Carson Wentz picked up a victory in his return, but how did he and his teammates grade out after their gritty 20-16 win over the Colts in Week 3?
Quarterback
Carson Wentz: 25/37, 255 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT, 84.9 RAT
Wentz was mostly accurate (67.6 completion percentage) and flashed his trademark escapability. He was also slow going through some of his progressions, which was to be expected after a nine-month layoff. That's all well and good, but Wentz's two turnovers deep in the Eagles' end – a flat-out terrible interception and a somewhat unlucky fumble – could've been backbreakers. Ultimately, he did enough to win without several primary weapons.
Grade: C+
Running backs
Philadelphia Eagles
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Wendell Smallwood: 10 ATT, 56 YDS, 1 TD; 3 REC, 35 YDS
Already touched on the makeshift three-headed monster (see story), but here's two more critical numbers: 1. Smallwood, Corey Clement and Josh Adams accounted for 51.7 percent of the Eagles' total yards, and 2. zero fumbles between them.
Grade: A
Wide receivers
Non-entities, quite honestly. Nelson Agholor led with four receptions for 24 yards, while Jordan Matthews made a pair of grabs for 21. Kamar Aiken wasn't targeted. The unit's inability to create separation is a big reason why Wentz wound up eating five sacks. Yes, injuries, but still not good.
Grade: D
Tight ends
Dallas Goedert: 7 REC, 73 YDS, 1 TD
All seven Goedert targets went for completions, including a 13-yard score on the Eagles' first possession, while Zach Ertz recorded 53 yards on five catches. Goedert is actually trying to block out there, too, albeit to mixed results.
Grade: A-
Offensive line
Jason Peters is a warrior. It looks like he's still battling that quad injury, yet the left tackle is still out there bulldozing people and keeping his quarterback (mostly) clean. Wentz was hit just seven times, largely due to coverage, and Eagles backs averaged 4.4 yards per carry.
Grade: A-
Defensive line
Derek Barnett: 5 TKL, 2 TFL, 1.5 SK, 2 QBH
Even before finishing off a late Colts rally with a fourth-down sack, Barnett was showing up in the run game – though backs carried only 11 times (for 37 yards) in the first place. Regardless, very possibly the second-year pro's best game to date. Fletcher Cox 'quietly' registered four tackles, one for loss and a half-sack. Short, quick passes kept the rush at bay, yielding just four hits on the quarterback.
Grade: A-
Linebackers
Jordan Hicks: 8 TKL, 2 PD
Solid, if not especially noteworthy performance, particularly Hicks, who led the team in tackles.
Grade: B+
Defensive backs
Jalen Mills: 5 TKL, 1 TFL, 2 PD
Mills made a bunch of plays, even if his 33-yard pass interference penalty set up the Colts' lone touchdown. Ronald Darby was beaten by a perfect pass for the score, then was solid the rest of the way. The defense allowed just 164 yards through the air on 40 attempts – a meager 4.1 average.
Grade: A-
Special teams
Corey Clement: 2 FUM
Two fumbles officially, but really three muffed punts for Clement, who looked uncomfortable in a return role. Jake Elliott hooked a 55-yard field goal try, though was otherwise perfect. D.J. Alexander's penalty for running into the Colts punter could've ended poorly, but did not result in a first down. Sloppy overall.
Grade: C-
Coaching
Eagles' record: 2-1
Two things needed to happen for the Eagles to win this game: 1. Doug Pederson needed to lean on his running backs and tight ends, and 2. Jim Schwartz's defense had to force the Colts to dink and dunk their way down the field. The game plans were exactly what was necessary given the circumstances – Wentz' return, injuries, opponent – even if the execution was lacking at times.
Grade: A-
