Carson Wentz has accomplished enough in his four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles to be regarded at least as a borderline member of the NFL's elite class of quarterbacks. His performance in a Week 2 loss to the Falcons should add to his resume.
The Eagles began the game with their offense short-handed by injuries, and it was further decimated by injuries sustained during the game.
The Eagles still had a chance to win, but their final possession ended deep in Atlanta's territory on a fourth-down pass completion that fell short of gaining a first down.
The leadership and determination shown by Wentz, an aggressive defense and the play of tight end Zach Ertz are part of what makes the Eagles a formidable opponent for the Lions on Sunday as follows – along with head coach Doug Pederson's explanation on throttling back Wednesday's practice:
Meet this week's opponents, the Philadelphia Eagles.
![HC Doug Pederson](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/xgpx3rwubysjru59xbzg.jpg)
HC Doug Pederson
![WR Alshon Jeffery
Backed up by J.J Arcega-Whiteside](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/gimwhicd1m37czgqeote.jpg)
WR Alshon Jeffery
Backed up by J.J Arcega-Whiteside
![LT Jason Peters
Backed up by Andre Dillard](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/le9j7k59ywg5majgi1b7.jpg)
LT Jason Peters
Backed up by Andre Dillard
![LG Isaac Seumalo
Backed up by Matt Pryor](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/rfswjbuqnruwcwoo4jr1.jpg)
LG Isaac Seumalo
Backed up by Matt Pryor
![C Jason Kelce
Backed up by Nate Herbig](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/x2kwqd8w7hsz1abbk9r9.jpg)
C Jason Kelce
Backed up by Nate Herbig
![RG Brandon Brooks
Backed up by Halapoulivaati Vaitai](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/p4cvvp4dy3htb8w5ymgu.jpg)
RG Brandon Brooks
Backed up by Halapoulivaati Vaitai
![RT Lane Johnson
Backed up by Jordan Mailata](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/j39p6t12xoc2riosvawz.jpg)
RT Lane Johnson
Backed up by Jordan Mailata
![TE Zach Ertz
Backed up by Dallas Goedert](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/qyjkxuqpnonvl37i5e90.jpg)
TE Zach Ertz
Backed up by Dallas Goedert
![WR Nelson Agholor](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/kgu4sy7qy67lkhsvtbim.jpg)
WR Nelson Agholor
![WR DeSean Jackson
Backed up by Mack Hollins](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/fbsjwagadiodibtnbvdn.jpg)
WR DeSean Jackson
Backed up by Mack Hollins
![RB Jordan Howard
Backed up by Miles Sanders and Darren Sproles](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/eodav8l27d2dm6kpfq54.jpg)
RB Jordan Howard
Backed up by Miles Sanders and Darren Sproles
![QB Carson Wentz
Backed up by Nate Sudfeld and Josh McCown](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/yccblrxx8fajktijooaz.jpg)
QB Carson Wentz
Backed up by Nate Sudfeld and Josh McCown
![RDE Derek Barnett
Backed up by Vinny Curry and Shareef Miller](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/orqubh7gco7odvvaq3ov.jpg)
RDE Derek Barnett
Backed up by Vinny Curry and Shareef Miller
![RDT Tim Jernigan
Backed up by Akeem Spence](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/fpvrt58cr7p1oitpzwu5.jpg)
RDT Tim Jernigan
Backed up by Akeem Spence
![LDT Fletcher Cox
Backed up by Hasaan Ridgeway](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/lip6he6gdcfod7esldz1.jpg)
LDT Fletcher Cox
Backed up by Hasaan Ridgeway
![LDE Brandon Graham
Backed up by Josh Sweat and Daeshon Hall](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/aiveikw3s0yunm7vbsrx.jpg)
LDE Brandon Graham
Backed up by Josh Sweat and Daeshon Hall
![ROLB Kamu Grugier-Hill
Backed up by Nathan Gerry](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/rx4albcmtrcuhpys6w3b.jpg)
ROLB Kamu Grugier-Hill
Backed up by Nathan Gerry
![MLB Nigel Bradham
Backed up by T.J. Edwards](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/roemkeyf81x8jvranqol.jpg)
MLB Nigel Bradham
Backed up by T.J. Edwards
![LOLB Zach Brown
Backed up by L.J. Fort](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/u9jv5iq04roqjpdgbmyv.jpg)
LOLB Zach Brown
Backed up by L.J. Fort
![RCB Avonte Maddox
Backed up by Sidney Jones](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/bweqjdflfqbuh2lkubqm.jpg)
RCB Avonte Maddox
Backed up by Sidney Jones
![LCB Ronald Darby
Backed up by Rasul Douglas and Craig James](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/exxofwhtkjvmhpkvcd2f.jpg)
LCB Ronald Darby
Backed up by Rasul Douglas and Craig James
