By Patrick Del Gaone, Sports Talk Philly editor 
It’s becoming ever so clear that the Philadelphia Eagles have found their franchise quarterback, and their head coach isn’t sheepish about comparing Carson Wentz to one of the greatest players to ever strap on shoulder pads.
Still gleaming from his team’s 34-3 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Doug Pederson took to the podium to address the media today, as his staff and players begin a well-deserved week away from the gridiron.
Pederson has constantly applauded the preparation of not only Wentz, but backup Chase Daniel, and more recently Aaron Murray. This afternoon, he took that praise one step further when asked if the former North Dakota State quarterback is obsessed with watching tape.
“It’s very accurate,” Pederson said. “He loves watching tape. Like I’ve mentioned he and Chase and Aaron are in here at 5:30 in the morning watching film. They’re exhausting the tape, and I hear him even in the building talking to guys about plays and routes and protection. It’s Peyton Manning-ish. That’s how Peyton prepared, and that’s how these top quarterbacks prepare each week. He has that now, as a young quarterback, and that’ll just carry him throughout his career. The challenge now is, with more success, how much gets pulled on him, and taken away from him.”
It’s safe to say that the record-breaking rookie also brings his work home with him. A few days ago, his girlfriend told the media that she caught him looking at game film under the table at a recent date.
Yesterday, the two-time FCS National Champion was the first rookie to ever complete a game with 74 percent passing, eclipse 300-yards through the air, and hurl two touchdowns against no picks.
Reporters seem as fascinated as fans are about the phenom’s alacrity on the field, and for good reason. This line of questioning continued when Pederson was asked if his quarterback has a photographic memory, and if so, how it helps him.
“Yeah, I think he does have that type of memory, that type of recollection,” Pederson said. “He sees things, he remembers it. We can talk about it after a drive is over. We can see it in pictures on the tablet on the sideline. Then when he goes back out there, he can remember that defense. If he sees that front, or that coverage, that look again, he knows exactly what’s coming defensively, and he can put us in the right play. For a young quarterback, after just a few weeks, to have that type of recollection is something special.”
Wentz’s unique abilities both on and off the field have catapulted him from holding a clipboard with the third-stringers, to the leader of a contending team sitting atop the NFC East.
“Just the way he plays,” Pederson said. “He’s so aggressive on the field. When I say aggressive, not necessarily from a physical standpoint, but just from a mental standpoint. His personality, he’s always constantly smiling, and it’s infectious. Guys have gravitated toward that. I think when I named Carson the starter three weeks ago, there were obviously some eyeballs raised. But now, these guys have bought in. They’ve got the leader of the football team. These veteran players have really embraced it, and they’ll do anything they can for a guy like that.”
Behind their new leader, Philadelphia has won all three of their games by more than 14 points. In the past 25 years, every NFL team to achieve that feat has advanced to the playoffs.
Following the bye week, the Eagles will visit Ford Field in Detroit, as they hope to perpetuate their early season dominance.
You can watch the full press conference from Pederson below.
