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Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz may have a torn left ACL (he’s having an MRI on Monday). That’s devastating news for the Eagles, their MVP candidate, and football fans league-wide.
Wentz’s injury appeared to happen on a 2-yard touchdown scramble late in the third quarter of the Eagles’ Sunday win at the Rams. The play:
We don’t know what the exact origins of the injury were. But Wentz came up hurt on this one, in what appears to be the final snap of his season.
The touchdown Wentz scored didn’t count. He looked pained but stayed in the game. And before exiting the 2017 season for good, Wentz ran four more snaps.
The first one was this handoff:
The second was this handoff:
The third was this incompletion, on a ball intended for Alshon Jeffery:
And the fourth was this touchdown pass to Jeffery, coming on a fourth-and-goal at the Rams 2 — the same spot the Eagles snapped from on Wentz’s scramble:
Wentz looked ginger on each play. He was effectively a statue, only moving his feet to reorient himself as he scanned the field. He didn’t look anything like the athletic presence we’ve gotten accustomed to watching. These plays hurt to watch.
And Wentz still hung in to create two touchdowns on the final five snaps of his season. The last one counted and proved critical in a 43-35 win. His backup, Nick Foles, relieved him down the stretch and got enough help from Philadelphia’s defense to win.
Wentz’s year was incredible. That it’s probably over now is horrible. He exited in a fitting way, though: Pitching a crucial touchdown to help clinch the NFC East.