All Eyes On Wentz This Weekend

I have never examined Carson Wentz and do not know him, but here are some observations from a sport psychiatrist.

Carson Wentz can perform well if he has nothing to lose. We saw this last year – he had some good games for the Colts. But I always thought that if it came down to the last game of the season and he had something to lose, such as his teams spot in the playoffs, that he would implode. That is exactly what happened.

In his last year with the Eagles, when they drafted Jalen Hurts, though it was almost certainly in Wentz’s Imagination, I think he began to worry that the Eagles had no faith in him and that he actually would lose his job to Hurts.

That insecurity and worry negatively impacted his performance and the worry became a reality. The worst scenario for an athlete like Wentz is to be in a situation where he is under intense scrutiny and where, if he fails, he feels he will be horribly embarrassed and humiliated.

In tomorrow’s game against the Eagles in Washington, Wentz will  most certainly be the object of attention and curiosity (and derision), but little is expected of the Commanders and the game will have a little significance since it is so early in the season. There is plenty of time for once, in his mind, to rebound from a poor performance, and plenty of excuses about still learning a new system.

The game in Philly – Monday night, November 14 - will be different. National exposure and scrutiny. If the teams are locked in a battle for the division lead and there is something to lose, I predict Wentz’s performance will suffer.

If Hurts has a first half like he did against the Vikings, The prospect of suffering by comparison with his rival, and its embarrassment and humiliation, would only make things worse for Carson.