PHILADELPHIA -- If there was anybody out in front of him, he was going to pick up a block.

That was the matter-of-fact response by Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz on why he dived and threw a shoulder -- his throwing shoulder -- toward the lower body of New York Giants defensive back Eli Apple on a fourth-quarter end around by wide receiver Nelson Agholor.

Simple enough. Only he is the franchise quarterback, the team hopes. And Wentz was just minutes removed from getting drilled into the turf by defensive end Olivier Vernon -- a hit that forced him out of the game and into concussion protocol.

"Landed on my head. Got up and was a little dizzy. Got my bell rung a little bit," said Wentz, who was directed to the sideline during Thursday night's game by Eagles tackle Jason Peters.

Wentz missed the rest of the series but was back in action the next time the Eagles took the field. Three plays into his return, he dropped back, spun, ducked under an oncoming rusher and scrambled up the middle for 11 yards. Two plays after that, Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson -- for reasons unknown -- dialed up the end around, with Wentz leading Agholor downfield.

"We didn't see [the hit that knocked Wentz out of the game], but we heard about it from the sideline, and we heard that it was pretty bad," said Eagles tight end Zach Ertz. "We were asking around in terms of how Carson was doing, and he was right back out there throwing [on the sideline]. Everyone was kind of taken aback by it."

Philadelphia receiver Jordan Matthews offered his take.

"He's a beast, bro," Matthews said. "He's backyard football at its finest. He's a great person to have as your quarterback, because nobody is thinking about that: Nobody said, 'He just went out with a possible concussion, let's not have him be a lead blocker on a reverse.' That's what he wants to do. And when you have a guy like that, then everybody wants to be around him."

Wentz's numbers in Thursday's 24-19 victory over New York were far from spectacular. He finished 13-of-24 for 152 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.

He has 14 interceptions over his past 12 games, tumbling back to earth after a spectacular start to his career. The outlook remains very good, however. Wentz has shown enough flashes to suggest big things might lie ahead.

Meantime, he appears to be endearing himself to his teammates, and his new city, with a rather fearless approach to the game.

"They love hard work and they love winning," Wentz said of Philadelphia and its fans. "That's the biggest thing. And I'm the same way. I hate to lose. If you're not working hard, I don't really tolerate it, either. So I think it's a great fit for me."