In 2016, the heat was turned up and things got quite competitive in the NFC East. Two rookie quarterbacks made their debut. But while Dak Prescott and the ‘Boys reigned supreme, Carson Wentz led his Philadelphia Eagles to a 7-9 record and last place finish in the division.
Putting last year’s fourth-place finish in the rear-view mirror, Wentz sees no reason the Eagles cannot come out on top and conquer the division in 2017.
“Our goal is to win the NFC East and we believe we have the guys to do it,” Wentz said during a radio interview on CBS Philly (h/t Dave Zangaro of CSN Philly). “We just have to now go put the work in and go make things happen. We have high expectations … 7-9 is never good enough.”
In Wentz’s defense, the Eagles added some new weapons on offense. Veteran receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith could vastly improve a receiving corps that dealt with an abundance of drops last year.
The Eagles also signed the bruising, big-bodied LeGarrette Blount to beef up their anemic running back squad. If offensive tackle Lane Johnson can be present all season, that is a plus as well for Wentz.
The Eagles started out last year with three wins in a row after winning all four of their preseason games. Then things began to unravel.
They will once again be faced with stiff competition in the NFC East, not only with Dallas, but with the New York Giants and Washington Redskins as well. The Giants finished two wins shy of the Cowboys (11) last year. Kirk Cousins and the Redskins are not to be underestimated either.
We look forward to seeing if Wentz can find success in 2017. Regardless of what happens, his positive outlook and perseverance are to be commended.