PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz had a rather frustrating day at the office on Sunday. But it was nothing compared to what his counterpart, San Francisco 49ers QB C.J. Beathard, was subjected to by the Eagles' defense.
The rookie out of Iowa was sacked four times, absorbed 12 QB hits and was intercepted twice in a 33-10 Eagles win that gives them a 7-1 record at the midpoint of the season -- the best in the NFL.
"The way they put pressure on the quarterback, just a dominating performance obviously, starts with the defensive line," said Eagles coach Doug Pederson.
Second-year cornerback Jalen Mills -- known as "The Green Goblin" thanks to his lime-green dyed hair -- came up with his best play as a pro by undercutting a pass intended for Pierre Garcon late in the second quarter before weaving his way through traffic for a 37-yard touchdown.
"I was actually about to go out of bounds, but then I thought about [Eagles safety] Malcolm [Jenkins], [Eagles defensive coordinator Jim] Schwartz, and [Eagles defensive backs] coach [Cory] Undlin have been grilling me all week and talking about how I have no return skills," Mills joked. "That kind of went through my mind so I cut it back and I had to get in the end zone or I wouldn’t have stopped hearing that.”
His performance over the first half of the season (three INTs, 10 passes defended) is a big reason that Schwartz's unit has been able to flourish despite the loss of cornerback Ronald Darby to a dislocated ankle in the season opener. Darby practiced the past two weeks and appears close to a return, which should further solidify a back end that has exceeded expectations.
The same can be said for the team overall, thanks in large part to the play of MVP candidate Wentz. With a TD strike to tight end Zach Ertz in the first half, he became the only quarterback in Eagles history to throw 18 touchdowns in the first eight games of a season. He added No. 19 in the third quarter with a pretty 53-yarder through the raindrops to Alshon Jeffery down the right sideline. But it was far from Wentz's easiest outing. Working without left tackle Jason Peters, who was lost for the season Monday night with a torn ACL and MCL, Wentz ended up on the ground quite a bit (seven QB hits, three sacks) as the Niners tested replacement Halapoulivaati Vaitai and the new-look front with a heavy dose of blitzes.
Wentz was clearly upset with himself after missing Jeffery for a would-be touchdown in the first quarter, throwing a towel onto the bench and slapping his hands together as he paced the sideline. Wentz also threw a bad interception to corner Ahkello Witherspoon in the third quarter that led to San Francisco's only touchdown of the afternoon.
"Offensively, I know we have to be better. We have to be better," Wentz said. "Starting off sluggish like that for two straight weeks, we have to get that cleaned up.”
The rest of the team picked him up when needed, further evidence that the Eagles are far from a one-man show.
The defense limited San Francisco to 3.7 yards per play and did so while operating without middle linebacker Jordan Hicks, lost for the season on Monday against Washington with a ruptured Achilles tendon. Rookie kicker Jake Elliott missed a pair of extra points but connected on two field goals, including one from 51 yards out. Fellow rookie Derek Barnett came up with a second-half field goal block and recovery. On offense, the ground game picked it up late, as LeGarrette Blount broke off a 12-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to leave no doubt.
Any fears of a letdown against the 49ers, who are now 0-8, were met with a strong show of force. The Eagles are the best team in the NFL at the midway point and will try to prove it all over again next week at home against the Denver Broncos.
“Being 7-1, we like that. It’s a good place to be," said Wentz. "We just have to keep building. There’s a lot of things that we have to keep cleaning up."