How did ex-Eagles QB Carson Wentz play in debut with Colts?

Turns out, the best vaccination against Carson Wentz for Eagles fans was Jalen Hurts.

It’s only Week 1, but Philly can feel better that general manager Howie Roseman made the right call by getting rid of Wentz, the oft-injured vaccine denier who still might be a liability this season as COVID-19 hovers.

Let’s face it: Hurts, who will make defenses nervous this season, is simply more fun to watch. He led the Eagles to a dynamic and lopsided 32-6 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta — and road wins are rare for young quarterbacks, even against bad teams.

Hurts — helped by a crushing defensive effort — was 27-for-35 for 264 yards and three touchdown passes against the Falcons, who had one of the NFL’s worst defenses in 2020. Hurts, who was sacked once, rushed seven times for 62 yards. He finished with a 126.4 passer rating.

So, lukewarm Eagles fans: How do you feel now?

Meanwhile, Wentz and the Indianapolis Colts were dominated at home by the Seattle Seahawks in a 28-16 loss. Wentz finished a solid 25-of-37 for 251 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked three times for 28 yards and fumbled on a quarterback sneak.

Wentz’s TD passes went to wide receiver Zach Pascal — a 10-yarder in the second quarter to cut the Seahawks’ lead to 14-10, and an 11-yarder with 2:08 remaining for the final margin.

“Guys are frustrated with the loss,” Wentz said. “I think everyone takes it hard and is accountable for their own mistakes. But I can see how hungry guys are in there. We’re frustrated from it but we’ll learn from it.”

Wentz was hit 10 times but, aside from the fumble, he avoided mistakes. The Colts scored on their first (field goal) and last (TD) drives.

“The way we came out with the ball, that was encouraging,” Wentz said via the Indianapolis Star. “The players finished offensively there getting that touchdown late and it was definitely encouraging, something we can build off of.

“But really outside of those two drives we’ve got to do better.  And there’s stuff we can learn from, but I think we can take those two drives and see what we can do and what we are made of and build from there.”

Said Colts center Ryan Kelly via the Indy Star: “One of the biggest things is to keep the quarterback safe. We gave up way too many hits, that’s not our standard of play. So this is a good realization of where we are and where we have to go.”

Wentz was criticized by the Indianapolis media for not getting vaccinated, and promptly landed on the COVID list two weeks before the opener because of close contact with someone who tested positive, and he missed a week while being quarantined.

Greg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star ripped Wentz:

“Carson Wentz is the worst of the bunch, in a football sense, because he’s the most important player on the team. He’s the most indispensable player on roster, and the Colts have no idea if he’ll make it through any given week without having to go back onto the COVID-19 list simply for being too close to a teammate who tests positive. I’ll remind you that, when the Colts acquired Wentz, I defended his arrival despite the reports out of Philadelphia that had called him a bad teammate. And selfish.

“Well what do you know.

“Turns out, Carson Wentz is a bad teammate. He’s selfish. Turns out he fits right into this Colts locker room.”

Wentz is recovering from foot surgery roughly six weeks ago, and while Colts head coach Frank Reich insisted Wentz is healthy, Reich also said he would tear a few pages out of the playbook for Sunday’s opener.

“As far as what he can do, he can do everything,” Reich told NFL.com on Friday. “What will we actually call? Will we keep the reins on a little bit? Probably. Probably so. I just think that makes sense. I just think we’ll manage it. We’ll be smart. There’s some stuff in (the game plan) that we might call, but if we don’t have to call it —‘Oh, let’s not take that chance.’ But I think he’s good. Every indication is he’s not limited in any way.”

Miffed that the Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts in 2020 and then benched Wentz late in the season, he forced his way out of Philadelphia. Wentz was traded in February for a third-round draft pick in 2021 and a conditional second-round pick in 2022.