Carson and Dak discuss the Wentz-Prescott rivalry

Share

Carson Wentz understands why people look at this weekend's matchup against the Cowboys as a matchup that pins him against Dak Prescott.

Wentz knows it's a good thing for the conference, the division, and even the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry. 

He's just not about making this Wentz vs. Prescott. 

"At the end of the day, we're playing the defense," Wentz said. "I'm not playing Dak Prescott. I'm playing the Cowboys' defense and as a team, we're playing the Cowboys. I don't look into it too much. I really just focus on what we can do to beat this defense." 

But the comparisons are unavoidable. 

Prescott got off to a tremendous start in his professional career, making the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Wentz has clearly caught up and is a favorite to win the NFL MVP award this season. 

Who's better? 

Well, that will play itself out over the next several years. The good news is it will be plenty of fun to watch. There's a chance these two quarterbacks could be battling it out for the next decade on opposite ends of one of the NFL's most notable rivalries. 

"I don't honestly pay any attention to comparisons," Prescott said on a conference call with Philadelphia reporters. "I don't like to compare myself to anyone. I don't pay attention to that but it's hard when Carson is playing the way he's playing and the Eagles are as hot as they are to not see and not pay attention to his stats and what they're doing."

For what it's worth, here are their numbers, each through 25 games in their careers: 

Prescott: 18-7 record, 494 for 748 (66 percent), 5,661 yards, 39 TD, 8 INT 

Wentz: 15-10 record, 555 for 898 (62 percent), 6,044 yards, 39 TD, 19 INT

You could spend all day arguing the meaning behind these numbers. You'd probably hear about Prescott's supporting cast and Wentz's interception numbers. You'd probably hear about their ceilings. And maybe you'd hear about how Prescott is overlooked because he was a fourth-round pick and Wentz went No. 2 overall. 

But the numbers are pretty similar. And both QBs have found success early in their careers. 

So it's just natural to compare them. And it might be natural for Wentz to at least think for a brief second about facing a guy he'll be compared to for the rest of his career. 

"I mean, there is that little bit inside you that you know they're linked together," Frank Reich said. "So that's natural, that's human nature. But I can assure you right now the only Cowboys that Carson is worried about or thinking about are those four guys up front and those secondary players. He's not at all thinking about what kind of game Dak's going to have. He's concerned and focusing on that defense, and they certainly have some good players over there that are worthy to be concerned about and to focus on."

Prescott was one of about five quarterbacks the Eagles brought in for an interview during the 2016 pre-draft process. Reich came away from the meeting with Prescott extremely impressed with Prescott's understanding of X's and O's, which added to his already impressive college tape. Reich said he had "very, very high grades" on Prescott. 

Wentz and Prescott got a chance to know each other a little bit over those months too. They were both at the Senior Bowl and at the combine. 

"He's a great dude," Wentz said. "Obviously, he's a good leader and he's done well. Like I said, it's exciting for this division and this rivalry." 

Contact Us