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Wentzday: Colts QB Carson Wentz Has Lackluster Performance vs. Raiders

After not practicing and dealing with COVID all week, Wentz’s play left much to be desired as the Colts fell at home.

Andrew Moore

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The Indianapolis Colts had an opportunity to continue their winning ways and clinch a playoff berth at home against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

Unfortunately for the Colts, they could not get the job done as the Raiders came out of Lucas Oil Stadium with a 23-20 victory. The loss drops the Colts to 9-7 on the season, facing a “win and in” scenario once again this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Much of the talk leading up to the game surrounded quarterback Carson Wentz as he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier in the week and would miss practice all week. Due to the adjusted NFL protocols, Wentz was cleared Sunday morning and started the game for the Colts.

Wentz’s performance was one of frustration and what-ifs for the franchise quarterback. Wentz went 16-of-27 (59.3%) for 148 yards and a touchdown with an 86.7 quarterback rating.

“Definitely offensively not our best,” Wentz said after the game. “I know we started off sluggish. I don’t know what our numbers were on the third down, it felt like we were not very good and able to stay on the field. I wasn’t very good on third down – a lot of things that I want back personally. Just kind of a sluggish game and we got a little momentum there, but just didn’t sustain it and didn’t finish the way we want.”

“Wentzday” is back once again on Horseshoe Huddle as we look at the quarterback’s film from Sunday. As you will see, the film revealed plenty of throws that Wentz wishes he had back.

Better to Be Lucky Than Good

This week we’re going to start with the highlight play from Sunday. With the Colts down 13-10 in the third quarter, Wentz rolled right to escape pressure and launched a bomb down the field. The pass was tipped in the air by two Raiders defenders and Ashton Dulin right into the arms of T.Y. Hilton for the score.

This play has both good and bad associated with it. The good is this is quite the display of arm strength from Wentz. He’s still able to deliver the ball 50 yards down the field even when he is on the run. The throw is an absolute rocket.

The bad is this is a very ill-advised throw. Wentz is very lucky this one wasn’t intercepted, and it probably is if Dulin isn’t there to break up the defenders. But hey, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.

Success in the Two-Minute Drill

We’ve seen numerous times this season where Wentz and the offense have had success in two-minute drill situations. This was the case against the Raiders as well.

As the first half was about to end, Wentz consistently found his open receivers and made the right reads. He also displayed good accuracy during the drive, putting the ball right where the receivers needed it.

This might beg the question of why do the Colts not use an up-tempo pace more often on offense? Frank Reich mentioned this week how it’s hard to go up-tempo when you are a run-centric team like the Colts, as it takes away some things in the running game. However, it may be something to use if the passing game needs a jolt moving forward.

The Lone Sack

Wentz was only sacked once by the Raiders, bringing his season total to 26. On this play, Wentz has nowhere to go with the ball. He tries to escape right, but the protection breaks down and leads to the sack.

While he was only sacked once, it did seem that Wentz was holding onto the ball a little longer than normal. Credit the Raiders secondary for sticking with the Colts receivers for much of the game. However, Wentz needs to make sure he is doing a better job with his reads and identifying where the ball needs to go.

Running Backs in the Passing Game

One thing that has changed with the Colts’ offense throughout the year is the use of the running backs in the passing game. Both Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines have still been involved in this area, but not nearly as much as they were to begin the year. For example, Taylor had a catch on Sunday for the first time since the Colts played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 28.

This is an area that Wentz needs to work on. This next clip shows Wentz bailing out on a screen way too early as it looks like Taylor has room to make something happen. The second play shows Taylor with a lot of space in the middle of the field, but Wentz fails to look his way for the check down.

This is one of the big differences between Wentz and Philip Rivers from last year. Rivers thrived in hitting his running backs in space and allowing them to go to work. Wentz does not look to his check downs nearly enough, and it can end in failed plays. It’s okay to be aggressive and look for the big play, but it’s crucial to know where your check down is at all times.

High Throws Once Again

There were multiple times last week against the Arizona Cardinals where Wentz sailed the ball high to his receivers. Unfortunately, that was the case against the Raiders as well.

The next clip shows a couple of instances where Wentz misses his target high. Notice on both throws how his weight is mostly towards his back foot when he goes to release. This is a mechanical flaw that will cause the ball to sail high and be inaccurate.

This is certainly an area in Wentz’s mechanics that has regressed recently. It’s a small detail that has a big impact on his throws. Wentz can improve this by settling down and not rushing his throws to ensure his weight is distributed evenly and not on his back foot.

The One That Got Away

This final clip is a play that Colts fans have been talking about all week, and one Wentz would most certainly love to have back.

With the Colts up 17-13 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Wentz drops back and sees a wide-open Hilton streaking down the left side, as the Raiders had blown the coverage. With Hilton’s speed, this one has a chance to go the distance. But Wentz overshoots Hilton and can’t connect on a play that may have put the game out of reach.

There has been much debate on who is at fault on this play. Some say this is on Hilton as he turns back to Wentz and starts to slow down when the ball is being thrown. Others say Wentz is at fault and needs to hit his receiver in stride.

My analysis is this is 80% on Wentz, 20% on Hilton. Yes, Hilton does slow up a little on the play right as Wentz is throwing the ball. However, it does not look like he slows up enough to cause a drastic miss on the throw. Wentz still overthrows him by a step, and the ball could have had more air on it for Hilton to run underneath it. Wentz’s reaction shows he knows he’s the one at fault.

Final Assessment

Carson Wentz’s performance against the Raiders was one filled with shaky play and throws he wish he could have back. Whether it was the lack of practice or being sluggish as he overcame COVID, Wentz is using neither as an excuse. He knows his play was not good enough, and just like the rest of the team, he did not make the necessary plays to win on Sunday.

Wentz will have a chance to get things right against the Jaguars in the final game of the regular season. In their first meeting, Wentz went 22-of-34 (64.7%) for 180 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. As the Colts face a “win an in” scenario this week, Wentz would love to have a great performance to build up his confidence as Indy attempts to go on a playoff run.

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Have thoughts on the overall assessment of Carson Wentz coming out of the Week 17 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders? 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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