The Philadelphia Eagles received some bittersweet news this week, as their MVP-level QB Carson Wentz was named to his first Pro Bowl. Unfortunately, Wentz has been sidelined for the rest of the year after suffering a season-ending injury. Wentz was not the only Philadelphia Eagle to be named to the Pro Bowl, however, as the Eagles had an additional five players make the roster. While Eagle fans everywhere are still reeling from losing Carson Wentz, there may be some positive news in the future. Nick Foles looks legitimate and the recent slate of Pro Bowl selections should help to inspire the Eagles going forward.
The other top Pro Bowl selections from Philadelphia included Zach Ertz, Malcolm Jenkins, Brandon Brooks, Lane Johnson and Fletcher Cox. As anyone can see, Philadelphia had dominant players on both sides of the ball that led to their ability to clinch the top seed in the NFC. Carson Wentz is obviously the biggest name on that list, having racked up 33 touchdowns to just 7 interceptions, but his injury will taint the selection at least a little bit. Zach Ertz had an explosive year, becoming the top tight end in all of football thanks to the growth of Carson Wentz.
Still, it’s hard to get excited about the Pro Bowl when fans aren’t sure whether or not their Super Bowl aspirations even exist anymore. When Wentz went down with his injury and Nick Foles was announced as the replacement, people were rightfully skeptical. Foles hadn’t played meaningful football in years and he had been serving as a mediocre backup ever since. Foles had found a measure of success after taking over the QB gig from Michael Vick nearly half a decade ago, but that memory was distant and fans weren’t sure what they were getting in the veteran backup. Fortunately, it looks like Foles will be able to come in and at least do his best Carson Wentz impression.
Against the New York Giants Foles would rack up four touchdown passes while playing mistake-free football. Jason Kelce, the starting center for Philadelphia said, “Everybody has full confidence in him. Kudos to Nick, I thought he played great today.” Kelce’s words echoed the cautious optimism that fans all over the state have begun to fill. Philadelphia is only a game away from clinching the #1 seed in the NFC and if that happens then Foles will have nearly three weeks to prepare for the playoffs.
