Carson Wentz Excellence in Crucial Situations Separates Eagles from NFC Wannabes

Great quarterbacks are defined by their production during crucial situations. 

Tom Brady never becomes Tom Brady without leading the New England Patriots past the Oakland Raiders during the Tuck Rule Game. Ben Roethlisberger's career wouldn't be complete without his beautiful red-zone touch pass to Santonio Holmes during the waning moments of Super Bowl XLIII. Eli Manning is a two-time champion because he isn't overwhelmed even in the most stressful situations. 

Careers are defined by memorable moments, and the very best comes up big when needed the most. 

Carson Wentz's legend continues to grow based on the holy football trinity of third-down efficiency, red-zone performance and an uncanny calm under pressure. 

The Philadelphia Eagles dominated Sunday with a 31-3 victory over the hapless Chicago Bears at Lincoln Financial Field. The 10-1 Eagles have won their last four games by a 107-point margin, and they became the first team since the 2004 Indianapolis Colts to win four straight contests by 23 or more points, per NBC Sports Philadelphia's Reuben Frank. 

Only a total team effort can spur such a dominant stretch. However, great quarterbacks elevate the play of those around them, which is exactly what's happening in Philadelphia. 

Third down is known as the money down in the NFL, because those are when quarterbacks make their money. It's difficult to produce since most defenders are pinning their ears back, blitzing, sitting on routes or all of the above. 

That hasn't fazed Wentz this year. The Eagles' second-year signal-caller led the NFL in conversion percentage prior to the team's Week 10 bye, per Pro Football Focus' Billy Moy: 

He's been even better since Philadelphia's return to action. Wentz completed 68.4 percent of his third-down passes the last two weekends against the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears. 

"We've emphasized situational football since the spring," the 24-year-old told reporters in October. "Situational football is huge. That's what separates good teams.

"To be effective on third down and stay on the field, that helps time of possession. That helps the defense. It's a big part of the game."

To excel in this area, a quarterback must be able to identity pre-snap looks, make adjustments and stare down post-snap pressure. 

Wentz is a brilliant young man who earned a degree from North Dakota State with a 4.0 grade point average. His recall of football plays is exceptional, too. Few teams are going to fool the second-year quarterback. 

But football intelligence is only part of the equation. Knowing what to do in any given situation is the first step. An athlete must be able to physically execute plays, too.

That begins with a willingness to accept punishment when attempting passes.

Wentz's near-flawless play has been staggering. Desperation often bubbles to the surface when a defensive lineman, linebacker or defensive back gets a free run at a quarterback. Uncertainty leads to mistakes. Those mistakes often become turnovers. However, this hasn't been the case for the Eagles, per ESPN's Kevin Negandhi: 

Despite Wentz's precision, the Bears decided not to sit back in coverage. Instead, Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio brought pressure throughout Sunday's contest, and the Eagles gunslinger torched his secondary, per Pro Football Focus: 

At 6'5 and 237 pounds, Wentz stands tall in the pocket with the bulk to absorb blows. However, his size isn't a hindrance to his mobility.  

Even when a defense does everything right to stop Philadelphia's offense, Wentz finds ways to create a positive play. The North Dakota State product ran a 4.77-second 40-yard dash and 6.86-second three-cone drill at the 2016 NFL combine. Both numbers were among the top three performances among all quarterbacks in his class.

How do these two things transition to on-field performance? The following play, courtesy of Leading NFL, shows how Wentz's agility, athleticism and quickness can turn even the perfect defensive call into a positive: 

The quarterback recognized the screen pass wasn't available, felt the pressure off the backside, avoided a free blitzer and turned the failed play into a 16-yard gain. 

"That's the type of guy he is, he gets out of trouble, he breaks tackles, and he throws dimes," Washington Redskins safety D.J. Swearinger said last month, per Matt Lombardo of NJ Advance Media. "He's a great quarterback and he'll be one of the greats in this league for a long time."

Opponents cannot account for the entirety of Wentz's skill set, even when the field is condensed. Passing in the red zone is supposed to be far more difficult because there's less room for a team's wide receivers to operate, and the passing windows tighten. 

But Wentz and Co. haven't experienced any issues near the goal line, per NFL.com: 

Three weeks later, Wentz still hasn't taken a sack in the red zone, and he has improved with a 20-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio. 

Wentz shines when placed in difficult situations, which bodes well for the Eagles' inevitable playoff run. They'll hold an edge over their other conference opponents due to his play. 

Case Keenum has been outstanding for the Minnesota Vikings, but the Eagles feature a far more explosive offense. Drew Brees will walk into the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he retires, but the New Orleans Saints are now built around their impressive ground game. Jared Goff has also been fantastic during his second campaign, but he doesn't create when everything else breaks down around him. Cam Newton has already thrown more than twice as many the interceptions as Wentz. The Atlanta Falcons have emerged from their early malaise, but last season's league MVP, Matt Ryan, hasn't been nearly as effective.  

A natural advantage exists when a team's quarterback is better than the opponent's signal-caller. Brady remains the AFC standard, while Wentz now sets the bar for the NFC. 

"To make some of the plays that he's made, there aren't many quarterbacks in this league that can make some of the plays that he's made this year," offensive coordinator John DeFilippo said earlier in November, per Lombardo. 

Wentz's continued excellence has Eagles fans rightfully dreaming of a Lombardi Trophy.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @brentsobleski.