Carson Wentz, Eagles may have winning formula in wide-open NFC
Your eyes don’t deceive you, those are the Philadelphia Eagles perched atop the NFC standings with a 5-1 record.
In less than a year, the Birds have gone from a last-place finish (7-9) in the NFC East to a team that’s playing like one of the league's best.
And here’s why.
Naturally, Philadelphia’s improvement starts at quarterback. As a rookie, Carson Wentz took his lumps, throwing 14 interceptions to go with 16 touchdown passes. He struggled under pressure and couldn’t consistently deliver on the money downs.
But now? Wentz is living up to expectations as the No. 2 overall pick of the 2016 draft. He's more confident, poised and making better decisions. He has displayed a greater command of the offense, completing 60.9% of his passes for 1,584 yards (fifth-most in the NFL) and 13 touchdowns (tied for second). And with only three interceptions, Wentz is rocking a passer rating of 99.6, which ranks seventh.
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Wentz also has used his legs with greater frequency, rushing for 133 yards — second most on the team — and averaging 4.2 per carry. (Last season, he finished with 150 yards on the ground).
But the Eagles’ improvement stems from more than just Wentz.
Philadelphia’s front office worked to give its young star an improved supporting cast, adding wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith. Running back LeGarrette Blount, a free agent addition, is averaging 5.6 yards per carry (fifth-best in the NFL), and his 390 yards have eased pressure on Wentz.
However continuity could be a bigger key to the league's third-ranked offense. Right tackle Lane Johnson — the Eagles were 5-1 when he was in the lineup last year — has missed just one game. Zach Ertz is leading all tight ends with 34 receptions and 405 yards. And after two disappointing seasons, former first rounder Nelson Agholor is finally making an impact out of the slot.
And perhaps most impressive of all? The Eagles’ success rate on third downs. Their 50.6% conversion rate is far and away the league's best figure.
Defensively, Philadelphia is the NFL's stingiest unit against the run and holds foes to a 32.9% success rate on third downs, third best in the league. The Eagles are giving up gobs of yards through the air, but they rank fourth in takeaways and keep opponents out of the end zone, surrendering just 20.3 points per game. That’s the definition of bend-but-don’t-break.
The Eagles’ lone loss was a seven-point defeat in Kansas City to the Chiefs, the league's only other squad with five wins.
The big question for Philly involves sustainability. But given the success in so many crucial categories — third downs efficiency on both sides of the ball, turnover ratio (plus-4) and point differential (plus-43) — and the way the schedule plays out, the Eagles' prospects appear bright.
Philly hosts a battered Washington team Monday night. Completing a season sweep of the Redskins would give the Eagles a key tiebreaker and a 2½-game lead in the division. Washington is currently one of just four teams with a winning record remaining on the schedule.
And the NFC seems even more wide open now that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers may be lost for the season with a broken collarbone.
Staying healthy and overcoming inexperience, especially for a player like Wentz, are always concerns, especially if the Eagles reach postseason and have to face more battle-tested teams.
Coach Doug Pederson acknowledged Thursday that a vital component to playoff success involves attention to detail, which strengthens the foundation of a team.
“It's about doing the little things now, meaning rest and hydration and extra study, or extra conditioning, things that sometimes you lose sight of in all the wins and the success that a team has had,” Pederson said.
“This is that time of year, we're getting in that stretch of games, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, where teams begin to separate themselves. We can't have any letdowns (or) setbacks. Got to just be full steam ahead.”
These Eagles have already built a nice head of steam.
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Follow Mike Jones on Twitter @ByMikeJones
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