It was impressive debut for the rookie already, but this is the play that ultimately broke the will of the Cleveland Browns, put the game out of reach and assured the rookie had won the hearts of everyone who cheers for this team.
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“It just helps the back end so much when you can affect the quarterback’s eyes with four guys and make him get off of his launch point in the pocket”, Pederson said. And although McCown may be a solid backup and an ideal teammate, he’s nothing more than a stop-gap on Cleveland’s never-ending quest to find its future quarterback.
“It is frustrating, but at the same time, I do get it”, first-year coach Hue Jackson said Monday after announcing Griffin’s injury. “It is more of if the doctors say I’m good, the trainers say I’m good and my body feels good, then that is the goal, but it is not something where I’m saying, ‘All bets are off. We embrace the opportunity to go out there and maybe do something that people don’t think we can do”.
Jackson publicly dismissed the notion that he and the Browns’ new front office second-guessed their decision on Wentz, but it’s safe to assume his name came up in their private discussions.
He threw six passes against the Browns that traveled 16 or more yards in the air and completed five of them for 120 yards and both of his touchdowns – a 35-yard pass to Agholor and a 19-yard scoring toss to Jordan Matthews. Listen, I know there are always outside influences. That is just the nature of the business when you are involved in a high-power position in the NFL.
The Eagles’ rookie quarterback got a shout-out from Barack Obama earlier this week at an appearance in Philadelphia, with the president saying VP Joe Biden – an Eagles fan from across the border in DE – had urged him to get on the “Wentz Wagon”. There was a pretty good go route during the game. But the poise the rookie showed in the pocket and the protection he was given behind center made him look like a seasoned veteran. “But at the same time, we’re on to Chicago”. “It’s a game”, he said before the win over the Browns, as if that explained everything. We don’t look at it as certainly just a two-year venture or a week-to-week venture. “If I can keep him in the building, as long as I stay in the building, then we’re going to be OK”.
To see Wentz jersey outsell those of Antonio Brown, Tom Brady, and others is a thing of beauty as earlier this offseason Wentz was listed as the 3rd string QB on the Eagles depth chart. With that in mind, it could make sense for the Jets to deal Smith to the Browns for a couple of draft picks instead. Josh McCown steps in as the starter. In the nightcap, the San Francisco 49ers held the Los Angeles Rams scoreless in their first game back in L.A., displaying a strong defense in their home opener.
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Cleveland’s quarterback curse strikes again.