![FS Rodney McLeod
Backed up by Andrew Sendejo](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/v3u2emjknpxti9muz0bm.jpg)
FS Rodney McLeod
Backed up by Andrew Sendejo
![SS Malcolm Jenkins
Backed up by Johnathan Cyprien and Rudy Ford](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/cihwdbyhzxdi8jtc23uk.jpg)
SS Malcolm Jenkins
Backed up by Johnathan Cyprien and Rudy Ford
![P/H Cameron Johnston](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/vm04xgsv3fi86k186er8.jpg)
P/H Cameron Johnston
![K Jake Elliott](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/r4mfn1gehzqq0lperevx.jpg)
K Jake Elliott
![LS Rick Lovato](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/e96yheov8hnoisnjxbab.jpg)
LS Rick Lovato
![PR Darren Sproles
Backed up by DeSean Jackson](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/sbu2ncksa4csyzk57hqu.jpg)
PR Darren Sproles
Backed up by DeSean Jackson
![KR Miles Sanders
Backed up by Corey Clement](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/lions/wzqjvpbec9cmsppixe8z.jpg)
KR Miles Sanders
Backed up by Corey Clement
Wentz/patching holes: The Eagles started last week's game without No. 2 tight end Dallas Goedert because of an injury sustained in the pre-game warmup, then lost their top two receivers – Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson – during the game.
Jackson played 11 of the 81 snaps, and Jeffery played six.
Wentz completed 25 of 43 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions. He was hit 10 times by the Falcons' rush, with three sacks.
It was a new experience for Wentz to have so many in-game personnel adjustments.
"Some of the stuff tonight, you can't make up," Wentz told reporters after the game. "I've never seen guy after guy like that (go out) early in the ballgame, but guys stepped up. Guys were resilient.
"We came up a little short, but I'm proud of the guys tonight."
On the Eagles' last possession Nelson Agholor dropped a sideline pass at the two-minute mark that could have resulted in a go-ahead touchdown. Ertz was stopped at the 18, a yard short of the first down, in the final minute.
"Obviously, he's a heck of a leader on and off the field," Pederson said of Wentz in a conference-call interview. "He's mentally and physically tough. We saw that Sunday night (in Atlanta)."
Pederson described in more detail the changes he made during the game in his Monday press conference with the Philadelphia media.
"If you look at my call sheet, you're going to see a lot of scratch outs on plays and different things," he said. "We're moving guys."
Walkthrough wounded: Pederson changed Wednesday's practice to a walkthrough from a padded practice, as originally scheduled, in part because of injuries. It also was because the game after Sunday's is on Thursday night at Green Bay.
Walkthroughs are common during the season, and the Wednesday tempo was not as leisurely as some have projected it to be, Pederson said.
"It's not full speed," he said. "It's about 70 percent. I just call it a walkthrough. Jog through is probably a better term."
Jim Schwartz effect: In four years as defensive coordinator, Schwartz has brought to Philly the aggressive mindset that was his trademark in five seasons as head coach of the Lions (2009-13) and other stops as coordinator.
"Our style is definitely that way," Pederson said. "You see that in the play of the defensive line – how they come off the ball and roll off the ball in the blitz packages and things like that."
The Eagles have just two sacks in two games, but the pressure will come at some point with players such as tackle Fletcher Cox and edge rusher Brandon Graham.
The loss of defensive tackle Tim Jernigan for what appears to be an extend period is a significant blow.
Ertz, THE tight end: Ertz has shouldered a heavy load in seven seasons with the Eagles, and nothing heavier than last season when he led all NFL tight ends with his career high of 116 receptions.
Ertz was a one-man position group in last week's loss to the Falcons -- the Eagles' only tight end active for the game. Goedert, the other tight end on the Eagles' 53-player roster, was inactive because of an injury.
Ertz played all 81 offensive snaps, plus two on special teams. He had eight catches for 72 yards out of 16 targets and caught a pass for a two-point conversion that gave the Eagles a 20-17 lead with 3:13 left.
"He's just such a difficult matchup," said Lions defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni. "He's so productive. The quarterback is just so confident and so comfortable with him."