At first on Friday morning, Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich was hesitant to compare Carson Wentz to any other quarterback.
 
Then he named Andrew Luck and Jim Kelly: a Pro Bowler and a Hall of Famer. While Reich has never coached Luck, he did play with Kelly and backed him up for eight seasons.
 
Why were those the two names that stuck out to Reich?
 
“Kind of size, strength and just a toughness,” he said. “Just a kind of mentally tough, physically tough attitude. Not afraid to stand in the pocket and take a hit. I think Carson showed that. Having played with Jim Kelly all those years, a Hall of Fame quarterback, you don’t want those guys to take hits, but it’s the willingness on that 4th-and-4 to stand there, a guy’s coming up the middle, make the play to [Zach] Ertz and take the hit. Because that’s what it takes to make the play to keep the drive alive. Those are good signs.”
 
The play Reich pointed out on Friday morning is the same one Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and Bears head coach John Fox pointed out earlier in the week.
 
In the third quarter of the Week 1 matchup against the Browns, the Eagles were faced with a pivotal 4th-and-4 on the Cleveland 40-yard line. Wentz stood in the pocket, while getting crushed by linebacker Christian Kirksey, and delivered a perfect pass to Ertz in the slot.
 
“I think it’s huge because this game is a physical game, it’s a toughness, it’s attitude,” Reich said. “And I think when that comes from the quarterback position … you know everyone thinks of the quarterbacks, a lot of times, as the prima donnas, but I always felt like that’s gotta be one of the tougher guys on your team. Not just mentally, but physically. And it’s obviously only one game, but Carson has the size and I think he has the mentality and he showed — at least in this one game — he showed that he would stand in the pocket and make big plays in the face of guys breathing down his neck.”
 
It’s not just Wentz’s 22-for-37 passing game and his 278 yards and his two touchdowns … it’s his toughness that has been just as impressive.
 
Wentz’s willingness to take a hit in order to make a big play is earning respect with the veterans inside the Eagles’ locker room.
 
“It actually means a lot because he’s willing to lay it on the line for us,” running back Darren Sproles, in his 11th season, said. “To take that rib shot for that first down or that touchdown, it means a lot. Young guy’s pretty tough though.”
 
Wentz illustrated his toughness in Week 1, but it wasn’t the first time he’s done so. In the first week of the preseason, in his only preseason action, Wentz suffered two broken ribs late in the fourth quarter when he was crushed by a blitzer. Instead of staying on the ground, Wentz popped up, waited out a Tampa Bay challenge, and played one more snap.
 
That’s the play that comes to mind for Jordan Matthews.
 
“I mean, I didn’t even know he cracked his rib,” Matthews said. “He stayed in the game. That says a lot about the guy.
 
“To me this is the thing that’s most telling: when he did get his freakin’ rib busted open, he didn’t just lay on the ground and want people to feel sorry for him. That’s different. A lot of cats lay on the ground, ‘Aah, feel sorry for me, bring the ambulance out, ESPN move the camera in.’ He don’t care about that stuff. Dude’s from North Dakota; they don’t have cameras. Get your butt up, keep playing football. That’s just who he is.
 
“This thing isn’t an act; that’s who he is. That’s just the type of guy you want in there moving the huddle, commanding the offense. That’s the kind of guy you want to go to war with.”
 
While Reich praised Wentz for his toughness, he admitted there were a few hits the rookie took during the game that were avoidable. Since Wentz’s arrival, the coaching staff has been preaching to Wentz the importance of protecting his body.
 
Before the Browns game, Pederson said Week 1 wasn’t the NFC Championship game; there are times when he needs Wentz to fight for an extra yard and put his body in harm’s way and there are times he needs the rookie to make smart decisions and get out of dodge.
 
“We know it’s a physical game and you’re going to take hits, but we’re not trying to take hits unnecessarily just to prove that we’re tough,” Reich said. “We’ll have enough of those opportunities.”
 
In those opportunities they’ve had so far, Wentz is showing a lot to his teammates.

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