Wentz comes through again as Eagles beat Bears 29-14

CHICAGO (AP) — Carson Wentz followed up an impressive NFL debut with another solid performance, throwing for 190 yards and a touchdown, and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Chicago Bears 29-14 on Monday night.

Wentz showed plenty of poise, just as he did in his debut against Cleveland.

Playing in the city where he was drafted by the Eagles with the No. 2 overall pick, he completed 21 of 34 passes and played turnover-free ball in his second straight game despite absorbing several big hits.

"Throughout the week, I just realized I'm going back to kind of where my life changed so to speak," Wentz said. "It was cool to be back here, especially to come out here with the win."

Ryan Mathews ran for two scores, and the Eagles (2-0) scored a pair of touchdowns late in the third quarter to break open a two-point game.

While Philadelphia was pulling away, Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler walked to the locker room with a right thumb injury and did not return.

That was the biggest blow for the Bears (0-2), who lost several players and fell again after opening with a loss at Houston. It's not the sort of start they envisioned in their second year under coach John Fox after finishing last in the NFC North. But they continued to struggle at home, where they were 1-7 a year ago.

Cutler, who completed 12 of 17 passes for 157 yards, walked to the locker room following an interception by Nigel Bradham late in the third quarter. Cutler was seen having his right hand examined on the sideline early in the third following a strip-sack by Destiny Vaeao, though he said it happened sometime earlier in the game. That play just aggravated it.

Brian Hoyer took over for Cutler and was 9 of 12 for 78 yards.

HEATED EXCHANGE

Along with the injury, Cutler got an earful from injured Bears linebacker Pernell McPhee. Cameras caught the two having a heated exchange following the interception.

"He's a passionate guy," Cutler said. "Everybody's got a lot vested into this. He does as well. No one likes to lose. No one likes to lose in that type of fashion. He's upset, I'm upset. Everyone in that locker room is upset right now."

PULLING AWAY

The Eagles were leading 9-7 late in the third when Mathews bounced off the line and spun outside before lunging in for a 3-yard touchdown.

With Cutler throwing off his back foot on the next play from scrimmage Bradham intercepted a pass apparently intended for Alshon Jeffery, who was about 10 yards behind him, at the 30 and returned it to the 2.

Wentz then hit Trey Burton with a touchdown pass to make it 22-7 with four seconds left.

HE SAID IT

Eagles coach Doug Pederson on Wentz: "He took care of the football and made some nice, tough throws. It wasn't perfect. But at the same time, he's seeing things really well. And he's commanding the huddle and dialog on the sideline with the players and coaches is something that a nine or 10-year vet would do."

Fox on being 0-2: "It's two games and we have 14 games left. Right now all our focus very quickly will go to Dallas to go on the road Sunday night."

NEAT PASS

Cutler set up the game's first touchdown when he spun to his left and unloaded a 49-yard heave to Jeffery that put the ball on the 5 in the opening minute of the second quarter. Langford ran it in from the 1, giving Chicago a 7-3 lead.

ANTHEM PROTEST

Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins and several teammates raised their right fists during the national anthem in a protest prior to their game. Jenkins said Saturday he would lead teammates in a demonstration against social injustice. Cornerback Ron Brooks and defensive end Steven Means joined him. It was not clear if another Eagles player joined in. Jenkins had insisted the protest would not be "an anti-police thing" and that police "are a key part of the solution in this issue."

INJURIES

Eagles: Safety Jaylen Watkins suffered a bruised knee.

Bears: Linebacker Lamarr Houston left the game with a left knee injury that Fox said "seems to be substantial." Houston was hurt trying to rush the passer in the second quarter and walked gingerly toward the sideline after being tended to by team medical personnel. ... Nose tackle Eddie Goldman was taken from the field on a cart with an ankle injury early in the fourth quarter after he was at the bottom of the pile on a running play. ... Safety Adrian Amos and cornerback Bryce Callahan exited with concussions in the third quarter. ... Safety Chris Prosinski injured his right calf, and running back Ka'Deem Carey strained his hamstring.

Eagles Draft QB Carson Wentz At No. 2

Statement from the Eagles website.

The Eagles made their intentions very clear last week when they made the trade with Cleveland that they were going to draft a quarterback with their newly acquired first-round pick. On Thursday evening, under the bright lights of Chicago’s Auditorium Theater, it was North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz who put on the Eagles’ hat and held up his midnight green jersey, as the Eagles took the Bismarck, North Dakota native with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Wentz’s route to the second pick of the NFL Draft is not a common one. He became a star on the FCS level for the North Dakota State Bison, winning back-to-back National Championships in his only two seasons as a starter. Wentz, a two-year captain, was named Most Outstanding Player in each of the two championship victories. Opponents came at the Bison with everything they had in Wentz’s two seasons, looking to knock off the FCS powerhouse, but despite seeing every team’s best performance week in and week out, Wentz went 20-3 as the starting quarterback. Despite only starting two seasons, he leaves North Dakota State ranking third in school history in passing yards (5,115), touchdowns (45) and completion percentage (.641).


Aside from his numbers, Wentz’s mental and physical makeup separates him from some of the other quarterbacks in the draft. Regarded as a highly intelligent passer, Wentz stands 6-5, 237 pounds, bringing a physical presence as a runner to go along with his passing ability. He also brings the blue-collar mentality that perfectly fits with the Philadelphia mindset.

2016 is the first time the Eagles have drafted the quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft since 1999, when they selected Donovan McNabb out of Syracuse, a move that propelled the franchise to five NFC Championship Game appearances and spot in Super Bowl XXXIX. The last time the Eagles picked inside the top five was 2013, when Lane Johnson was selected fourth overall. Johnson was signed to a new six-year contract this offseason, proving to be a cornerstone piece of the Eagles’ offense moving forward.

Wentz joins a roster with veterans like Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel ahead of him on the depth chart. Howie Roseman and head coach Doug Pederson have both stated that Bradford will be the starter, and if that is indeed the case going into the regular season, Wentz is prepared to take a back seat and learn the ins and outs of the offense before he’s ready to step in.

“My preparation is going to be the same no matter where I go no matter what situation I'm in,” Wentz said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “You got to go in there and prove yourself. You got to earn your respect. No matter if you go into a situation with a Hall of Famer in front of you or a situation with nobody in front of you and it's supposedly given to you, I don't think that's true. You got to earn every bit of it. That's how I'm going handle that situation.”

Wentz becomes the highest selected player in the history of FCS football. The previous record was held by Alcorn State’s Steve McNair, who was taken third overall by the Tennessee Titans in 1995. He will be introduced for the first time as a member of the Eagles in Philadelphia on Friday, live on PhiladelphiaEagles.com and the Eagles Mobile App.