Wentz comes up small, Colts eliminated after shocking loss

[time2rock]

Wentz comes up small, Colts eliminated after shocking loss

 

 

 

Reuben Frank

EAGLES INSIDER

Carson Wentz's sixth NFL season ended the same way as his first five.

Without a postseason win.

When Chris Boswell kicked an overtime field goal to give the Steelers a 16-13 win over the Ravens Sunday in Baltimore, it officially eliminated the Colts from playoff contention and meant Wentz will go into his seventh NFL season without playing a postseason game from start to finish.

Earlier Sunday, the Colts – 14 1/2-point favorites – lost unthinkably to the worst team in football, the 2-14 Jaguars in Jacksonville.

A win would have clinched a playoff berth for the Colts, and even with a loss they could have locked up a postseason berth if the Ravens beat the Steelers, the Dolphins beat the Patriots and the Raiders beat the Chargers.

But it wasn’t to be.

With so much at stake, Wentz came up incredibly small, turning in the kind of performance that’s become all too common for him in recent years.

His fumble early in the third quarter led to a Jaguars field goal and his interception later in the quarter set up a Jacksonville touchdown.

According to Stathead, this was the first time the Colts lost as a favorite of 14 ½ or more points since 1968, when they were 18-point favorites over Joe Namath and the Jets in Super Bowl III at the Orange Bowl but lost 16-7.

Although Wentz padded his stats with a meaningless touchdown drive in the final minutes, through 52 minutes against the NFL's 31st-ranked defense he was 9-for-20 for 100 yards with no TDs, an INT and a lost fumble and was sacked six times.

So the Eagles with 23-year-old Jalen Hurts and his $1.5 million average annual salary are in the playoffs, and the Colts, with 29-year-old Wentz and his $32 million average annual salary, are out.

Say what you will about Howie Roseman, the Eagles robbed the Colts in this deal, ridding themselves of Wentz and gaining a 1^st-round pick that at worst will be No. 18 in the 2022 draft this spring as well as a 3rd-round pick in this past draft that indirectly became Milton Williams.

Wentz, the 2^nd pick in the 2016 draft, will reach his 30^th birthday next December not only without a playoff win but with only one career postseason completion, a three-yarder to Boston Scott before he suffered a concussion in the 2019 wild-card game at the Linc against the Seahawks.

The Colts lost their first three games this year, then went 9-3 before losing their last two games as at least a touchdown favorite – at home vs. the Raiders and Sunday in Jacksonville – to finish 9-8.

Because Wentz played 75 percent of the Colts’ snaps, the 2^nd-round pick the Eagles got when they shipped Wentz to the Colts became a 1^st-rounder, and since the Colts are out of the playoffs, that pick will be at worst No. 18.

And next year the Eagles will be rid of the massive amount of dead money that Wentz counted against their cap this year. Wentz’s $33,820,608 in dead money was an NFL record.

Wentz was 18-11 in his first two seasons with the Eagles but is 22-29-1 since the start of the 2018 season.

The Colts have now lost seven straight games in Jacksonville. Since 2015, the Jaguars are 7-0 at home vs. the Colts and 26-80 in all other games.

Wentz is the first quarterback in NFL history drafted with a top-10 pick to start at least 80 games in his first six seasons but not start and finish a playoff game during that span.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/former-eagle-carson-wentz-comes-small-colts-eliminated-after-shocking-loss

[EagleJoe8]

11 hours ago, time2rock said:

Wentz comes up small, Colts eliminated after shocking loss

 

 

 

Reuben Frank

EAGLES INSIDER

Carson Wentz's sixth NFL season ended the same way as his first five.

Without a postseason win.

When Chris Boswell kicked an overtime field goal to give the Steelers a 16-13 win over the Ravens Sunday in Baltimore, it officially eliminated the Colts from playoff contention and meant Wentz will go into his seventh NFL season without playing a postseason game from start to finish.

Earlier Sunday, the Colts – 14 1/2-point favorites – lost unthinkably to the worst team in football, the 2-14 Jaguars in Jacksonville.

A win would have clinched a playoff berth for the Colts, and even with a loss they could have locked up a postseason berth if the Ravens beat the Steelers, the Dolphins beat the Patriots and the Raiders beat the Chargers.

But it wasn’t to be.

