Eagles fans wanted to see Carson Wentz and they got what they wanted. Philly.com:

The calls for Carson Wentz came in the first half of the Eagles’ preseason opener Thursday night from fans who endured a 100-degree heat index in Philadelphia to catch their first glimpse of the Eagles’ future franchise quarterback. “We want Wentz! We want Wentz! We want Wentz!” The original plan was to keep them waiting until the start of the second half, but coach Doug Pederson altered course and sent Wentz onto the field to run a two-minute drill with 79 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

The “We Want Wentz” chants were almost automatic. Philly.com:

It began less than four minutes into the game. They waited until after Sam Bradford played his series. That might’ve been a noble gesture, or it might’ve been a coincidence. We’ll see what happens the next time everybody returns. Whatever the case, the first chant reached the field at the 11-minute, 40-second mark. We want Wentz, the fans yelled. We know, everybody else thought. The question is, how bad do the Eagles want him? Or, maybe it isn’t the question. Maybe we got the answer on draft day, when they decided to pay two firsts, a second, a third and more for the right to select Wentz. Maybe everything we’ve heard since then has been professional courtesy. Maybe Sam Bradford is Milton from Office Space, and Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Lurie are the Bobs, and the only reason Bradford is still here is because he’s still getting paid.

Doug Pederson was worried about the game and not the fans. Philly.com:

“It was an opportunity to get him into the game early right before the half and see if he could get that two-minute drive going,” Pederson said. “He came out and he was in the right frame of mind and looking forward to playing. He made a couple tough runs for us and completed the ball where it needed to be. By no means was he perfect . . . but I was pleased for his first outing.” By the time Wentz’s evening was done, we had learned a few things, but nothing so revealing that we can predict how the rest of his career might unfold.

Wentz played just about as expected. Philly.com:

The cheers lasted until left tackle Andrew Gardner false-started on what would have been Wentz’s first snap. Instead, the kid’s first play was a high throw to Nelson Agholor on the sideline that Agholor didn’t haul in. But on second and 15, Wentz sidestepped pressure and drilled a pass to Zach Ertz at the sticks for a first down. There, the two-minute-drill drive died after a 3-yard completion to Rueben Randle, a throwaway deep, and a high pass that Ertz couldn’t bring down. That was the way Wentz’s evening went. Moments, flashes of great potential, leavened with poor decisions and off-the-mark throws that showed what observers of training camp have been saying the last three weeks – namely that the brain trust is right about the second player taken in the draft not being ready to lead an NFL team yet, after just 23 starts at North Dakota State.

Wetz himself is just happy they got a win. Philly Voice:


“I thought some plays were made, but I thought there were some that still needed to be made that were left on the field,” Wentz said of his performance. “The interception in the red zone, that’s something you never want to do. That ball sailed on me, got away from me. Overall, there’s a lot of good things to build on and we’re walking away with a win, so that’s what’s most important.”

While all eyes were on Wentz the first team offense was invisible. CSN:

Man, what a long day at the office for Sam Bradford. He and the rest of the full first-team offense were on the field for three plays after the Bucs coughed up the ball on the opening kickoff. It took them three plays to go 18 yards and punch the ball into the end zone. Bradford attempted one pass and completed it for three yards before taking a seat. Ryan Mathews carried the ball twice for 15 yards and a touchdown. That was it.

The game itself was unremarkable but that doesn’t mean everyone played up to snuff. Philly.com:

Daniel’s astoundingly bad night – 4-for-10, 15 yards, four sacks and inexplicable attachment to the ball (he’s incredibly gun-shy) – will make for a week of water-cooler fodder, but if Daniel matters much this season, then the Eagles won’t have any real shot at relevance, because starter Sam Bradford (who threw one 3-yard pass) will most likely have to be hurt for Daniel to play, and if Bradford is hurt, the team will enter full rebuild mode. So, forget about Daniel. There’s a reason he’s thrown only 77 passes in seven years.

Reuben Frank is not pleased with Chase Daniel either. CSN:

I hate the idea of Daniel starting the season as the Eagles’ No. 2 quarterback. And not only because of how terrible he was Thursday night against the Bucs. I’ve been saying it all summer. It makes zero sense. I know offenses are vanilla right now, and Daniel was playing behind the No. 2 offensive line, for a while against a starting defense. But let’s be honest, there is no way he’s going to come in and win games in the event that Sam Bradford gets injured or benched. I know it’s only one preseason game, but for crying out loud, the dude looked like Mike McMahon out there. Daniel played seven series and generated negative-four net passing yards. He wasn’t even looking down the field. And this is a guy going into his seventh NFL season. And he’s your No. 2? Maybe he’ll play better the rest of the preseason. But seriously, based on what we’ve seen in camp and Thursday night against Tampa, I don’t know how Doug Pederson can in good conscious make a case that Daniel gives this team a better chance to win than Carson Wentz.

Jalen Mills has room to grow. PhillyMag:

Jalen Mills showed how much room he has to grow. The rookie did have an impressive play in coverage when he perfectly anticipated a deep post route, breaking on the expected cut before it was ever made, but he had more negative plays than positive ones tonight. On special teams, Mills was beaten inside on one punt return, a notable mistake that led to the gunner getting a quick hit on the return man. On defense, he had some lapses in coverage, including when he was badly beaten deep to start off one drive in the second quarter — although the Buccaneers’ backup quarterback couldn’t connect on the throw.

Doug Pederson has some form of a plan is Lane Johnson is suspended. Philly.com:

“You always have to be mindful of that,” Pederson said. “I’ll visit with coach (Jeff) Stoutland this week, and we’ll evaluate where we need to go from here. If it’s upheld, we have to be prepared to make some moves. We have to be smart about it, to have people ready to go . . . If the 10 games start Week 1 . . . I have to anticipate that there’s at least a chance.”

It’s like a half plan. PhillyMag:

Dennis Kelly is the listed backup at right tackle on the unofficial depth chart. There are other options as well, including sliding Allen Barbre out and playing Stefen Wisniewski at left guard. Either way, it appears the answer will come from in-house. “We’ve got the bodies, it’s not that. We’ve got the bodies,” said Pederson. “We’ve got the guys that can definitely fill that role.” Johnson started Thursday against the Bucs but saw limited action, as the first team was only on the field for a series. He left the locker room before the media entered. Like Pederson, his teammates are uncertain how this thing will break.

Johnson himself snuck out after the game was over. CSN:

“Hey guys,” he said to a few reporters outside the door just before he walked in. That was his only comment of the night. About 15 minutes later, when media members were granted locker room access, Johnson was nowhere to be found. In his locker, not a trace.

Jim Schwartz is Jim Schwartz. Philly.com:

It took three drives until a wandering eye caught Jim Schwartz doing Jim Schwartz things after the Eagles defense allowed the Buccaneers to march down the field and score a touchdown. He grimaced. Gave an annoyed stare. Shook his head. Crossed his arms. And said something into his headset that likely involved a healthy dose of four-letter words. Football is back. And Schwartz, after a year off, is back coaching.

Dropped passes are still an issue. Philly Voice:

Last year the Eagles led the NFL in dropped passes. Has anyone mentioned that yet since the conclusion of last season? If not, they did. Thursday night, it was more of the same, and from receivers who matter. Nelson Agholor, Zach Ertz, and Rueben Randle all had bad drops.