Why Torrey Smith thinks fans have Wentz pick-6 all wrong

Share

Another week, another ugly game from Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, including a pick-six early on in the second quarter that seemed to sap the offense of any momentum or confidence.

Fans and reporters alike were crushing Wentz for his decision making on the pick-six play, because it seemed at first glance - and in screenshots of the replay - that Jalen Reagor was open on the left side of the field for a possible first down, but Wentz missed him.

Former Eagles wide receiver Torrey Smith disagrees.

Smith, who spent a year with the Birds in 2017 when they won Super Bowl LII, was vocal on Twitter on Sunday evening in defending Wentz's decision to not throw to Reagor. When a guy like Smith, who has firsthand experience in the Eagles' meeting rooms, speaks about offensive concepts, we should all probably listen. Here's why Smith thinks your criticism is incorrect:

I was definitely one of the people who thought Wentz completely missed a wide-open throw on the play. The screenshots didn't help. But when you read Smith's analysis, and then watch the full play, it's easier to see why Wentz didn't pull the trigger:

The screenshot lots of people are using is taken immediately after the play action, when Wentz is making his first read, which is Fulgham on the outside. By the time he shifts his attention to Reagor, Andrew Sendejo has indeed flipped his hips and is working back towards Reagor. So Wentz opts for the checkdown, but Richard Rodgers' missed block means he gets hit as he throws.

It's not black and white: you can ask for Wentz to make his reads quicker, and maybe taking the back-shoulder shot to Reagor is a better choice. But saying he just chose to ignore a wide open receiver isn't correct.

Smith also had this defense of his former QB, for those calling for Wentz to be benched:

One thing's for sure: it's quite a time to play quarterback in Philadelphia.

Subscribe to the Eagle Eye podcast:

Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | Watch on YouTube

Contact Us