![]() And thanks to the knee injury, his running prowess pretty much disappeared - he lost 30 rushing attempts and 206 rushing yards from the previous year. He fared well when targeting receivers downfield, posting a 15.3 YPA (6th) on attempts longer than 20 yards, but he also threw four interceptions and just two touchdowns on deep passes. His bad pass rate was 17.4 percent, seventh lowest in the league, which helped improve his completion rate nearly 10 percentage points to 69.9 (3rd). Wentz showed impressive accuracy last season, albeit with a more cautious approach. Between injuries, he was a middling fantasy quarterback, ranking 18th in points per game (17.5). Wentz missed the first two games last season while recovering from his 2017 ACL tear and later missed the final three games (plus playoffs) with a stress fracture in his back. The Eagles drafted quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round, but he's no threat to Wentz, whose rushing ability adds to his fantasy value. Wentz's red-zone TD pass percentage was 27.5 (8th), but he's been highly efficient in the red zone three years running, so perhaps regression is not imminent. And Wentz loves his tight ends in the red zone - 27 targets last season, tied for the most by a TE duo. Stretching the field theoretically should give Wentz more open looks underneath to the team's tight ends, Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. DeSean Jackson also is healthy after season-ending core muscle surgery. The Eagles made improving their downfield attack an offseason priority, drafting Jalen Reagor (4.47 40) in the first round, John Hightower (4.43) in the fifth and Quez Watkins (4.35) in the sixth. Just 10.3 percent of his attempts traveled longer than 20 yards (19th), and he completed only 30.2 percent (23rd) for a 9.8 YPA (25th) with five interceptions (fourth most). Wentz had to deal with a receiving corps that was decimated by injuries, which impacted his downfield passing. His completion percentage dropped by nearly six points (69.6 to 63.9) from the year prior, and his YPA was a full yard less, ranking 26th at 6.7, but he played 16 games for the first time since his rookie season and finished with a QB10 fantasy ranking. Wentz was much less efficient last year, but he got 607 attempts, which propelled him to his first 4,000-yard season and the fifth-most TD passes in the league (27). He's facing a broad timeline (5-to-12 weeks) for a return to action, with most reports putting him at the front end after he returned to practice late in August. Unfortunately for Wentz, it was announced in early August that he'd need surgery for a foot injury. Wentz also will have capable short-area receivers in Nyheim Hines, Jonathan Taylor and Jack Doyle. Parris Campbell, a 2019 second-round pick, has plenty of upside if he finally stays healthy, and Zach Pascal has plenty of experience (31 NFL starts) in the No. Hilton is still a downfield threat even if he's lost a step, and Michael Pittman, last year's 34th overall pick, is coming off an encouraging rookie season. In Indianapolis, Wentz will be protected by a strong offensive line that allowed a QB pressure rate of only 15.5 percent last season, fourth lowest (Wentz's was 28.3 percent, fifth highest). In February, he was traded to the Colts, reuniting with Frank Reich, the Eagles offensive coordinator in 2017-18. ![]() Despite playing just 12 games, Wentz led the league in sacks (50), tied for the league lead in interceptions (15) and ranked third in fumbles (10). Wentz was benched for rookie Jalen Hurts and never took another snap. By halftime of Week 13, the Eagles had seen enough. Wentz really struggled under pressure, with a league-low 29.5 completion percentage. His 28.4 bad-pass percentage was highest in the league, while his 57.4 completion percentage was second lowest, and his 6.0 YPA third lowest. The same guy who completed nearly 70 percent of his passes in 2018 couldn't hit anything last season. ![]() While the Eagles didn't give him much help, he brought most of it upon himself. NFL footage © NFL Productions LLC.It took all of three months last season for Wentz to go from franchise quarterback to outcast. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. ![]()
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