By KO Kelly
Last Sunday I was traveling back from West Virginia after a 3-day camping trip/bachelor party and missed the entire Eagles game. And from what I read, it sounds like half the team did not show up for the game either.
The injury bug we caught last year has continued to wreak havoc in these first two weeks. It was one thing not to have Carson Wentz on the field but to be missing Jeffrey, Sproles, Ajayi, and now Wallace - it is no wonder this offense has been inconsistent at best. And while the defense had a pair of take-aways and sacks, they missed on two major plays from which we never recovered. Lest not forget, Elliott’s 42-yd field goal miss. He should only be able attempt +50-yd field goals. I just have more confidence in him for at that range.
Having said all that, this team keeps fighting. They may look sloppy at times but they do not give up. They were in it until the end of the game - they just need more of a spark on offense. Luckily, that spark returns this week in the form of Carson Wentz. After watching from the sidelines as his teammates made history in the playoffs, he will certainly be fired up to reclaim his rightful throne.
Before we move onto this week’s match-up, though, let’s take a moment to once again thank Foles for stepping up when his team needed him. He wasn’t impressive this pre-season or through either of these two first games but his run last year will go down in the history books as one of the most spectacular performances by any quarterback - let alone a backup.
As an amateur armchair psychologist, it is my unprofessional opinion that Foles suffers from a form of Impostor Syndrome, which is “the idea that you’ve only succeeded due to luck, and not because of your talent or qualifications”. Many people experience this feeling at some point in their lives but imagine if you just won the Super Bowl as the back-up. Even for someone as talented as Foles, it would be hard to follow-up that act, especially knowing this team belongs to Carson. It was a tall order to fill last year and I am happy we started off 1-1 this year.
Now onto this week’s game. We have the rising sensei vs former student. The 2016 #2 overall pick vs 2012 #1 overall pick. If these teams were in mid-season form - it would have the possibility of being a real shoot-out. However, after last week’s shellacking, Schwartz is going to have his men ready attack. Luck is going to be chased around all afternoon by Cox & Co and with star receiver T.Y. Hilton potentially side-lined, there will be limited options.
As for the Eagles’ offense, I expect Carson to come out hungry and aggressive. He will take some time to settle in but once he does, he is going to re-establish himself as the rising star in this league. This is also the game were Clement further cements himself as the chief workhouse in our running attack. Ajayi has splash but I am not confident in his durability.
Eagles win 35 - 10
(Record 2-1)
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