PHILADELPHIA — Doug Pederson is an unsubtle man. We'll find out soon if he's impatient, too.
Asked last week if he considered benching Carson Wentz during another turnover-poisoned performance, Pederson, clearly more exasperated than ever with Wentz's mistakes and bad decisions, replied:
"The first thing we know that any turnover is unacceptable, both by himself and us as a team. It just puts our defense in a position obviously on a short field, and we just can't do that. We can't do that consistently, and that's been kind of the theme the first half of the season."
So, would Wentz have as long a leash when the team returns from its bye week?
"What we can do this week is really look at all the turnovers," Pederson conceded. "See if there were opportunities to complete the throw, were there opportunities to run, was it protection break down, whatever it might be ... We all know that it's unacceptable, something that we definitely have to correct and fix in the second half of the season."
He knows they're lucky to be relevant for the second half of the season.
"We're leaving points on the field, right?" Pederson acknowledged. "And a couple of these have come in the 'high' red zone, or the red zone, where we have opportunities to put points on the board. And that's where we have to really focus in and not turn the ball over."
So, what if they can't correct it?
The Eagles have 17 turnovers as a team. Wentz has 16 of them. He leads the NFL. His mistakes — bad sacks, four fumbles, 12 interceptions, forcing passes, refusing to throw the ball away when under duress — are the single biggest reason why the Eagles are 3-4-1 instead of 5-3. He's a five-year starter playing like a five-game rookie. What if, say, Wentz gives the ball to the Giants twice in the first half Sunday and the Eagles trail by a touchdown at the break?
Should Pederson insert rookie Jalen Hurts?
Would he dare?
Why not?
