Commanders QB Carson Wentz Starts Shaky, But Finishes Debut With TD Drive

Wentz made his Commanders debut Saturday.

Heading into the Washington Commanders preseason debut, all eyes were on new quarterback Carson Wentz.

Wentz, acquired in a trade by the Indianapolis Colts this offseason, is looking to redeem himself after struggling at the end of last season.

Wentz's struggles were put on display at the beginning of Saturday's game against the Carolina Panthers, going three-and-out on the first drive.

The woes continued for the offense on the second drive after running back Antonio Gibson fumbled the ball in their own territory.

With Carolina leading 10-0, Wentz and the offense knew it needed to finish with points on the board ... and they did just that.

Wentz led a 14-play, 82-yard drive spanning over seven minutes to score the first touchdown of the season for the Commanders. Wentz completed six passes to five different targets, including his No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin and third-round rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr.

The drive ended with Robinson Jr. running the ball in for a 1-yard score to make it a 10-7 game.

Looking back on Wentz's day, which likely ends after the touchdown, there's a mixed bag to take away, which matches what his critics have said about him.

In a recent interview with NBC 7 News Washington, Wentz was presented firsthand with the words of his critics.

Firstly, he was asked about reports of him being "consistently inconsistent" throughout training camp.

"I'm my biggest critic," Wentz said. "I come back after practice and I'm kicking myself over one, two, three, four, five plays."

Wentz might be kicking himself over some plays in his Washington debut, but there's still some moments where he can pat himself and his teammates on the back.