PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Carson Wentz is — quite literally — one of the last men standing on offense.
Wentz and Jason Kelce are the only original starters on offense who finished Sunday's Eagles game against Baltimore. With Zach Ertz and Miles Sanders now added to the injury list, it appears Wentz will be missing two of his most important offensive weapons.
Not only will he be working with a host of inexperienced players, but the quarterback only has a few short days to help them get ready for a Thursday night home game against the Giants.
"I just try to build them up," said Wentz. "I just try to build them up and let them know that I believe in them and really talk through it. Obviously, on a short week, we don't get the physical reps. It's a lot of walk-throughs, so a lot of it's just conversation."
Wentz isn't exactly the picture of health. The quarterback took a beating in the team's loss to the Ravens, but managed to stay in the game.
Wentz needed time to heal up from the amount of hits he took from the Baltimore defense, but insisted he won't be thinking about any bumps and bruises when he takes the field on Thursday night.
"I feel good," Wentz said. "I'm fortunate I'm still playing. I'm still feeling great. It's a quick turnaround, so I've got no excuses. I'll be just fine once I get out there."
The Eagles have had an incredible amount of success in recent years on Thursday night, and coach Doug Pederson has yet to lose a Thursday night game during his time as a head coach.
Wentz said the players know how to prepare themselves even if the Eagles are dealing with a long list of injuries.
"You play a lot of snaps in a game and you've got to turn around on a Thursday night," said Wentz. "It can be a challenge, but that's a big point of emphasis is finding a way to maximize your recovery, to get back out there on Thursday."
Despite a 1-4-1 record, this will be a critical contest for the Eagles.
They are just a half game behind the Cowboys and a half game ahead of the 1-5 Giants.
Even if the records are as woeful as they are between the two teams, an Eagles-Giants matchup is always intense.
Wentz knows that the stakes are high even though both teams have struggled this season.
"It's a divisional game," Wentz said. "Divisional games always have a little bit more on the line not just because there's a little extra rivalry there, but because we know what's at stake."
