Carson Wentz Has Taken Ownership of His Poor Play, Eagles' Brandon Graham Says

Carson Wentz has been bad for the Philadelphia Eagles this season, playing a major role in the team's disappointing 3-7-1 record. 

And defensive end Brandon Graham told reporters on Friday that Wentz held himself accountable during a team meeting this week:

"The first step is admitting where you're bad at, and that's what I love that Carson did. When we talked to the team, he knew he had to own some of the stuff that he's been doing, and he let us know that he's working his butt off to make sure that he starts doing a lot of stuff better. And that's all people want to hear is for you to take ownership of yours and we can move on. That's how you build relationships: taking ownership of what you do."

Head coach Doug Pederson added:

"He understands that he needs to play better. And for him to stand up and take ownership with the team and quite frankly show vulnerability I think is a sign of growth in any player, and we've had several players do that this week. It just shows that our young players—and I still consider Carson in that young [category], only five years in is still relatively young in this league—that they're showing signs of maturity and growth and leadership ability, especially from your quarterback.

"It was good to see. And conversations that he and I have had over the last month hopefully have maybe spurred him in that right direction."

Wentz, 27, has been one of the worst quarterbacks in football this season. Nobody in the NFL has thrown more interceptions (15) or been sacked more (46). His 58.1 completion percentage ranks 31st in the NFL. His 6.02 yards per attempt is 30th. 

Some of his struggles could be blamed on a mediocre receiving group and an offensive line beset by injuries yet again this season. But Wentz's decision making has also been poor. He often passes on his first read, holding onto the ball for far too long and forcing balls into tight windows or taking sacks. He's also regularly missed open receivers down the field. 

It doesn't help that the Eagles used a second-round pick to select Jalen Hurts, leading to many fans clamoring to see more of the young player while Wentz's struggles. Others have rightly pointed out that the Eagles could have used such a valuable asset to get Wentz more immediate help. 

Either way, Wentz needs to be better. The Eagles somehow still have a chance to win the horrid NFC East. That won't happen, however, if the starting quarterback continues to cost them games.