PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Regardless of what happens on Sunday in Tampa, this Eagles season is remarkable solely based on how the year panned out for Carson Wentz.
Wentz said he was “in disbelief” after he and his Colts choked away a layup playoff berth with two straight losses to close the season — one at home to the playoff-bound Las Vegas Raiders and another on the road at the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“A lot of reflection to come over the next handful of days, but yeah, it’s not a good feeling right now,” Wentz said after his Colts lost 26-11 to previously two-win Jacksonville. All Indianapolis had to do was beat this inferior team to make the postseason.
Wentz had an interception and lost fumble — one of six times he was sacked.
“It’s a bad feeling, completely bad feeling, knowing that we were in control of our destiny last two weeks and we just couldn’t get it done, and it’s definitely left a bad taste in my mouth,” he said. “Not where we want to be, not what we expected either.”
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Meanwhile, Philadelphia is feeling good. Jalen Hurts, Wentz’s successor, and rookie head coach Nick Sirianni rallied the Eagles into the postseason after a 2-5 start. And because Wentz, who’s usually injury-prone, played more than the necessary amount of snaps negotiated in the trade between the Eagles and Colts, the Birds get Indianapolis’ first-round pick, which comes to 16th overall.
So, not only are the 9-8 Colts without a first-round pick because of the Wentz trade, but they also missed the postseason, in part, because of how Wentz played.
The 9-8 Eagles will visit Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday at 1 p.m. The Eagles lost to the Bucs in Week 6 at the Linc, 28-22, but have turned their season around since then.
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After the Bucs closed out their regular-season schedule, the seven-time Super Bowl champion recognized the Eagles are “playing really well lately.”
“We’re gonna have to play our best game of the year,” Brady said. “This is a toughest opponent all year. We’re playing a team that’s very talented. They make it to this point for a reason, and we gotta do everything we do to get the win.
“It’s gonna be a very tough, tough game.”
Eagles fans sure hope so.