10% of Carson Wentz's CAREER interceptions have come in the first two weeks of the 2020 season. Make no mistake about it, Wentz does not look like the accurate passer Eagles fans are used to seeing. What gives?
The receiving group has seen a massive upgrade from last season but still trots out J.J. Arcega-Whiteside for some reason. Maybe it's Zach Ertz's contract situation bleeding into the poor QB play? Is Wentz just trying to do too much? What about the shaky offensive line that is supposed to be protecting him? While these may have something to do with the poor QB play, what it boils down to is poor mechanics from Wentz.
Bad Mechanics
We've all dealt with bad mechanics in our own lives, but we've always found "our guy". Bad jokes aside, Wentz may have had a mechanics guy already - John DeFilippo. Much was made about their relationship, but DeFilippo had Wentz on the right path with his mechanics. Every now and then, quarterbacks will deal with mechanics issues. It just happens. What is happening with Wentz and his accuracy is attributed to poor throwing mechanics. Let's take a look at what is going on.
Over Extension Stepping Into Throws
Wentz has been airmailing passes through the first two weeks, and not getting as much zip as we are used to seeing.
Looking back at the film, Wentz has been overextending his base, and that is leading to sailed passes, and passes thrown behind receivers. I am not entirely sure where Wentz developed this bad habit, but it is something Doug Pederson and his staff of offensive advisors need to correct before seeing teams like Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco.
Throwing Off Back Foot
This may have been due to the relentless pass rush from Washington in week 1, but this habit reared it's ugly head again in Week 2 against the Rams. Wentz was kept pretty clean all day against Aaron Donald and the Rams, so that should not have affected him stepping into throws. Typically, when a QB cannot step into their throw, the ball is rarely accurate. This leads to many overthrown balls, and interceptions. This is no different for Wentz. Whether the yips from Week 1 where he was sacked eight times or just a bad trait developing, the Eagles QB factory must fix the key cog on the assembly line.
Easy Fix?
Great news Eagles fans - these are both easy fixes, as long as they are prioritized. The shaky part is that Wentz and his coaches have to prioritize fixing these fundamentals in practice. The coaching staff should make things easier on the QB this week, against a Cincinnati defense that struggled against the run during the first two games. Allowing Wentz to build confidence, and get his feet back under him before a raucous three week stretch of games will be the make it or break it part of the 2020 Eagles season.
