Philadelphia Eagles: Carson Wentz will be defined by Sunday

Fair or not, the outcome of the Philadelphia Eagles’ showdown against the Dallas Cowboys will be the sole determining factor in how Carson Wentz is viewed, especially by Eagles fans.

Carson Wentz is slowly turning the tide in the court of public opinion after authoring a pair of comeback wins over the past two games for the Philadelphia Eagles.

But those victories won’t mean much if he doesn’t somehow find a way to get his team past the Dallas Cowboys in the teams’ NFC East clash on Sunday, a game that will basically determine which team is headed to the playoffs and which team won’t even finish the season with a winning record.

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Wentz has taken more heat from the fanbase than ever before this season, some of which has been deserved. But realistically, how much can one man do with the kind of offensive options around him that Wentz is currently dealing with?

It’s a debate that has been raging all year, with some seriously questioning his status as “franchise quarterback”. Wentz can silence those doubters on Sunday, at least until they find something else to complain about.

There doesn’t seem to be any in-between when it comes to Sunday’s game. Win, and Wentz is a hero. Lose, and he is a goat. And not the good kind of G.O.A.T. If Wentz’s personal statistics skew either very good or very bad, some people are bound to get caught up in the numbers to an extent. Yet, ultimately, he will be judged on whether or not the Eagles are still standing by the end of the game.

If the Eagles lose, it shouldn’t simply be an indictment of Wentz. The organization has made so many missteps this season, and the roster is beat up to a staggering degree. You can be sure, however, that fingers will primarily point to Wentz for failing to “raise the play of those around him” as the club misses the postseason.

On the flip side, there is some faction of “Wentz truthers” that probably still won’t give him full credit even if he plays well and guides the club to a win against the Cowboys. But, like in the rest of life, extremes of opinion should be ignored while the more sensible draw their own conclusion.

Similarly, we shouldn’t start polishing up Wentz’s Hall of Fame bust if the Eagles win on Sunday, but we could all take heart in his ability to lead a desperate team in a do-or-die situation. If that isn’t “clutch”, I don’t know what is.

If we are being completely realistic here, even if the Eagles defeat Dallas, even if they win the NFC East and get to the playoffs, they aren’t going anywhere. This isn’t a championship-caliber club.

But going forward, the most important part of this football season for the Philadelphia Eagles is to get validation that the man they have invested so much in is truly up to the task.

Winning these games, nabbing a division title and finally getting some playoff experience under his belt would be an invaluable experience for Carson Wentz before the Eagles do their best to reload in the offseason and make sure that their quarterback’s prime years don’t go to waste.

This is why Sunday is critically important in driving the narrative about Wentz going forward. It really shouldn’t be “all or nothing” when it comes to opinions about him after the game, but we all know that’s where it’s headed.