Three weeks into last season I made a bold claim that Carson Wentz was indeed a thing and yes, I have the tweet to prove it. That stance turned out to be a tad premature as Wentz faded and the Eagles slumped to a 7-9 finish under first-year coach Doug Pederson. Hey, you win some, you lose some.
But if Monday night was a sign of things to come, I think I’m going to be on the right side of history. Wentz, who could easily be playing for the Cleveland Browns right now (dodged a bullet there, didn’t he?), pulled out all the stops in Monday night’s 34-24 victory over the Redskins. The counting stats were nice—17-for-25, 268 yards, four touchdowns with one interception—but seeing Wentz was believing. The highlights included a Herculean 64-yard TD throw to Mack Hollins (who supposedly rode his bike to the game), a nine-yard touchdown pass preceded by a Houdini-esque escape and finally, the play that broke the Internet, this impossible 17-yard scramble.
It all felt too good to be true, unless you’ve been watching Wentz the last few weeks. If you have, you’ll know that Monday’s pyrotechnics are the new normal for Wentz, who has thrown for 794 yards with 11 touchdowns and only two interceptions over his last three games, all Eagles victories. He’s added another 99 yards on the ground during that span including a career-high 63 rushing yards in Monday night’s victory. Through seven weeks, Wentz leads the NFL with 17 touchdown passes, which, if you can believe it, is more than he had all of last season.
Certainly, Wentz has made giant strides since last year and even from earlier this season, but let’s not downplay the improvement of his supporting cast. That discussion begins with Zach Ertz, who has graduated from the ranks of “above-average NFL tight end” to a more prestigious fraternity inhabited by the likes of Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce. In fact, you could argue that Ertz, at least from a pure fantasy lens, has been in a class all by himself this season. Monday was the latest in a year full of successes as Ertz shredded the Redskins for a team-high 89 yards on five catches, which was also the amount of times he was targeted. As required by federal law, Ertz made his weekly end-zone visit in the second quarter, side-stepping a defender for a no-sweat four-yard touchdown. That gives Ertz five touchdowns for the season (already a career-high) including four in his last three contests.
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The Ertz phenomenon is easy to explain. Needing an upgrade at wide receiver, the Eagles broke the bank for ex-Bear Alshon Jeffery on a one-year, $14 million contract. Jeffery has had a quiet year by his standards thanks to a brutal early schedule with matchups against Josh Norman in Week 1, Marcus Peters in Week 2, Janoris Jenkins in Week 3, Casey Hayward in Week 4 and Patrick Peterson in Week 5. With Jeffery getting swallowed up by elite corners on a near-weekly basis, Ertz has emerged as Wentz’s de facto safety blanket, soaking up targets and touchdowns at a rapid clip.
Though not as prolific as Ertz, Nelson Agholor has also enjoyed a breakout season for the Eagles. Monday extended his touchdown streak to three games while upping his season total to five. That’s an astounding number when you consider that Agholor totaled just three touchdowns over his first two seasons. The former first-round pick had been a supreme bust until this year but has thrived in his new role as the Eagles’ primary slot receiver, a position once held by Jordan Matthews. He already has a new career-high in receiving yards (366) with nine games left on the schedule.
Monday just wasn’t the Redskins’ night. The running game, which was all but abandoned in the second half, accomplished little (75 yards on 18 carries) while Terrelle Pryor was held to a season-low 14 yards on two catches. Desperate for a receiver after losing both Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson in free agency, the Redskins ponied up $6 million this offseason to make Pryor their featured receiver. But that’s not how it played out on Monday night as Pryor was mostly rendered a spectator in the first half, riding the pine while Jamison Crowder and Josh Doctson operated as the Redskins’ top two receivers. Pryor’s role increased in the second half, but Doctson still out-snapped him by a noticeable 54-30 margin. With one touchdown and only two games of 50-plus yards this season, the fantasy well for Pryor has quickly dried up, which is a bitter pill to swallow for owners who thought they were getting a steal by selecting him in the fourth round of drafts this summer.
If you’re a proponent of the glass half-full mindset, you won’t have to strain your eyes to find a silver lining in the Redskins’ loss. Even as Pryor’s last remaining shred of fantasy credibility disintegrated, Jordan Reed provided a faint glimmer of hope. Looking as healthy as he has all year (though he did have a brief injury scare at one point), Reed set season-highs with eight catches and 64 yards while ending a four-game scoreless drought with his first and second touchdowns of the season. Much of his output came in garbage time and he failed to outgain teammate and fellow tight end Vernon Davis (team-high 67 yards), but Monday still represented an important stepping stone for Reed.
