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Wentzday: Colts’ QB Feels the Pressure vs. Aggressive Jaguars Defense

Carson Wentz felt pressure all day but delivered the ball accurately and helped slug out a victory over the Jaguars to move the Colts to .500. (Video via Indianapolis Colts YouTube)

Andrew Moore

After scoring more than 30 points in four straight games, the Indianapolis Colts had to slug out a hard-fought victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The 23-17 win brings the Colts to .500 for the first time in 2021. At 5-5, the Colts also sit just a half-game back from the final Wild Card spot in the AFC.

While the Colts’ offense started out moving the ball, the game turned into a defensive struggle for the final three quarters. Colts quarterback Carson Wentz was not immune from this, going 22-of-34 (64.7%) for 180 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions.

Whether it was the coverages they were running or the aggressive pressure that was brought, the Jaguars’ defense made things very tough on Wentz.

“That’s a good defense,” Wentz said after the game. “Definitely a frustrating stretch for us there kind of in the middle of that ball game. Yeah, they did have some un-scouted looks and some pressure looks that we were not necessarily prepared for, so hats off to them. We have to be better obviously; I have to be better getting us in the rights protections, those sorts of things. Shoot, that was a grind, but a win is a win in this division.”

On this week’s entry of “Wentzday” on Horseshoe Huddle, we’ll take a look at Wentz’s performance on Sunday to determine what went well and what caused some issues for QB1.

Feeling the Heat

We knew going into the game the Jaguars were going to be aggressive with their pressures. They had success the week before against the Buffalo Bills getting pressure on quarterback Josh Allen, so they were certainly going to bring the heat against the Colts.

Sunday was a rough day in terms of protection for the Colts’ offense. The first set of clips here show that there were numerous times where Wentz had to get rid of the football before he wanted to. Whether it was misidentifying where the pressure was coming from pre-snap, or the Colts’ offensive line and running backs getting beat on reps, it certainly contributed to Wentz’s struggles.

For all the pressure that Wentz felt on Sunday, he was only sacked once, bringing his season total to 18. Wentz has nowhere to go on this one, as guard Quenton Nelson and center Ryan Kelly are blown up on the play. The defensive linemen converge on Wentz, with DaVon Hamilton bringing the quarterback down. Better to take the loss on the play than try to force the ball into harm’s way.

The pressure certainly affected the Colts’ offense. However, Wentz protected the ball and did not turn it over when in these pressure situations. But it certainly wasn’t for lack of trying…

Brett Favrian Type Plays

Earlier this season, during a timeout at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Colts played a video on the jumbotron of Wentz naming his “Mount Rushmore” of NFL quarterbacks. You had the usual suspects: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Joe Montana. But the fourth quarterback was former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, and suddenly Wentz’s playing style started to make more sense.

Wentz shares a similar characteristic with Favre in that Favre thought every play could end in a touchdown. It led to some highlight-reel plays from Favre, but it’s also a reason why he is the NFL’s all-time leader in interceptions.

We’ve seen Wentz make some very risky throws when the play is already dead, and Sunday was more of the same. This clip brings flashbacks of the terrible ending to the game against the Tennessee Titans. Wentz is being drugged down for a would-be sack when once again, he tries to throw it left-handed to his running back. Thankfully, this one is completed, but it’s an unnecessary risk for a play that doesn’t even end with a first down.

Wentz also tends to shovel the ball to his receivers when he is trying to get the ball to them quickly or can’t reset his feet to throw. He tries to shovel the ball 15 yards down the field to running back Jonathan Taylor on this play, and the ball falls incomplete. Just another unnecessary risk when the Colts have the lead, and a pick-6 by the Jaguars could completely flip the game.

Overall, the Colts and head coach Frank Reich have done a good job reining in Wentz from trying to play too much hero ball this season. But there are still times where Wentz toes the line and puts the Colts in a position to have a fatal mistake, which cannot happen if they hope to make the playoffs.

The Good Stuff

Some good came from Wentz on Sunday as well. One of the things that stood out right away was his ability to deliver accurate strikes while on the run. Whether on designed rollouts or scrambles, Wentz kept poised on most plays and delivered pinpoint balls to his receivers. The last throw in the clip below from Wentz to wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. along the sideline may be one of the best throws I’ve ever seen from #2.

The Colts continued to use crossing routes to get easy yards for the struggling offense. Wentz is getting the ball into his receivers’ hands quickly on these throws to let the athletes get as many yards after catch as they can.

Finally, an underrated element to Wentz’s game on Sunday was being able to deliver on third down. When given time to throw, Wentz carved up the Jaguars’ defense on the critical down and made quick decisions with the football. The beautiful throw to Pittman along the sideline was on third down as well.

Final Assessment

Carson Wentz certainly didn’t have his best game on Sunday. The pressure put on by the Jaguars’ defense did not allow Wentz the time he wanted to throw and prevented him from getting into a rhythm most of the game.

Despite a few very questionable decisions when playing hero ball, Wentz took good care of the football and made very accurate throws when given time to throw. His accuracy while throwing on the run and on third-down were keys in helping the offense do just enough to get the victory.

This Sunday presents an entirely new challenge as the Colts take on the Bills in Buffalo. The Bills are second in the league in passing yards allowed at 190.2 per game. They are also known for their ability to pressure the quarterback. Wentz will need to be better at identifying where the pressure is pre-snap to have success.

So far in 2021, the Colts have not been able to close out games against the top teams. For Wentz and the Colts, it’s time to show what they’re made of.

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Have thoughts on the overall assessment of Carson Wentz coming out of the Week 10 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars? Drop a line in the comments section below letting us know how you feel!

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Andrew Moore
ANDREW MOORE

Andrew Moore is the Senior Analyst for Horseshoe Huddle and an Indianapolis Colts expert. Andrew is also the co-host of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast and the former co-host of A Colts Podcast.

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