Did Wentz's injury make Eagles' Super Bowl hopes disappear?

LOS ANGELES - And so goes the Eagles' Super Bowl season, gone like the shot to the knee that quarterback Carson Wentz took on a dive into the end zone that didn't even count.

Oh sure, the Eagles will keep the faith and say they can keep winning with Nick Foles as the quarterback. They certainly did on Sunday as Foles led the Eagles to two field goals in the fourth quarter in their come-from-behind 43-35 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

And perhaps Foles could lead the Eagles to at least two more wins in games against the sad-sack Giants and Oakland Raiders before a likely meaningless game against the Cowboys to close the regular season (get ready for Nate Sudfeld!).

But who are we kidding? 

Eagles coach Doug Pederson confirmed on Monday that Wentz suffered a season-ending torn ACL. 

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The Eagles can't win in the playoffs without Wentz. And that's a devastating blow to a team was doing everything right. They had just clinched the NFC East and took over the top spot in the NFC standings.

But this isn't 1972, when Earl Morrall could step in for Bob Griese for the undefeated Miami Dolphins. Or even 1990, when Jeff Hostetler could replace Phil Simms for the New York Giants, who were built on defense behind Lawrence Taylor.

As middle linebacker Nigel Bradham put it about Wentz: "I mean, he’s everything to us. It’s definitely a hurting feeling."

The Eagles have overcome season-ending injuries to key players all season – running back Darren Sproles, left tackle Jason Peters and middle linebacker Jordan Hicks. 

This is different.

Wentz was on his way to an MVP season. And he was showing exactly why Sunday, throwing for 291 yards and four touchdown passes before leaving with 2:20 left in the third quarter.

There was the arm strength, the escapability, and the toughness. It turned out Wentz stayed in the game for three more plays after suffering the injury. That included what is Wentz's last play of the season – a TD pass on 4th-and-goal from the 2 to Alshon Jeffery. That was typical, overcoming the pain to lead one more touchdown drive.

Wentz couldn't run. He stood erect on that left knee, waited till the last possible second and somehow threaded the ball through two defenders to Jeffery, who caught it at his thigh.

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"I seen the hit, so I kind of thought that when he got up, maybe he’d be alright," Jeffery said. "But [expletive], he made a hell of a throw on the touchdown. Carson is a hell of a good player, a hell of a competitor. He’s our MVP."

Wentz never said a word in the huddle about his knee.

"He just went about business," center Jason Kelce said. "That’s the way he plays. It’s one of the things that makes him an incredible player in this league."

Can Foles assume that role? He was asked after the game if he feels ready to lead the team for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs.

"I'm absolutely ready," he said. "I mean, that's why I'm here. I'm ready to go. Preparing every day, work every day, so I'm ready to go if need be."

It's just not going to be enough to win a Super Bowl. That's not a knock against Foles. In many ways, signing Foles during the offseason was a shrewd move by Eagles executive vice president for football operations Howie Roseman.

After all, Foles is better than many of the other backup quarterbacks playing now. Just ask the Green Bay Packers.

Foles was also the Eagles' starter in the 2013 and 2014 seasons. He threw 7 TDs in a game against the Oakland Raiders back in 2013, tying an NFL record.

And Foles certainly made some gutsy throws Sunday, none more so than the 3rd-and-8 pass to Nelson Agholor that went for nine yards and a first down with just under two minutes remaining.

That allowed the Eagles to drain all but the final seven seconds off the clock.

"It was really one of those things where they went in two-man coverage and it was one-on-one inside," Foles said. "Nelson did a great job of getting off his defender and I threw it away from his defender."

For one game, it worked out. But once the playoffs start, the competition will get tougher. And Foles can't escape pressure and find an open receiver the way Wentz can. Very few quarterbacks can. 

The Eagles will lean on the running game and the defense more. And the defense certainly came through Sunday, with Chris Long's sack and forced fumble that Rodney McLeod recovered midway through the fourth quarter. That led to the go-ahead field goal.

"That's what you've got to have," Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. "The second half of this football game was just a gut check, and I'm just so proud of the guys for the way they battled and hung in there."

They had no choice. Wentz was out of the game, and now he'll be out for several more.

"It sucks, man," right tackle Lane Johnson said. "He means so much to this team, this organization."

Then Johnson put a brave face on the situation when asked about Foles.

"He’s a pretty good quarterback," Johnson said. "People forgot the year he had a few years ago. The guy works his tail off. I was confident when he came in that he would do just fine. He was calm. Same Nick as he’s always been."

It's just much different from Wentz.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.