REMEMBER the days where players played the whole first half of the third preseason game? Remember the days when coaches were more interested in a starter actually being effective, and less interested in the name being available? I do. Hey, do you know what the height of irony would be? Never mind. Never mind.
I ask those questions because at the rate we’re going, our offensive line is going to get our QB seriously injured this year. In one quarter of play, versus a team they’d been staring at for a week, our line gave up a sack, a tipped pass, and what looked to be 3 more hits or grabs of QB Carson Wentz.
Those all count as contacts, and that was in just 11 dropbacks! That’s 5 contacts per 11 dropbacks, for a rate of 45.4%. Last year Wentz had 640 dropbacks (607 attempts, 33 sacks). Using last years dropbacks as a model, with a 45% contact rate, Wentz would be contacted 288 times this year, which is 18.0 times per game. Put another way, at that rate Nick Foles will be the starting QB by Week Nine.
Considering that the third game is typically a dress rehearsal, it’s clear that the line isn’t ready to protect the franchise QB yet. They need more time, and more experience in a “live” game situation. The starters need to see action in game four. Especially given that LG Isaac Seumalo is being folded in as a brand new starter. Sadly, they won’t get that time, because despite our O-line’s depth, Head Coach Doug Pederson is shelving his starters to protect them from injury.
The height of irony would be the O-Line getting the franchise QB injured, because we were afraid that they would get injured, while practicing to be effective at keeping the franchise QB from injury. And to think, we may be treated to that exact sight very, very soon.
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