The Philadelphia Eagles are in the Super Bowl despite the absence of No. 1 quarterback Carson Wentz. So much credit has to go to the Eagles coaching staff as well as backup QB Nick Foles for leading the team all the way to the NFC title even without Wentz, who had been having a terrific season prior to tearing his ACL late in the year.
The Foles-led Eagles opened as significant betting underdogs for the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. But according to ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI), Philly actually would have been slight favorites to beat the Pats if Wentz were available to play.
If Carson Wentz were starting, the Eagles would be narrow favorites (52%) in the Super Bowl, per FPI.
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) January 30, 2018
It’s a testament to just how well Wentz had been playing prior to getting hurt that the Eagles would have actually been favored over the great Tom Brady and the Patriots even with a second-year QB at the helm. Wentz led the Eagles to an 11-2 record and was leading the league with 33 touchdown passes before going down.
But even without Wentz, the Eagles should still like their chances of topping the Patriots. The Eagles defense remains incredibly formidable, while Foles has proven that he can make enough plays to get points on offense.
No one will truly know what might have happened had Wentz been healthy. Maybe the Eagles wouldn’t have had that added edge of being the underdog if Wentz was still around. Regardless, the fact is they will be underdogs one more time in the Super Bowl, and they will have the chance to shock the world by winning it all with their second-best quarterback.
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