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EAGLES NOTES: Healthy Carson Wentz about to make 16th start
By Ed Kracz, staff writer 30 min ago
PHILADELPHIA —*As Carson Wentz prepares to make his 16th and final start of the season, and becoming the first Eagles quarterback to do that since Donovan McNabb in 2008, it is interesting to see exactly how many signal-callers have achieved that feat this season.
The answer will be after Sunday’s games, just 14, and that is assuming that Dallas’ Dak Prescott will start Sunday’s game against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
The only division in football to have all four of its quarterbacks make all 15 starts at this point is the NFC East.
Of the 14 who will have done it, every playoff team in the NFC will have had their quarterback start all 16 games, so there is a correlation to good health behind center and playing into January.
“The durability was really never an issue with me,” said Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, of Wentz. “I knew we had to address some of the sliding and getting out of bounds and protecting himself a little bit early on, and he's done that. So we kind of got that fixed.”
Added Wentz: “I’ll tell you I’m very fortunate. I think, first of all, the guys up front doing a great job protecting me. Ultimately, I’m very fortunate. This is a fluky game, things happen. So I just have to thank the Lord for that, for sure.”
New friend
Wentz and baseball star Mike Trout spent the holiday weekend hunting together. Trout, who grew up in New Jersey and is an Eagles season ticket holder, and Wentz hunted waterfowl, ducks and geese.
“We just hung out and went hunting,” said Wentz. “Nothing real crazy. He’s a great guy, a great guy and it’s been cool getting to know him.”
Quotable
“I hear they’re not the nicest. I don’t want to talk about Philly fans. I don’t want them to have a hit on my head when I go out there.” —*Cowboys running back Ezekiel about playing a game in Philly for the first time in career.
Help wanted
Teams around the National Football League have already begun hanging out vacancy signs.
Buffalo canned its head coach, Rex Ryan, on Tuesday. Last week, Jacksonville got rid of Gus Bradley. Jeff Fisher was shown the door weeks ago in Los Angeles. More will follow, perhaps in Cincinnati and San Diego to name two.
Coordinators are always popular hires. Would any team take a chance on one of the three Eagles coordinators —*Jim Schwartz, Frank Reich, and/or Dave Fipp.
Hiring from a team that will finish with a losing record is a tough sell to an already downtrodden organization, so that might work against the possibility.
Pederson was asked about his coordinators prior to Wednesday’s practice as the Birds prepare to play their season finale Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Pederson, of course, had been an offensive coordinator in Kansas City for three years prior to being tapped as the Eagles’ top man last January.
“I think that, obviously, they would be great candidates,” he said. “In Schwartz’s case, he’s been there before. He understands it. In Frank’s case, he’s had interviews in the past, so he’s kind of been through the process. Because I hand-picked all these guys, you hate to see any of them go because I feel we have something special going and would love to keep them all here if I could.”
Schwartz, the Birds’ defensive coordinator, was the head coach in Detroit for five years before being sacked following the 2013 season. He was once the defensive coordinator in Buffalo, so perhaps the Bills may show some interest.
Reich, the team’s offensive coordinator, has done a good job working with rookie quarterback Carson Wentz and Jacksonville’s quarterback, Blake Bortles, struggled this season, so maybe the Jaguars at least take a look at a quarterback guru such as Reich.
Then there’s Fipp. Not since John Harbaugh was hired by the Baltimore Ravens in 2008 has a special teams coordinator become a head coach.
Fipp’s units, however, have been consistently ranked in the top five since Chip Kelly hired him in 2013. Special teams coordinators have the benefit of getting to know a team’s entire roster since special teams blend offensive and defensive players.
“I think he’s very capable,” said Pederson. “Next to myself, he’s the next coach on the staff that is really in front of the team, making and coordinating meetings and things of that nature. I think that he’d be right for a job, for an opportunity.”
Reading between the lines
Pederson all but admitted that he has no control over the roster.
How?
Well, he was asked Wednesday if running back Terrell Watson would be promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man since there is an opening after Ryan Mathews was placed on Injured Reserve and the team has only two active backs, he called it a no-brainer.
“I would like for it to be a running back,” said the coach. “And again, with Watson sitting right there, it would be a no-brainer for us. But again, we'll wait and see later in the week how things go.”
Injury update
Offensive lineman Allen Barbre (hamstring) and Jordan Matthews (ankle) did not practice Wednesday for precautionary reasons. Pederson said both should be able to play Sunday.
