By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The current statistics don't tell the entire story with Carson Wentz. Yes, the Eagles rookie quarterback has had his expected ups and down this season. But in last Sunday's game against the Redskins, he put together one of his best performances of the season.
The great effort didn't equate in a win, but it should remind doubters that the North Dakota State product remains the franchise quarterback for years to come.
The impressive performance against Washington comes one week after probably Wentz's worst outing of his career against Cincinnati. There are several sequences and stats to support the claim that last week's effort was a massive improvement.
We can start with the fact that Wentz was 10-of-13 passing for 116 yards and eight first downs on third-down plays against the Redskins. He picked apart a shaky Washington defense with precision throws to Zach Ertz, Jordan Matthews and Trey Burton. The three pass catchers combined to haul in 25 of the 32 passes Wentz completed. The trio did a tremendous job getting open on key down and distance situations, providing a solid target for the rookie quarterback.
Wentz didn't receive great pass protection from his offensive line as he was sacked four times, but when he did get adequate time, he made the Redskins defense pay. His accuracy was much better than it had been in previous weeks. He missed high on some throws, but he showed better drive on the football as his footwork and mechanics appeared to take a step in the positive direction.
Head coach Doug Pederson did a better job of putting Wentz in a position to succeed in last week's game. Though the Eagles only ran the ball 26 times compared to 46 pass plays, many of the third-down conversions were well-designed routes that made it simpler for the quarterback, receivers and tight ends. Pederson recognized the mismatches and exploited it.
The tight end combination of Ertz and Burton needs to remain a focal point of the offense, especially with the limitations there are at receiver. That should have been stressed more throughout the entire season.
One of the rare mistakes from Wentz in the Week 14 loss to the Redskins was an interception in the end zone early in the game. The pass was intended for Ertz in the end zone, but it was well-covered by Deshazor Everett, who picked off the pass. Though it would have been best for Wentz not to throw the ball in tight coverage, his footwork also caused the errant throw.
Two plays prior to Wentz's interception was perhaps his best throw of the day that concluded as an incompletion. It was a beautiful strike to Matthews in the back of the end zone, but the third-year receiver failed to get his trail foot inbounds. He needed to be better aware of the out-of-bounds area and drag his foot, like all receivers at the NFL level are taught to do.
Wentz drove the offensive downfield at the end of the game with a chance to win it, but a strip sack and lost fumble ended the contest. Trailing 27-22, the rookie had the team in striking distance to take the lead. Reserve lineman Matt Tobin was beat badly in pass protection by defensive end Ryan Kerrigan, and Wentz had no time to react as Ryan Mathews was breaking free on a route. If Wentz had a split-second or two extra to throw the ball, it would have been completed for a first down.
Wentz is still throwing the ball more than necessary, especially for a rookie, but he has now responded to the criticism in recent weeks with one of his best performances of the season. He is sixth in the league in pass attempts with 498, which is 103 more than fellow rookie Dak Prescott. I know it is hard to compare the rookies, especially since Prescott has Ezekiel Elliott and a great offseason line to take pressure off of him, but 103 more passes by Wentz is still a eye-popping difference.
Despite running 30 more plays than the opposition and a heavy time of possession edge, the Eagles failed to secure a win against the Redskins. It wasn't because of the play of the rookie quarterback, however. He was one of the stars of the game, and has some renewed confidence heading into a tough test with one of the top defenses in the league — the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Wentz continues to remain on track to become a franchise quarterback. Does he need upgrades at offensive positions surrounding him? Yes, no question, but he continues to be a leader and isn't making excuses for the mistakes he tends to make in his rookie season. His growth is one of the lone things to continue to look forward to, especially as this otherwise disappointing season quickly winds down.
