How Philadelphia Eagles Can Salvage Super Bowl Pursuit Without Carson Wentz
Millions have concluded after Monday's gut-wrenching news that the Super Bowl aspirations of the 11-2 Philadelphia Eagles went down with Carson Wentz, who will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. But there remains a sliver of hope that the Eagles can salvage something from a magical 2017 season.
By now, it's been well-documented how Wentz suffered his injury, the fact that the Eagles rallied for a 43-35 win over a fellow first-place team in his absence, and the reasons why his injury means gloom and doom for a team that's been regarded as the Super Bowl favorites out of the NFC since early in the season.
What hasn't been discussed enough, however, is how foolish it actually is to chalk this up as another lost season for a franchise that has yet to win the big one.
It can't be understated what losing Wentz means. The second-year quarterback's playmaking this season didn't only catapult him toward the top of the MVP conversation, but it gave this Eagles team the look of a surefire championship contender. As good as other units across this roster have been, Wentz has been the torchbearer and the engine powering the Eagles machine.
It goes without saying that Wentz is indispensable, but that doesn't mean this team is incapable of collectively replacing him. Let's identify six critical components that need to fall into line to revitalize the Eagles' hopes for a trip to Minneapolis during the first week of February.
Get Nick Foles Back to 2013 Nick Foles Before the Playoffs
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Obviously, this is the big "what if." If new starting quarterback Nick Foles doesn't prove capable of playing at a somewhat high level, the Eagles have a home playoff defeat awaiting them in January.
With that said, Philadelphia has one of the best backup QB situations in the entire league. Foles has the track record that suggests he could step in and offer something very few backups can—playmaking ability, pocket presence, an accurate arm and experience.
Eagles fans know exactly what he's capable of. His 27-touchdown, two-interception season in 2013 led the Eagles to a 10-6 record, a season in which they won seven of their last eight games before a narrow wild-card loss to New Orleans. He opened his final season as Philly's starter with a 6-2 record before suffering an injury, which ultimately began the unraveling of former head coach Chip Kelly.
Sure, Foles looked horrid in 2015 with the Rams. But most quarterbacks would have done the same, with Brian Quick and Kenny Britt as the top targets.
With these Eagles, Foles finds himself surrounded by one of the best offensive arsenals in the league and one capable of making life much easier for him. He'll be required to make pre-snap adjustments and extend plays with his feet, but targets like Zach Ertz and Alshon Jeffery will alleviate a lot of pressure.
Of course, the shoes that Foles is stepping into are gigantic. But he's proved in the past that he's capable of playing methodical, responsible football at the quarterback position on a playoff contender. To assume he can't anymore because a few years have passed is simply ignorant.
Defense Must Dominate Games
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While the play of Wentz has been the story of this Eagles season, Philly's defensive emergence has become the driving force behind its 11 wins and Super Bowl aspirations.
Led by coordinator Jim Schwartz, the Eagles defense has been an impenetrable force that's thwarted opposition all season long. Philly has the league's best run defense by a wide margin, allowing just 926 rushing yards in 13 games. The secondary has been more than capable of playing complementary football behind an outstanding pass rush.
New Orleans, Carolina and Minnesota—arguably the Eagles' biggest competition in the NFC—all feature top-eight rushing attacks. If the Eagles front seven does what it has all season and limits any of them to less than 100 yards on the ground, they could find themselves in a winnable low-scoring affair.
The secondary remains the biggest question mark, but it's stepped up against some of the league's most dynamic aerial attacks and its newfound depth will play a huge role in crunch time.
The presence of Wentz made these Eagles a popular pick for the Super Bowl, but they were never going to get there without a strong defense in the playoffs. They'll have to do a little bit more on that side of the ball now, but the blueprint has not changed.
Defense wins championships, and the Eagles still have a spectacular one. As long as that remains, they will always have a shot.
A Jay Ajayi-Led Rush Attack Must Step Up
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Asking a run offense that already ranks second in the league to step up their game is a tall order, but that's where the Eagles find themselves without Wentz.
The Eagles have built their offensive identity from the ground up, incorporating a new-look committee that has averaged 143 rushing yards per game. But opponents still haven't seen the best from the Eagles' run game, simply because the coaching staff has been patiently working Jay Ajayi into the lead role.
