The Philadelphia Eagles are wasting MVP-level Carson Wentz

If the Philadelphia Eagles are going to overtake the Dallas Cowboys for an NFC East pennant, they’ll need to stop wasting MVP-level Carson Wentz.

If you look at their record and record alone, one would assume that the Philadelphia Eagles are a pretty average team, and in a lot of ways that assumption would be correct.

With only three healthy cornerbacks, a virtually nonexistent pass rush, and shockingly ineffective depth at the wide receiver position, the Birds have thoroughly earned their record over the first month of the season, even after a splendid second-half showing in Week 1 gave fans a glimpse of how high this team can soar.

But one player who can’t be blamed for the Eagles’ situation – and believe me plenty of people have tried – is starting quarterback Carson Wentz.

Why? Easy, Wentz is playing at an MVP level.

As our friends over at Pro Football Focus have pointed out, Wentz has thrown 20 percent of the NFL’s ‘big time throws’ and has consistently put his teammates – and the team in general – in a position to win over the season’s first month.

But players around him? That, my friends, is a different story.

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Of the five ‘big time throws’ thrown by Wentz this season, all five have been dropped, dipping his QBR and overall grade considerably. While one could also argue that a few of those catches would have gone for touchdowns, potentially changing the Eagles’ fate in both Week 2 and Week 3, said drops by JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Nelson Agholor, and Dallas Goedert are far from the only reasons why the team didn’t win either of those games.

Even the Eagles’ coaching staff has largely let Wentz down this season, as they have once again returned to the hero ball West Coast concepts that made number 11 an MVP frontrunner in 2017, despite lacking the correct personnel to fully capitalize on such a scheme.

While Wentz has still found ways to make plays, including an absolutely amazing throw to Agholor in Week 2, so far, the results have been underwhelming when subbing in players like Mack Hollins and JJAW for proven veterans like DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery.

Had Doug Pederson swallowed his pride and reverted back to the RPO-heavy quick passing offense that made Nick Foles a Super Bowl MVP, the Eagles’ lack of elite receiving options may have been mitigated by smart play calling, but in Weeks 2 and 3, the team combined for 15 three-and-outs, five more than in Week 1 and 4 combined.

And sure, if you want to play devil’s advocate – in the hopes of appeasing the Wentz-hating segment of the Eagles fan base – the Bismarck Bullet has made his fair share of mistakes in 2019, as he’s thrown a pair of ugly interceptions, but that’s to be expected to a degree; Wentz is a gunslinger, and by extension is going to try to make plays even if they may be a bit too rich for a game manager like Teddy Bridgewater‘s blood.

And as Pro Football Focus has so simply pointed out, you really can’t knock the kid for trying.

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While Carson Wentz leapfrogging Patrick Mahomes to win a league MVP two-years after his fated 2017 campaign was cut short, I’m sure the 26-year-old quarterback would happily trade in those personal accolades for a chance to lead his team on a deep run into the playoffs, and maybe even make his on-field Super Bowl debut. However, that’s not going to happen if the Philadelphia Eagles continue to struggle and waste Wentz’s MVP form with a weak supporting cast and ill-conceived game plans.

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