Back when the NFL schedule was released, the Week 14 matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles from Lincoln Financial Field looked like a very nice matchup of quarterbacks between the Saints' Drew Brees and Eagles' Carson Wentz. Instead, Sunday likely will feature Taysom Hill (Brees is still out injured) against Jalen Hurts as Eagles coach Doug Pederson ignited a QB controversy in Philly's Week 13 loss in Green Bay by benching Wentz for the rookie Hurts. SportsLine has put out NFL odds on which player Pederson will start against New Orleans. He probably won't announce a decision before Tuesday at the earliest.
Wentz was just 6-for-15 for 79 yards against the Packers before getting the hook in the third quarter. Hurts definitely provided a bit of a spark in going 5-for-12 for 109 yards with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Greg Ward on fourth-and-18. The Eagles averaged 9.1 yards per pass attempt with Wentz and just 5.3 with Wentz. Hurts was Pro Football Focus' second-best graded Eagles player on offense, while Wentz was 14th out of 19.
"I just felt like, where we were as an offense, we needed a spark," Pederson said of the change with 7 minutes and 39 seconds left in the third quarter.
Hurts also rushed for 29 yards on five carries, and Pederson may need Hurts' mobility because the Eagles' offensive line has been ravaged by injuries this year and been largely terrible.
"I've got to get through injuries, I've got to get through the tape, there's a lot of things that I'm going to consider and evaluate before anything is decided," Pederson said on whom will start vs. the Saints.
Eagles quarterbacks have been sacked a whopping 53 times, most in the league, with 50 of those on Wentz. Thus, it's far from all his fault that Wentz has the third-worst QB rating in the league at 72.8. Wentz also has thrown a league-high 15 picks and has the second-worst completion percentage in the NFL at 57.4, but that Philly receiving corps leaves a lot to be desired, too, and Wentz had 29 of his passes dropped this year entering Week 13. That was most in the league.
Philadelphia signed Wentz to a four-year, $128 million contract extension in 2019 that kicks in for next season and included nearly $70 million guaranteed. In 2021, Wentz will count nearly $35 million on the Eagles salary cap so the team can't really get rid of him except for in a trade – joining former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich on the Indianapolis Colts perhaps? That's a story for another day.
Most Eagles beat writers are saying that Wentz shouldn't play another snap this year simply to keep him healthy and perhaps clear his head. If Hurts plays well over the final four games, he could help save Pederson's job as well.
Even at 3-8-1 and on a four-game skid, the Eagles are still alive in the NFC East race. William Hill Sportsbook lists them at +900 to win it and 7-point opening dogs vs. the Saints, who have won nine in a row.
Via SportsLine oddsmakers: Who starts at quarterback Week 14 for the Eagles?
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