles has had to endure playing for many different coaches in many different systems throughout his career, but the Eagles' offense is quite quarterback friendly.
This is an offense that relies on Run/Pass Options (RPOs), which is something Foles should execute very well. In fact, Foles was at his best with Kelly in an offense that relied on RPOs.
Expect Jay Ajayi's role to grow. Ajayi can be a workhorse, showing his ability to carry the load last year with Miami. He was impressive in his expanded role last week. Ajayi is at his best with a high amount of volume, and while the rest of Philadelphia’s running back stable has been effective, unleashing Ajayi for the rest of the season and into the playoffs seems like a logical move at this point.
He is averaging just under seven yards per carry in an Eagles uniform over the last five games. The Eagles already have the NFL’s second most rushing attempts, but many of those have come late in games when Philadelphia has a substantial lead. Ajayi is poised to become the true foundation of Philadelphia’s offense with Wentz sidelined, and he is up for the giant task.
Also, if the Eagles were to get past a difficult slate of NFC playoff opponents, they could be in the driver’s seat to win it all. The AFC is clearly the weaker of the two conferences.
Pittsburgh and New England look much more beatable now than they did just a week ago - the Steelers defense is a huge problem area and the Patriots were just beaten soundly by the now 6-7 Dolphins. The goal shouldn’t be just getting to the Super Bowl, it should still be to win it all.
The Eagles are sitting pretty right now in the NFC playoff picture. The Vikings (led by a backup quarterback of their own in Case Keenum) lost in Carolina in Week 14, which helped Philadelphia’s cause. The Eagles might have to follow the Vikings' model with a backup QB, which, evidently, can be successful. Losing Wentz sure didn't help the Eagles' cause, but they are still squarely in the title hunt.
Matt Williamson is a former scout for the Cleveland Browns and spent 10 years at ESPN as a scout and co-host of "The Football Today Podcast." Find him on Twitter @WilliamsonNFL.
