Eagles, Jalen Hurts show why Carson Wentz can’t find a job as Commanders make QB mistakes

PHILADELPHIA − Remember the first meeting last season when the Eagles sacked Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz nine times, including six times alone in the first half?

Incredibly, those six sacks counted for 40 yards lost. Wentz threw for only 24 yards in the first half as the Eagles took a 24-0 lead and cruised to a 24-8 win last Sept. 25.

Wentz was released after the season and is still looking for a job. He recently posted on social media a workout wearing clothing from all three of his previous teams.

The Jets, for example, bypassed Wentz and signed Trevor Siemian to their practice squad recently, a few weeks after Aaron Rodgers suffered his torn Achilles injury. Keep in mind that Jets GM Joe Douglas knows Wentz from his time with the Eagles.

His replacement, Sam Howell, whom Washington drafted in the fifth round in 2022, might be even worse. He has been sacked 19 times in the first three games of the season. It's the most times a quarterback has been sacked through the first three games of a season since at least 2000.

Howell was sacked nine times, and threw four interceptions, in Washington's 37-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills last Sunday.

You could just picture the Eagles defensive line drooling at the prospect of going after Howell on Sunday.

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And that is the biggest difference between Washington's choices at QB and the Eagles under Jalen Hurts. Sure, Hurts gets sacked. He's been sacked eight times in three games. But more often that not, he's escaping pressure to complete a pass, or get some positive yardage with his feet, or even just throwing the ball away to avoid losing yards.

Just look at Hurts' 34-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus in the Eagles' 25-11 win over Tampa Bay on Monday night. Hurts moved around the pocket to avoid a hit, then threw the ball just as he was getting taken down.

"He’s a different type of quarterback," Zaccheaus said about Hurts. "He’s able to extend plays. He’s a strong runner and he has an incredible arm. It’s a thing that you continue to get used to as you play with him in real time. ... I don’t want to use the word ‘chaos,’ but the play is a little longer with a quarterback that’s more mobile."

Wentz tried to extend the play against the Eagles in their first meeting last season, but he was swarmed under. Howell seems to be struggling with that as he makes his fifth career start.

"One of the right-away quick fixes is Sam releasing the ball," Commanders coach Ron Rivera told reporters who cover the team. "I’m not saying it’s all been Sam’s fault. I’m just saying he can help correct some of the issues."

Pocket passers can still thrive in the NFL, despite the emphasis on dual-threat QBs. After all, Tom Brady threw for 89,000 yards in his career, and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and former offensive coordinator Shane Steichen thrived with Philip Rivers at QB both with the Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts.

But it does require a quick release, something that Wentz and Howell have not come close to perfecting, especially behind a porous offensive line.

As a team, the Eagles have only six sacks through three games. Rookie Jalen Carter, for example, leads the Eagles with two. But he has 15 pressures and a 22.4% pass rush win rate, which is second only to the Rams' Aaron Donald among defensive tackles. Donald, of course, is considered one of the best defensive tackles of all time.

That shows Carter and the Eagles' other defensive linemen are constantly in the opposing quarterback's face. It leaves an opposing offensive line choosing whether to stop the inside rush with Carter, Fletcher Cox and Jordan Davis, or the edge rushers led by Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat.

"I still think they might be having a hard time trying to figure out who to double," Carter said. "We have a very talented D-line group. You double me, and Fletcher’s got a chance for a one-on-one. You double Fletcher, and me and (Davis have one-on-ones). It’s hard to try to double everybody."

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The Eagles don't have that problem.

For one, the Eagles have arguably the best offensive line in the NFL. Secondly, Hurts can beat the pass rush either with his arm or legs.

Sure, the rushing stats might not show that this season. Hurts has only averaged 3.2 yards per carry this season, and has only 100 yards rushing through three games, on pace for 561 yards this season, well off the 760 yards he ran for last season.

But Hurts is still a threat that other teams have to account for. That has opened things up for D'Andre Swift, who has rushed for 175 and 130 yards in his last two games. As a team, the Eagles are No. 2 in the NFL, averaging 185.7 yards per game.

"He hasn't got as many pulls that have turned into explosive plays," Sirianni said about Hurts as a runner. “That doesn't mean that it's not being effective. ... When you have a quarterback like Jalen, when you hand it off, the whole back side is affected, which allows your back side of your line to get the cutoffs to have these explosive runs.

"So, are Jalen's numbers up in the run game? No. But our numbers are up in the run game, and he greatly affects what happens in the run game because of who he is, and his threat to be able to keep it around the edge. ... He affects the defense, and that is as good as a block sometimes because you hold it and set up blocks for other things."

The Eagles, meanwhile, don't have to worry about that with Howell, just like they didn't last season with Wentz. It should be noted that Wentz didn't play in the second meeting last season. Taylor Heinicke, a more mobile QB, started that game and the Commanders handed the Eagles a 32-21 loss.

But Eagles cornerback Darius Slay knows how Carter and the defensive line must be feeling.

"I wish I was a D-lineman that can chase after (Howell) too," he said with a laugh. "I think probably he’ll get the ball out faster, and I’m sure the coaches over there are trying to find better ways to protect him. Maybe he makes better decisions. ... I’m sure they’re trying to figure it out because they know how great our D-line can be.”

Why Eagles should run over the Commanders

The best way to take the pressure off an overmatched quarterback like Howell is with the running game. Control the clock, get first downs, keep the Eagles offense off the field.

Good luck with that. The Eagles have the No. 1 rush defense in the NFL, allowing just 48.3 yards per game. Washington’s Brian Robinson is off to a good start. He has 216 yards in three games, ranking seventh in the NFL, and averages 4.6 yards per carry.

But he hasn't faced a defensive line with Carter, Cox and Davis in the middle.

It’s the Eagles who are better equipped to run out the clock, as they demonstrated by keeping the ball for the final 9:22 against Tampa Bay.

Washington doesn't have nearly the depth on the D-line that the Eagles do. And sooner or later, the Eagles will find a way to exploit them, whether it's passing to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, or running behind Hurts and/or Swift.

And if Howell has to throw for the Commanders to win, it's going to be ugly, even if the Eagles might be without two safeties in Sydney Brown and Justin Evans.

Score: Eagles 32, Commanders 6.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Eagles, Jalen Hurts show why Commanders keep making QB mistakes