As September dawned, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported via Twitter “sources” indicating Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, recovering from knee surgery, won’t start the team’s opener Thursday. The following day coach Doug Pederson was expected to reveal whether or not that was true in a meeting with reporters. Instead, Pederson threw a moderate fit about reporters “puttin’ words in my mouth,” and refused to give up his big secret.
Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Doug Pederson Either Upset or Obfuscating
What’s going on? Anybody’s guess is as good as anybody else’s at this point although Pederson did slip and reveal that Wentz isn’t medically cleared yet, so…it really, really, really looks as though Nick Foles will start against the Atlanta Falcons. But…maybe not.
The little scene engineered by Pederson September 2 may have been the only way Pederson could actually obscure what he would do in a way that might convince Atlanta’s coaching staff. It certainly threw the local press into a dizzying round of speculation and apparently published error. Philly.com’s Marcus Hayes speculated that the Eagles might be embracing a new rallying cry: “It’s us vs. the Media!” The online version of his article about Pederson’s fit featured a title suggesting the coach “needs a nap.”
However, older veteran writer Les Bowen went Hayes one better. He, and perhaps careless copy editors, and perhaps the Eagles seemingly conspired to present contradictory statements about Wentz playing September 6. In the print edition of the Labor Day Philadelphia Inquirer, the very first sentence of his piece on Pederson read, “Carson Wentz is not cleared for contact and apparently will start Thursday’s season opener for the Eagles.” However, the online version of this sentence started the same way, but ended “and apparently won’t start Thursday’s season opener [emphasis mine].”
Take that, Dan Quinn. You and the rest of the Atlanta Falcons coaches can now mull over whether or not there’s a secret hidden in Bowen’s print-version sentence, which is borderline Kafkaesque. Could it actually mean that Wentz isn’t cleared at the moment, but will be?
Maybe it isn’t the Eagles versus the media. It might well be the Eagles and the media versus the rest of the league.
The fact is, however, that while it certainly seems unlikely anybody but Foles will start for Philadelphia Thursday, the nonsense surrounding Pederson’s apparent fit throws everything into doubt, and no one can now say…. Hold on, at about 11:45 a.m., Labor Day, it was reported Pederson has now said Foles will start “in the best interest of the 53.” So what? Pederson said September 2, “We’ve got a lot of days left.” Atlanta knows nothing still.
A question beyond that, which has drawn little comment, is: If Foles starts, is Wentz even dressed for the game? What if Foles falters? Wentz has looked pretty spry.
