Pete Carroll raves about Carson Wentz: ‘No question’ he’ll be great

After starting the season with the top passer rating by a rookie in NFL history, Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has dropped back down to earth in recent weeks. In his last six games, he has the lowest passer rating in the league and has thrown more touchdown passes than interceptions just once in that span.

Certainly, the Eagles lackluster wide-receiver corps is a factor, but this lack of consistency isn't unexpected. After all, he's still just a rookie, and as the Inquirer's Jeff McLane notes, we can expect his play to follow a pattern in which "one week he's up, the next he's down."

Wentz was definitely up-and-down in Sunday's game against the Seahawks, completely less than 50 percent of his 45 passes for just 218 yards. He did throw two touchdown passes, but also had two interceptions.

That inconsistency didn't stop Seahawks coach Pete Carroll from praising Wentz a day after the Eagles lost a tough game in Seattle, 26-15.

"He's going to be really good," Carroll told Mike Salk and Brock Huard on his 710 ESPN radio show on Monday, noting that Wentz seemed like a veteran at times in the way he looked Seattle's defenders off.

"He was looking off on the curl routes, moving the linebackers. That's fantastic stuff for a guy to do," Carroll said. "He did it on the touchdown play. … That's really advanced stuff."

Carroll was impressed that Wentz showed so much poise, especially considering how few games the former North Dakota quarterback played in college.

"He's going to be a great player; there is no question," Carroll said. "He's got everything you need. He's got great poise, he's tough, he's fast, he's strong, and he's got some sense already. … He did a great job. He really did."

Carroll wasn't the only member of the Seahawks impressed with Wentz's play. Cornerback Richard Sherman told USA Today he didn't think Seattle's tough defense had rattled the rookie.

"He was poised. He wasn't shook. He's a rook. That's what he is," Sherman said. "So, he's going to learn from it and he's going to work hard and come back."