LeGarrette Blount still leads the team with 696 rushing yards, but Ajayi has slowly become the guy. He received 15 touches out of the backfield in Sunday's win as compared to Blount's seven and Corey Clement's six, marking his first Eagles' outing with double-digit carries.
While Wentz's presence has helped to open up running lanes, Foles is still capable of making chain-moving throws and keeping opposing front sevens honest. That's all it will take for this offensive line to gain leverage in the run game.
The Eagles can conveniently turn to a bunch of different backs to keep fresh, but the surge needs to be led by Ajayi. In the wake of Wentz's injury, he may suddenly be the most important player on the offense.
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Zach Ertz, Alshon Jeffery Have to Shine
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The Eagles' ability to balance a number of playmakers in the passing game this season has been a critical component of their offensive success, but there's no secret as to who the breadwinners are.
Ertz has enjoyed a breakout season, still tied for second in touchdowns among tight ends with seven despite missing extended time with injury. He's acted as a security blanket at times and a game-changing red-zone target in other moments.
Jeffery had a tempered start to his Eagles career, but he's becoming a dominant No. 1 wideout. He leads the Eagles with 732 receiving yards and eight touchdown grabs, so far avoiding the injury bug that's haunted him throughout his career.
Foles will find himself with no shortage of targets to choose from, but any quarterback stepping into a new situation will naturally rely on his top guys. That's unquestionably going to be Ertz and Jeffery.
Ertz missed Sunday's game with a concussion, but the Eagles have plenty of time to get him back in the fold before playoff time. Until then, expect Foles to develop chemistry with Jeffery, who became adept at being a stabilizing force for struggling quarterbacks in Chicago.
If a quarterback's best friend is a dominant No. 1 receiver, then a consistently open tight end is a close second. Foles could have both at his disposal down the stretch, and that's a huge boost.
Lock Up Home-Field Advantage
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Securing the NFC's top seed was already an important task for the Eagles before Wentz's injury. Now, it should be seen as a prerequisite.
As tough as the road will be to the Super Bowl for the Wentz-less Eagles, it could be an impossible task if the road goes through Minnesota, Carolina or New Orleans. Asking Foles to outduel one of the NFC's best quarterbacks in a raucous road environment simply isn't a blueprint for success.
For all the despair that followed Sunday's win over the Rams, the result did put the Eagles in a great spot to clinch the No. 1 seed. After the Vikings' loss, Philly is again sitting atop the conference and will be playing its postseason games at Lincoln Financial Field if it wins out.
Plenty of Eagles fans are down in the dumps following Wentz's injury, but the confidence will return in droves if the team can navigate its way to a first-round bye and the No. 1 seed. Beating this Eagles defense in a juiced-up Lincoln Financial Field will be an unenviable task that's unaffected by who is lining up under center for the Eagles offense.
Already-Resilient Bunch Must Find a New Gear
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This isn't the first hard-to-stomach injury these 2017 Eagles have faced. This squad has been tested with adversity throughout the entire season. They've emerged from each test with a heightened sense of resolve and unity.
Now comes the biggest adversity test imaginable.
The Eagles have lost some of their biggest leaders in all three phases of the roster. Left tackle Jason Peters went down for the season. Star middle linebacker Jordan Hicks went down for the season. Special teams ace Chris Maragos and do-it-all back Darren Sproles both went down for the season.
The perils of losing Wentz are obvious, but these Eagles have been forced to reinvent aspects of each unit in the wake of a key injury already. The amount of reinvention needed this time will be much higher, but the confidence that's come from the Eagles collectively replacing those key players shouldn't be ignored.
Wentz has become the leader of this Eagles team, but there is still an impressive amount of veteran leadership inside that locker room. This motivated bunch didn't sprint out to an 11-2 record only to see their championship aspirations vanish with the loss of a single player, no matter who that player is.
It would take an incredible amount of resolve for the Eagles to emerge from Wentz's injury and still win a NFC playoff race that's loaded with star quarterbacks. But if you take a step back and look at what this Eagles team has already overcome, it may not be as far-fetched as initially thought.
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