Nick Piccone
Peter King isn’t always right.
But when he’s this gung-ho about the Eagles, I can’t help but write about it.
King, writing for the MMQB as we all know, said that something special is happening in our backyard.
My theory on why we’re seeing such competent-to-outstanding play by these millennials was explained in three words by Wentz outside the Eagles’ fairly excited locker room Sunday evening. They’re the same three words he spoke to me at the combine last February when Wentz was on trial for his future, trying to make the jump from North Dakota State to the NFL.
“It’s just football,” he told me.
Wentz doesn’t make it too big. I mentioned in this column after Week 1 that there were some preternaturally young kids playing well at quarterback, and now it’s not just a novelty act. Siemian, Prescott and Garoppolo have the same ethos as Wentz. (I’m not too familiar with Kessler or Brissett, who are playing solely due to injury.) Siemian strafed the Bengals on the road on Sunday, Prescott looked like a six-year vet on Sunday night in beating Chicago, and Wentz—well, let Eagles coach Doug Pederson do the gee whiz part of this. “Who’d have thought a kid from North Dakota would be such a mature individual and would make the adjustment to the pro game as quickly as he has?” Pederson said.
When it’s just football, you’ve got a chance.
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It shouldn’t be happening this fast for the Eagles, coming up from 7-9 with a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback from North Dakota State and a defense that needed a new leader. But it is, and there’s nothing fluky about it. The Eagles are legitimate deep-into-January contenders right now.
It’s just football. Carson Wentz = Cliff Lee. Is this real life?