Carson Wentz soared in his NFL debut with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, the strong-armed rookie quarterback will have an opportunity
to showcase his skills under the lights. Wentz will play his first
prime-time game as the Eagles (1-0) visit the Chicago Bears (0-1)
tonight.
The past week has been a whirlwind for Wentz, whom the Eagles
selected with No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft out of North
Dakota State. He passed for 278 yards and two touchdowns to lead
his team to a 29-10 win against the Cleveland Browns in the season
opener. His jersey shot to No. 1 in NFL online sales.
Vice President Joe Biden encouraged President Barack Obama to "get
on the Wentz wagon." Instead, Obama -- an ardent Bears fan -- joked
that he would visit Philadelphia "and scout out what all of the
fuss is about."
Bears coach John Fox and his defensive assistants have done some
scouting of their own.
Chicago is looking to bounce back from a 23-14 loss to the Houston
Texans in Week 1. The Bears led 14-10 at halftime but were
outscored 13-0 in the second half as their offense failed to gain
traction.
Quarterback Jay Cutler could use better protection in the pocket
after he was sacked five times in the opener. He also spent time
this week reiterating his confidence in wide receiver Kevin White,
the Bears' first-round pick in 2015 who missed his entire rookie
season because of a stress fracture. White made his NFL debut last
week but caught only three passes for 34 yards despite being
targeted seven times.
"We need him," Cutler said. "He's going to be fine. We're not
worried about him. We like our group of receivers out there. ...
I'm going to play better. As a whole, offensively, we're going to
play better."
If White advances as Cutler hopes, he could create a dangerous
tandem alongside wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. That will create
pressure on the Eagles' secondary, which faces questions after
cornerback Leodis McKelvin sustained a strained left hamstring in
Week 1 and is out for tonight's game.
Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson described McKelvin's status as
"week-to-week," which does not bode well for tonight. The Eagles
traded cornerback Eric Rowe to the New England Patriots before the
season opener, which means Nolan Carroll, Ron Brooks and rookie
Jalen Mills might need to anchor a thin cornerback group.
McKelvin is not the Eagles' only injured starter. Tight end Zach
Ertz sustained a displaced rib near his left shoulder in Week 1 and
also has been ruled out against the Bears.
"It's a dangerous situation with a displaced bone," Pederson said.
"You are talking up around the neck and head area, so any type of
blow again could do further damage to that. That's why it's a
week-to-week deal to see how it heals and recovers."
In Ertz's absence, veteran Brent Celek is expected to step forward
as the team's top option at tight end.
The Bears know they must improve on defense after allowing Houston
to convert 12 of 20 third-down opportunities one week ago.
Linebacker Danny Trevathan will make his home debut as a Bear after
signing as a free agent during the spring. Another new face on the
lakefront will be rookie pass rusher Leonard Floyd, who was
credited with six tackles and registered a half-sack along with
Eddie Goldman in his NFL debut.
Look for Fox and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to try to
pressure Wentz in front of a hostile environment.
Wentz, however, will have plenty of support in the huddle as he
braces for the Bears. The 23-year-old already has the backing of
his teammates, including wide receiver Jordan Matthews, who is
thrilled with the chance to develop continuity with his quarterback
after several years of uncertainty at the position.
"It's a different thing when that guy's your brother and when he's
your quarterback," Matthews said. "When he's your quarterback, it's
like, 'I'm just doing my job.' When he's your brother, it's like,
'I've got to get these 12 yards because I want him to be able to
trust that I'm going to be where I need to be so that we can get
out here and win football games.' ... And I want him to be just as
successful as me, if not more.
"When you start having that relationship, when you want to give up
of yourself for somebody else, the games, they just happen. It
becomes fun. It becomes something everybody loves to enjoy. Like I
said, Carson has that attitude."
Tonight's game can be heard on Newstalk 1060 with the Pre-game Show at 6:30.
