In Sunday’s 32-14 loss at Cincinnati, Wentz passed for 308 yards, but did so on 36 completions over 60 attempts while throwing three interceptions. But the Eagles proved to be the inferior team, falling to 5-7 and watching a once-promising season deteriorate with seven losses in nine weeks while extinguishing any optimism that remained.
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Just in case your interested, head coach Doug Pederson addressed the media one final time in preparation for this one. Pederson elaborated, saying they need to get Wentz off his back foot and stepping into throws.
It’s likely too late. It could still get worse. “There’s nothing really to change. It gets us obviously in the situation we’re in”.
If only it were that easy. Instead the guess here is that Pederson instead will try to have Wentz win the game again.
Of course, the Eagles lost to a team that thought it would be a good idea to throw to their backup offensive tackle with an insurmountable lead.
Naturally, the Eagles targeted the struggling wide receiver early. That was the special teams unit’s one big play. The Bengals used the ideal balance, getting big plays in the air and eating up time and short yardage on the run.
If the Eagles falter, the road gets no easier, Washington at home, Baltimore on the road, Giants and Cowboys at home to wrap up the season.
“We were in a better rhythm today, ” Dalton said. They are 1-5 in those games.
Everything he’s going through now can be overcome – so long as the problem is acknowledged in the first place. Then after Wentz missed Green-Beckham on that third down, the Bengals marched 93 yards for a back-breaking touchdown drive that included 12 plays and seven first downs. Wentz himself had to push Burfict out of bounds 47 yards later at the Eagles 20. Jeremy Hill dominated the ground game with 23 carries for 33 yards and 1 touchdown. But, on a day that they had to show up, the Bengals showed determination on both sides of the ball. Another fumble by the Cincinnati offense allowed a two-yard TD run by Darren Sproles to bring the Eagles to within 15.
That defeat is significant in that the Eagles are just 1-9 ATS following a double-digit home loss and 1-5 ATS after playing under the Monday Night lights. Zach Ertz had one garbage time touchdown – yes, it was already garbage time in the third quarter.
One NFC East source likened Wentz’s arm positioning to something from a baseball pitcher. He was lucky that was only his first. They also have 25 sacks with 16 turnovers forced.
Opening drives by opponents that have led to scores, six of which were touchdowns.
At that point it was 19-0 and the second half seemed like an unneeded exercise to cap a brutal afternoon.
The North Dakota State product has thrown eight interceptions in the past five games.
“It’s not to put any added pressure on anybody”, Pederson said, “but at the same time, I don’t want people to just start tanking it in the last month of the season”. Remember former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb saying he didn’t know what the overtime rules were? What they encountered was a fired up Bengals team that finally found their stride.
Since a 31-17 victory against Cleveland on October 23, a game in which Dalton threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns to raise his season passer rating to 100;7, the Bengals have gone 0-3-1 to all but extinguish their playoff hopes.
With basically little to play for, Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis is striving to keep the troops motivated.
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The second-half scoring should not shroud what happened on Sunday. Over their past two games they have averaged just 14 points a game in their clashes with the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks.
