The Carson Wentz Snap Tracker- Week 2
By Dylan MacKinnon
Many fans were not only keeping track of the Eagle’s game, but also the Colts game. Not necessarily the score, but the snaps of former Eagles QB Carson Wentz. As we all know, whether or not the Eagles get the Colts first-round pick is dependent on Wentz playing 75% of the snaps, or 70% if the Colts make the playoffs. He played 100% of the snaps in week 1. Did he keep up that pace in week 2?
Week 2 Snap Count
Team Snaps- 67
Wentz Snaps- 62
Percentage- 92.5
Total Snap Count
Team Snaps- 143
Wentz Snaps- 138
Percentage- 96.5%
Unfortunately, Wentz did miss 5 snaps. He hurt his ankle late in the game. Wentz tried to gut it out but ultimately left the game. He is still well above the 75% threshold, but the concern is if he will have to miss time with an ankle injury. We will know more later in the week. Here is what Frank Reich said after the game about Wentz’s ankle injury.
“He rolled it up pretty bad. It didn’t look good. And sometimes if you go back in right in while it’s still warm, you can maybe gut out a few more plays, but the longer we were off the field there, it just stiffened up… He tried, but there was no chance.”
Not super encouraging. It sounds like his status will be up in the air for the coming weeks.
Carson Wentz: “I’ve sprained my ankle probably 100 times since I was a kid. This one, I just couldn’t play on it.”
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) September 19, 2021
The good news is that the 75% number does give a decent buffer for missing some games. In 2017 when he tore his ACL, he still passed the 75% threshold. But missing any games would make it much tighter. Realistically he could miss up to 4 games and still have played 75% of the snaps.
As of now, the buffer until he falls under 75% is 45 snaps. He can miss 58 snaps before falling below 70%.
In terms of their playoff chances. They are 0-2, and if Wentz’s injury forces him to miss time, that is unlikely to improve. They now begin a stretch of 3 straight road games vs the Titans, Dolphins, and Ravens. There is a chance they end up as bad as 0-5, especially if Wentz misses time.
Only 30 teams out of 258 teams that have started 0-2 since 1990 have made the playoffs, about 12%. But it is also important to note they are playing in the AFC South, who could very well be as bad as the NFC East was last year. The Jaguars are 0-2, the Titans are 1-1, and the Texans are also 1-1, but Tyrod Taylor is also injured, and the team they beat was the Jaguars. There is on average one 0-2 to make the playoffs every year, so it could be the Colts.
But it may be better for the Eagles if they do miss it. Obviously the worse they are, the better the pick will be. If Wentz is healthy and reaches 75% at end of the year, then the Colts being terrible would be ideal. As long as they aren’t so bad they start to sit Wentz on purpose. Or as long as he isn’t so bad they bench him. For now, the Colts pick is projected to be top 10. But there is a long way to go.
Wentz’s injury is concerning, but it is not a reason to panic, yet. There is wiggle room for him to miss a game and still play enough snaps. Missing 1-3 weeks would not ruin their chances of getting the first. If he misses 4+ weeks, it starts to get dicey. Players have often returned from sprained ankles within two weeks. A broken ankle would cost him at least 6 weeks, and end all hopes of getting the first. We will have to watch his injury status throughout the week to know more.