Limited in practice was linebacker Jordan Hicks (ankle).
By Ed Kracz, staff writer 30 min ago
PHILADELPHIA —*As Carson Wentz prepares to make his 16th and final start of the season, and becoming the first Eagles quarterback to do that since Donovan McNabb in 2008, it is interesting to see exactly how many signal-callers have achieved that feat this season.
The answer will be after Sunday’s games, just 14, and that is assuming that Dallas’ Dak Prescott will start Sunday’s game against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
The only division in football to have all four of its quarterbacks make all 15 starts at this point is the NFC East.
Of the 14 who will have done it, every playoff team in the NFC will have had their quarterback start all 16 games, so there is a correlation to good health behind center and playing into January.
“The durability was really never an issue with me,” said Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, of Wentz. “I knew we had to address some of the sliding and getting out of bounds and protecting himself a little bit early on, and he's done that. So we kind of got that fixed.”
Added Wentz: “I’ll tell you I’m very fortunate. I think, first of all, the guys up front doing a great job protecting me. Ultimately, I’m very fortunate. This is a fluky game, things happen. So I just have to thank the Lord for that, for sure.”
New friend
Wentz and baseball star Mike Trout spent the holiday weekend hunting together. Trout, who grew up in New Jersey and is an Eagles season ticket holder, and Wentz hunted waterfowl, ducks and geese.
“We just hung out and went hunting,” said Wentz. “Nothing real crazy. He’s a great guy, a great guy and it’s been cool getting to know him.”
Quotable
“I hear they’re not the nicest. I don’t want to talk about Philly fans. I don’t want them to have a hit on my head when I go out there.” —*Cowboys running back Ezekiel about playing a game in Philly for the first time in career.
Help wanted
Teams around the National Football League have already begun hanging out vacancy signs.
Buffalo canned its head coach, Rex Ryan, on Tuesday. Last week, Jacksonville got rid of Gus Bradley. Jeff Fisher was shown the door weeks ago in Los Angeles. More will follow, perhaps in Cincinnati and San Diego to name two.
Coordinators are always popular hires. Would any team take a chance on one of the three Eagles coordinators —*Jim Schwartz, Frank Reich, and/or Dave Fipp.
Hiring from a team that will finish with a losing record is a tough sell to an already downtrodden organization, so that might work against the possibility.
Pederson was asked about his coordinators prior to Wednesday’s practice as the Birds prepare to play their season finale Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Pederson, of course, had been an offensive coordinator in Kansas City for three years prior to being tapped as the Eagles’ top man last January.
“I think that, obviously, they would be great candidates,” he said. “In Schwartz’s case, he’s been there before. He understands it. In Frank’s case, he’s had interviews in the past, so he’s kind of been through the process. Because I hand-picked all these guys, you hate to see any of them go because I feel we have something special going and would love to keep them all here if I could.”
Schwartz, the Birds’ defensive coordinator, was the head coach in Detroit for five years before being sacked following the 2013 season. He was once the defensive coordinator in Buffalo, so perhaps the Bills may show some interest.
Reich, the team’s offensive coordinator, has done a good job working with rookie quarterback Carson Wentz and Jacksonville’s quarterback, Blake Bortles, struggled this season, so maybe the Jaguars at least take a look at a quarterback guru such as Reich.
Then there’s Fipp. Not since John Harbaugh was hired by the Baltimore Ravens in 2008 has a special teams coordinator become a head coach.
Fipp’s units, however, have been consistently ranked in the top five since Chip Kelly hired him in 2013. Special teams coordinators have the benefit of getting to know a team’s entire roster since special teams blend offensive and defensive players.
“I think he’s very capable,” said Pederson. “Next to myself, he’s the next coach on the staff that is really in front of the team, making and coordinating meetings and things of that nature. I think that he’d be right for a job, for an opportunity.”
Reading between the lines
Pederson all but admitted that he has no control over the roster.
How?
Well, he was asked Wednesday if running back Terrell Watson would be promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man since there is an opening after Ryan Mathews was placed on Injured Reserve and the team has only two active backs, he called it a no-brainer.
“I would like for it to be a running back,” said the coach. “And again, with Watson sitting right there, it would be a no-brainer for us. But again, we'll wait and see later in the week how things go.”
Injury update
Offensive lineman Allen Barbre (hamstring) and Jordan Matthews (ankle) did not practice Wednesday for precautionary reasons. Pederson said both should be able to play Sunday.
Limited in practice was linebacker Jordan Hicks (ankle).