Bowen: Pederson says Wentz's decisions stood out

DOUG PEDERSON had it right Monday, in reviewing Carson Wentz's performance in the Eagles' season opener: It wasn't so much the arm, it was the decisions that stood out.

Pederson had been asked to enumerate his favorite throws, from Wentz's 22-for-37, 278-yard, two-touchdown debut. He mentioned both the touchdowns, then a slant to Jordan Matthews, and the fourth-down conversion to Zach Ertz, Wentz standing in as unblocked blitzer Christian Kirksey leveled him.

The next question was whether only a few quarterbacks could execute those passes.

"No, I think every quarterback in the National Football League can make those throws," Pederson said. "It's just the recognition, and how fast you can recognize, No. 1, the protection, and then the leverage of the defender on our receiver (on the fourth-down play). It's something that we've worked (on) quite a bit, actually, with those guys."

Wentz, the rookie with only 23 college starts, at the FCS level, the guy who played in only one preseason game, a month earlier, consistently processed what he was seeing and made plays Sunday. He never looked confused or uncertain. He missed some throws, might have flubbed a protection call or two, but that happens with nearly every quarterback, every game. More than anything else, Wentz seemed really comfortable quarterbacking the Eagles to the widest margin of victory any team achieved in Week 1.

To another question, about whether Wentz hung in through pass-rush pressure better than anyone could have predicted, Pederson said:

"I tell you, obviously, watching the tape this morning . . . for him to have that kind of poise in the pocket for his first start, and really only having about four series throughout the entire (preseason), you just can't teach that. And the patience that he had to let receivers come open.

"I remember that one third-down play, he hit Jordan on a backside dagger route, just hung in there, hung in there, and it was a nice, tight-window throw. Those are the things you see from more veteran-type quarterbacks, where young guys tend to want to scramble in those situations.

"But the poise was tremendous, and that's just who he is."

The Bears have plenty of time to dissect what Wentz did before the Eagles visit next Monday, and they'll provide a stronger test than the Browns. But it'll be interesting to see whether they have any better luck trying to pressure Wentz into bad decisions, or confuse him with movement.

* Jim Schwartz is known for preferring not to blitz. Rewatching the game, it seemed the few times I did notice an Eagles blitz, the Browns beat it for a decent completion. The Eagles' D really didn't get great pass-rush pressure in the first three quarters. All three sacks of Robert Griffin III came after the home team established a 22-10 lead.

* The Eagles played a lot of nickel, which meant only 19 defensive snaps for Mychal Kendricks. Two years ago, Kendricks was a three-down linebacker, a rising star. A lot of us thought he should have gone to the Pro Bowl. Doug Pederson was asked Monday whether this is how Kendricks will typically be used this year. "Yeah," Pederson said. "That's exactly how, right now, that he's going to be used." Kendricks has a $4.6 million cap number that goes up to $6.6 million next season.

* First two Eagles catches for Dorial Green-Beckham, both on the same drive, for 14 yards, in 25 snaps. Have to wonder how Green-Beckham's role might expand if tight end Zach Ertz is out a while, as expected.

* Dear CBS color guy Trent Green: Still looking for that telltale movement of Duke Johnson's helmet that you say will show me how Malcolm Jenkins interfered with him on third-and-goal. Still looks like a strong pass breakup to me, after several viewings. What I did see, each time I ran it back, was Austin Pasztor literally tackling Vinny Curry, giving Robert Griffin III time to get the pass off. Curry said the official he complained to told him he'd get the call "next time."

After the first play of the third quarter, a 58-yard completion to Corey Coleman, on which Eagles safety Rodney McLeod seemed to lose his balance and stumble into Nolan Carroll, Griffin completed two passes for 14 yards.

That it was a bad idea to run a Wildcat sweep on fourth down with your punter lined up to block, everyone standing in formation long past the point when you might have had the advantage of surprise?

Not Hue Jackson, apparently.

Encounters with Jalen Mills can be hazardous; Jordan Matthews missed the entire preseason after suffering a knee injury on a low Mills hit during a live practice.

On Sunday, Mills helped provide the latest twist in Griffin's hard-luck saga. The Browns placed their starting QB on injured reserve Monday with a fractured coracoid bone in his left shoulder, the result of his collision with Mills along the Eagles' sideline, with 3 minutes, 41 seconds remaining in the season opener.

It was a strange play. Griffin scrambled on third down, ultimately heading for the sideline, 3 yards short of the sticks. He took what seemed to be a light sideways shove from Eagles cornerback Ron Brooks, then careened forward into Mills, who was standing still, but leaned into the contact. Griffin couldn't raise his left arm as he threw a subsequent fourth-down incomplete pass.

"As soon as I saw him get out of the pocket, the tight end got up on me and I shed the block," Mills said. "Next thing I know, he was right behind the blocker."

The Browns don't have to designate right away whether Griffin is on the version of IR that allows a return, but he has to miss at least eight games.

@LesBowen

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