Carson Wentz isn't playing as well as 2017 or even last year. He's missed some open guys, made some bad decisions, struggled late in games. He definitely shares some blame in the offense's inconsistency.
Facts.
Carson Wentz doesn't suck. He's not the worst quarterback in the world. The Eagles didn't screw up giving him a huge contract. He's not a bust. He's not an abject failure. He's not the next coming of Vinny Testaverde.
Facts.
Yes, contrary to popular belief, there is a middle ground when it comes to No. 11.
It's actually possible to be critical of Wentz without hating him.
Philadelphia Eagles
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles and their NFL rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
It's actually possible to recognize what he does really well while also acknowledging his shortcomings.
It's actually possible to accept his strengths without ignoring his weaknesses - or vice versa.
Philly sports fans have crazy strong opinions, and that's one of the things that makes this the best sports city in the country.
Those opinions can tend to be extreme, and when it comes to Wentz, they almost always are.
That's just the way it's evolved.
Some athletes just seem to engender extreme opinions. Allen Iverson. Donovan McNabb. Ryan Howard.
Wentz is right there now with them.
Either it's Wentz can't play or it's none of this is Wentz's fault.
The reality is that like any devisive topic, the truth is somewhere in the middle.
And that's OK.
Quarterbacks struggle. They're human. Even the best ones miss open receivers, have lousy games, have bad years.
Doesn't mean they can't play.
Wentz has missed more open receivers this year than he did in his first three seasons, but he's also not getting any help. Doug Pederson seems to have lost his magic touch as a play-caller. The running game and offensive line have been up and down. The wide receivers have been atrocious.
And still the guy has 16 touchdown passes and four interceptions.
Wentz doesn't have an Amari Cooper. He doesn't even have a Riley Cooper.
The Wentz haters will tell you Nick Foles won a Super Bowl with Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor. The Wentz defenders will point out that Jeffery and Agholor aren't the same guys they were two years ago.
The Wentz haters will tell you he's essentially a .500 quarterback over the last two years. The Wentz defenders will point out he has the ninth-most TD passes, 12th-highest completion percentage, ninth-most passing yards and third-best interception ratio in NFL history by a QB in his first 50 games.
The Wentz haters will tell you he'll never win a Super Bowl. The Wentz defenders will tell you the Eagles never would have been in position to win the Super Bowl if he didn't go 11-2 in 2017.
And on and on we go.
Remove agendas from the equation?
You have a quarterback bordering on the elite just entering the prime of his career who's had a Pro Bowl receiver for one of his 50 career games and threw him a couple 50-yard touchdowns the one chance he got.
And you also have a quarterback who needs to be sharper, needs to be more consistent, needs to be better.
One doesn't contradict the other. One doesn't render the other impossible.
Wentz is really good, but he isn't perfect.
And if that doesn't neatly fit with your agenda? Then maybe it's time to find a new one.
Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.