On the injury front, Rob Kelley (ankle) returned from a one-game absence but managed only 16 yards on seven carries. Fat Rob didn’t see much work in the second half (just two carries) with Washington playing from behind, and was ultimately out-touched by pass-catcher Chris Thompson (seven carries, 38 yards, five catches for 26 yards and a touchdown). Meanwhile Wendell Smallwood came back from a knee injury on Monday night, further muddying the backfield waters in Philadelphia. With Smallwood, LeGarrette Blount and Corey Clement all standing in each other’s way, even the most desperate of fantasy owners should be looking elsewhere for running back help.
Though Monday was mostly a night of joy for the 6-1 Eagles (check back tomorrow to see where they fall in my latest Power Rankings), fans at Lincoln Financial Field had to feel their hearts drop when long-time left tackle Jason Peters was carted off early in the second half. No diagnosis was given, though the injury had the look of a season-ender. Philadelphia’s line can hold its own without Peters, but it still stings losing a nine-time Pro Bowler.
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Quick Hits: Cardinals coach Bruce Arians confirmed that Drew Stanton will serve as the team’s starting quarterback during Carson Palmer’s absence. Palmer could miss anywhere from 4-8 weeks after suffering a broken left arm in Week 7 … Andrew Luck won’t play Week 8 against the Bengals and from the looks of it, we may not see him anytime soon. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that a late-November return would probably be his best-case scenario, though Luck is expected to play if healthy, regardless of the Colts’ record … T.Y. Hilton apologized for making critical remarks about the Colts’ offensive line following the team’s loss to Jacksonville in Week 7. Hilton has gone his last four games without a touchdown … DeVante Parker will test out his injured ankle at Tuesday’s practice ahead of Thursday’s Week 8 matchup against the Ravens. Parker is hoping to avoid his third straight absence … Broncos coach Vance Joseph believes Emmanuel Sanders will have a chance to return Monday night against Kansas City. Denver was shut out with Sanders sidelined in Week 7 … The Broncos are sticking with Trevor Siemian at quarterback despite another weak showing in Sunday’s loss to the Chargers. Siemian got off to a hot start by slinging six touchdowns over his first two games but has only thrown two touchdowns since … In addition to his hamstring woes, DeMarco Murray picked up a shoulder injury in Week 7. Teammate Delanie Walker hurt his ankle in that game but escaped with just a bruise. Both players will have the bye week to heal up … All-Pro left tackle Joe Thomas is set to undergo season-ending surgery on his torn triceps. Week 8 against the Vikings will end his streak of 167 consecutive games played … As has become their weekly custom, the Browns have yet to announce a starting quarterback for their next game. Cody Kessler should be considered the leading candidate after taking over for DeShone Kizer in the second half of Sunday’s loss to Tennessee … Martavis Bryant reiterated his desire to be traded on social media (he took a page out of Eric Bledsoe’s book) after his latest frustration against the Bengals in Week 7, though as of now the Steelers have no plans to move him. Perhaps that will change as we get closer to the October 31 trade deadline … Marshawn Lynch, who was suspended one game for making contact with an official in Thursday night’s win over Kansas City, had his appeal heard on Monday. Close friend Marcus Peters spoke in defense of Lynch at his hearing … With Dan Bailey nursing a groin injury, the Cowboys held kicker tryouts on Monday with Sam Irwin-Hill, Younghoe Koo, Jason Myers and Mike Nugent among those in attendance. Safety Jeff Heath made two-of-three extra points for Dallas after Bailey left Sunday’s game against the 49ers … Duane Brown ended his holdout by rejoining the Texans on Monday. Brown needed to report this week to prevent his contract from tolling. It’s good timing as Brown’s replacement at left tackle, Chris Clark, is out with a calf injury … Teddy Bridgewater (knee, PUP) will not be activated for Sunday’s game versus the Browns, partially due to the notoriously slick field conditions at Twickenham Stadium in London. With Case Keenum slumping and Sam Bradford continuing to nurse a knee injury, it might not be long until Bridgewater gets a chance to start … Andrew Sendejo is facing a one-game suspension for violating the league’s player safety rules. The suspension stems from a hit that concussed Mike Wallace in Week 7 … The NFL’s request to expedite Ezekiel Elliott’s injunction hearing has been denied. His case will be heard by Judge Katherine Polk Failla in the Southern District of New York on October 30. Elliott is appealing a six-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
