NFL

What did Eagles players say about Carson Wentz after his debut Sunday?

3 reasons we can’t wait to watch the Eagles and Browns play Sunday
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Carson Wentz burst onto the NFL scene with 278 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions after virtually no preseason time with the first team offense.

Here is what members of the Eagles roster and coaching staff (and some Browns players too)had to say after Sunday’s 29-10 win over the Cleveland Browns:

Head coach Doug Pederson

“It’s not surprising, because of us and myself being around him for so long now, and just knowing the maturity level that he has and the things that I was trying to get across to the fans, to the media: This is who he is. This is his DNA. And he really handled himself great all week long. He prepared like he was a five-, six-year veteran and obviously he played that way. Just so happy for him and his family and then the team. They are so excited to get this first win but again with Carson, how he handled himself with the maturity level was outstanding.”

Left tackle Jason Peters

“That’s why he was drafted in the first round. The guy can play and you saw that today. He’s only going to get better.”

Right tackle Lane Johnson

“He is a big, strong guy: 6’5”, 240 [pounds] or whatever. He can handle it. He is a big boy. I am proud of him for the way he handled it. There was a lot on his plate today and it feels good to get the win.”

Wide receiver Jordan Matthews

“I think I’ve been talking about it all week. I said, ‘Carson’s biggest asset is the way he competes against himself.’ I think some of the best quarterbacks in this league have a chip on their shoulder. So when they go out and go play the game – whether its practice, regular game, us just going and throwing routes when nobody is looking – his game reps for him. He has a maturity about him that even if it’s not crunch time, he’s always treating it like it is. So then when you come out into a game, he just goes and plays and it’s easy for him. I’m not surprised his motto is ‘A01’. If anybody knows what that means, it’s ‘Audience of One’. So he doesn’t let any of the outside stuff really affect him. He hones in on what he needs to do and then he goes out there and perfects his craft, so I really wasn’t that surprised either. But at the same time, you don’t want to gas the situation. We have to come back down and get to work.”

Wide receiver Nelson Agholor

“All he does is work his butt off. He believes that he is going to make plays and that’s what happens.”

Tight end Zach Ertz

“He was unbelievable. The thing that everyone doubted us on was whether or not he was a good quarterback, but we knew what we had in the building all along with Carson. He is a special, special player. He didn’t play like a rookie today by any means. To go out there in your first start with pretty much eight days’ notice and to not have any turnovers speaks volumes about his play.”

Tight end Brent Celek

“I thought he did great. I mean [his] first game as a rookie, I don’t know how you can do much better than that. We’ve got to win, that’s all that really matters. He made great decisions. It was calm in the huddle. It was awesome.”

Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox

“I think he played with a lot of energy. I said earlier in the week that there is just something about that kid. I think he’s going to be real special in terms of how he handles things and plays with poise. He just lived in the moment this week.”

Defensive end Connor Barwin

“He was impressive. It is hard for any rookie at any position to come in in this league and play right away. The quarterback position is, without a doubt, the hardest position to play in this league, and he came out in his first game in the NFL and played great from start to finish. He showed a lot of poise and leadership and made a lot of great decisions.”

Defensive end Brandon Graham

“I think he did good. I think he handled himself well. I think when the blitzes came he hung in there and took a couple hits that a lot of elite quarterbacks do. I just like what I see. I’m just happy that he’s going to get better each week. That’s that preparation. He’s been here every day at 5 o’clock. I see him because I’m usually the first one. Him and [QB] Chase [Daniel], I don’t know how early they’ve been here before me because I’m here at 6 o’clock.”

Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III

“I didn’t watch him that much, but I’m happy for him, his family, and his team. The Eagles did a great job. They won the game, and I’m sure they’re happy in their locker room, and we have to make sure we have that feeling next week.”

Browns left tackle Joe Thomas

“I’m no good on evaluating quarterbacks, but all I can say is that it didn’t seem like he played like a rookie. He was standing back there even when he had pressure in his face getting hit and throwing the ball on target and moving the ball all over the field. I can tell you he was pretty impressive.”

Browns cornerback Joe Haden

“I think he did a really good job. He was more advanced than I expected him to be. He is a good quarterback. He stands in the pocket, he is able to make all the throws, very patient, and does not take off running all the time. He looks down the field and picks his receiver that he wants to throw to.”