By Peter Gleason
Eagles coach Doug Pederson’s job just got a lot easier.
He said yesterday, in the wake of the Super Bowl champ’s 27-21 loss at Tampa, that he won’t “coach scared. I’m not going to coach paranoid.”
And he could be so definitive for one big reason:
Carson Wentz will start Sunday in a home game against the Indianapolis Colts, returning for the first time since tearing his anterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments last Dec. 10.
Pederson made the announcement yesterday:
“You’ve been waiting for this day forever. He has been cleared and so we’re all excited about that.”
The decision was made strictly on a medical basis, Pederson said. He pointed out the obvious — “he’s not Superman” — but noted that Wentz is “going to be prepared mentally, now it’s a matter of the physical part taking over. … In my mind, he’s cleared, he’s cleared. No need to hold back.”
Pederson announced that he’ll be down at least one wide receiver, with Mike Wallace suffering a leg fracture. Alshon Jeffery is recovering from shoulder surgery, which leaves Nelson Agholor, Kamar Aiken, DeAndre Carter and Shelton Gibson as the healthy receivers.
Darren Sproles missed the game against the Buccaneers with a hamstring injury and running back Jay Ajayi missed most of the first half with a back injury.
Pederson admitted that “it’s going to take some time [for Wentz] to get back into the rhythm and flow of the game.” He’ll have the time to do that because, as Pederson said, “we drafted him to be our guy.” Foles promises that the situation won’t be a delicate one, despite his status as the reigning Super Bowl MVP.
“Whatever the organization and the team ask of me, I’m going to do,” Foles said after the Eagles’ 27-21 loss Sunday at Tampa Bay. “Obviously, stepping in the huddle and playing the game is something that I love and it’s a crazy sport, but at the end of the day, I’m going to focus right now on cleaning up [the mistakes] against Tampa Bay but whatever the team asks of me, I’m going to be there and I want to help in anyway possible. Who knows what will happen?”
