After back-to-back stellar performances in his first two games as an NFL quarterback, initial reactions surrounding Philadelphia Eagles rookie Carson Wentz have been the same:
This guy could be the one.
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With a 2-0 start under his belt, most recently a 29-14 victory over the Chicago Bears this past Monday, Wentz became just the fifth rookie quarterback since 1970 to win his first two starts and the first to accomplish this feat without recording a turnover.
Of course, non-Eagles fans and pessimists will say "look who he played," but that isn't the point. The point is through two games, Wentz has not looked like a rookie, but a quarterback who has been in the league for many years.
If you tuned into Monday Night Football, you were treated to a Wentz performance that had shades of many other great quarterbacks. Right from the opening drive, the rookie got up to the offensive line and began to audible left and right, barking instructions that were one "Omaha!" short of making it seem like Peyton Manning was under center.
Playing in his first road game, it appeared as if Wentz wasn't phased at all, throwing for 190 yards and a touchdown. He completed 21 of 34 passes, and showed he was capable of running a no-huddle offense, doing so on the Eagles' first drive of the game.
Not to mention his ability to scramble out of the pocket when put under pressure is a breath of fresh air to see, unlike the previous Eagles quarterback (see Bradford, Sam).
But this skill also highlights the one glaring improvement Wentz must make, and it's the necessity to not put himself in harms way when on the run. Throughout the first two games, Wentz has taken several hard hits when he very easily could have slid or gotten out of bounds unscathed. The bravery is admirable from Carson, but also not very smart. Every time he's taken down, the entire Philadelphia (and Fargo) fan base holds its breath as they make sure Wentz gets back up.
"I'm my own worst critic," Wentz said after the game. "Those are things I have to keep working on ... Everyone is making their mistakes. We have to clean up some things. That's one thing I'm going to emphasize over on myself."
Especially having already suffered a cracked rib in the preseason, it's crucial that Wentz develops a sense of knowing when to throw the ball away or when to slide instead of trying to fight for that extra yard.
There's also his relationship with his teammates, and the respect they have for him.
After receiver Jordan Matthews dropped what should have been a touchdown Monday night, the ESPN camera panned to a conversation Matthews was having with Wentz. Rather than having a heated argument about a missed opportunity, it appeared that the two were having a calm discussion, assumably about what went wrong and how it could be fixed.
This is just one example of maturity level Wentz has already put on display, and the trust he has in his teammates to make a play.
For now, the comparisons will continue and the excitement will keep building as Wentz will look to move to 3-0 this Sunday at home against Antonio Brown and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Translation: get on the Wentz Wagon while there's still room.
If you haven't seen this amazing video of Wentz showcasing his throwing accuracy all the way back when he was a senior in high school, I highly recommend doing so.
