Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Offensive line can’t protect Carson Wentz, allows four more sacks in loss to Titans

Carson Wentz has been sacked nine times in his two starts. The Eagles need to do a better job of protecting him if they hope to make another Super Bowl run.

Carson Wentz tries to shake off Titans defensive tackle Jurrell Casey in the second quarter.
Carson Wentz tries to shake off Titans defensive tackle Jurrell Casey in the second quarter.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer

NASHVILLE – Lane Johnson is one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL. When he gets beat, when he gives up a sack, it's man-bites-dog news.

Man bit dog early in the fourth quarter of the Eagles' 26-23 overtime loss to the Titans Sunday afternoon. Harold Landry, a speedy 6-2, 252-pound rookie edge rusher in search of his first NFL sack, blew around the All-Pro right tackle and sacked Carson Wentz.

Not only sacked him but knocked the ball out of the quarterback's hands and forced a fumble on a third-and-20 play that the Titans turned into a Ryan Succop field goal on their way back from a 14-point deficit.

"That was a critical, key play in a critical moment, especially being able to get a turnover out of it," Titans coach Mike Vrabel said.

"I don't think I kicked [outside] far enough on him," Johnson said. "He got the edge and got the strip-sack. Big play in the game. I sure wish I could have it back.

"But if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas. That's the way it goes. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We have to keep battling and keep pushing forward."

>> READ MORE: Eagles' issues in the secondary go beyond Jalen Mills in loss to Titans | Jeff McLane

Wentz threw for 348 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to the Titans. But he also was sacked four times, hit 11 other times and pressured a dozen more times on 54 pass plays.

That comes a week after he was sacked five times in the Eagles' too-close-for-comfort 20-16 win over the Colts. The Colts befuddled the Eagles last week with loops and stunts that an offensive line that has played together as long as this one has should have handled better.

On Sunday, the Titans attacked Wentz with numbers, blitzing early and often.

"That d-coordinator [Dean Pees] has a history of blitzing guys in ways you don't expect,'' tight end Zach Ertz said.

"They have a new game plan each and every week. We have to do better in the blitz pickup. We have to have better communication. And we will. We'll go back and evaluate the film and make corrections."

The Eagles gave the Titans plenty of opportunities to tee off on Wentz. They converted just five of 15 third-down opportunities. Seven of those 15 third-down situations were 9 yards or more.

"We just have to do a better job of keeping him upright,'' Ertz said. "Our offensive line is the best in the league. But it's not just the offensive line. [The receivers have] to get open more consistently. And Carson has to try to get the ball out quicker when there's pressure."

>> GRADE THE EAGLES: Eagles' overall performance gets an 'F' in loss to Titans | Paul Domowitch

There was plenty of blame to go around Sunday. That includes nine-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters, who got beat inside by the Titans' three-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman, Jurrell Casey, on a third-and-10 play early in the second quarter that forced a Wentz incompletion and one of six Cam Johnston punts.

Running back Wendell Smallwood swung and missed at Titans linebacker Sharif Finch on a second-and-10 blitz in the second quarter that short-circuited another drive.

"We'll have to look at the film," Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. "That's a good defense, so I give them a lot of credit.

"We'll make our corrections. A couple of guys got edged a couple of times. We've got to make sure our backs, that there's cohesiveness with all of that protection.

"It's not just one guy or two guys. It could be the offensive line. It could be the quarterback. It could be the coverage. We just have to address it. We pride ourselves in picking up the pressure, picking up the blitz. And we'll get back to that."

>> ANALYSIS: Eagles' overtime loss to Titans shows again this is a new season, with new ups … and downs | Mike Sielski

While his passing numbers have been pretty good, Wentz has had two strip-sacks in his first two starts back.

It's clear watching him in the pocket that Wentz still isn't where he was last year before his knee injury as far as his comfort level in the pocket against pressure and the speed of his decision-making.

"It seems like we get blitzed quite a bit as an offense,'' Wentz said. "And that's kind of been the Titans' DNA. They like to mix it up quite a bit, and that's what they did tonight.

"They did some good things to kind of run some of the nakeds [bootlegs], they blitzed right into it. They just had some good play calls on, and we just have to stay ahead of the chains.''

"We can definitely pick it up,'' Johnson said. "It starts with all of us. Carson getting back into the rhythm of things. Us getting back into the rhythm of things.

"We'll improve. We'll learn a lot from this game. It's a tough pill to swallow. But we'll go back to work and get it fixed."

>> READ MORE: Who's trending up, who's trending down? Winners and losers from Sunday's loss

Our mission is to provide top-notch coverage for the best fans in sports. We can't do it without your support. Join us: philly.com/birds