With so much at stake, Wentz came up incredibly small, turning in the kind of performance that’s become all too common for him in recent years.

His fumble early in the third quarter led to a Jaguars field goal and his interception later in the quarter set up a Jacksonville touchdown.

According to Stathead, this was the first time the Colts lost as a favorite of 14 ½ or more points since 1968, when they were 18-point favorites over Joe Namath and the Jets in Super Bowl III at the Orange Bowl but lost 16-7.

Although Wentz padded his stats with a meaningless touchdown drive in the final minutes, through 52 minutes against the NFL's 31st-ranked defense he was 9-for-20 for 100 yards with no TDs, an INT and a lost fumble and was sacked six times.

So the Eagles with 23-year-old Jalen Hurts and his $1.5 million average annual salary are in the playoffs, and the Colts, with 29-year-old Wentz and his $32 million average annual salary, are out.

Say what you will about Howie Roseman, the Eagles robbed the Colts in this deal, ridding themselves of Wentz and gaining a 1^st-round pick that at worst will be No. 18 in the 2022 draft this spring as well as a 3rd-round pick in this past draft that indirectly became Milton Williams.

Wentz, the 2^nd pick in the 2016 draft, will reach his 30^th birthday next December not only without a playoff win but with only one career postseason completion, a three-yarder to Boston Scott before he suffered a concussion in the 2019 wild-card game at the Linc against the Seahawks.

The Colts lost their first three games this year, then went 9-3 before losing their last two games as at least a touchdown favorite – at home vs. the Raiders and Sunday in Jacksonville – to finish 9-8.

Because Wentz played 75 percent of the Colts’ snaps, the 2^nd-round pick the Eagles got when they shipped Wentz to the Colts became a 1^st-rounder, and since the Colts are out of the playoffs, that pick will be at worst No. 18.

And next year the Eagles will be rid of the massive amount of dead money that Wentz counted against their cap this year. Wentz’s $33,820,608 in dead money was an NFL record.

Wentz was 18-11 in his first two seasons with the Eagles but is 22-29-1 since the start of the 2018 season.

The Colts have now lost seven straight games in Jacksonville. Since 2015, the Jaguars are 7-0 at home vs. the Colts and 26-80 in all other games.

Wentz is the first quarterback in NFL history drafted with a top-10 pick to start at least 80 games in his first six seasons but not start and finish a playoff game during that span.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/former-eagle-carson-wentz-comes-small-colts-eliminated-after-shocking-loss

Yikes to all the bolded.

[D-Shiznit]

Just another QB trade in a long line of QB trades in which the Eagles have fleeced the other team.

Starting with AJ Feeley all the way now to Wentz.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

You've got to wonder where the Colts and Wentz go from here. I mean look he's going to be back next year as the starter for them there's little doubt there. But I mean where does he go after this? He came up small once again when his team needed him. And actually did they even need him? Or did they just need him to not be so bad? 

[EagleJoe8]

5 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

You've got to wonder where the Colts and Wentz go from here. I mean look he's going to be back next year as the starter for them there's little doubt there. But I mean where does he go after this? He came up small once again when his team needed him. And actually did they even need him? Or did they just need him to not be so bad? 

I imagine the hope was a reunion with Reich would get him as close as possible to his 2017 version, but I don't see that ever happening again. I never expected him to be 2020 bad again, but certainly not 2017 good either. I think he's going to be 2018, 2019, and 2021 Wentz going forward. Decent to above average at times, but overall a mediocre player.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

4 hours ago, EagleJoe8 said:

I imagine the hope was a reunion with Reich would get him as close as possible to his 2017 version, but I don't see that ever happening again. I never expected him to be 2020 bad again, but certainly not 2017 good either. I think he's going to be 2018, 2019, and 2021 Wentz going forward. Decent to above average at times, but overall a mediocre player.

I think the ACL and the hit to the head are having an impact. I'm not sure he can be the same guy again. 

[EaglesAddict]

I said it why he was still here in Philly and I still stand by it...I truly believe Wentz was mentally ruined after the following sequence of events: 

MVP caliber play in 2017, then the knee injury late in season

Unbelievably, he then watches his backup advance to and win the first SB in franchise history

A statue of his backup and coach is installed at the Linc

Philly fans were loving on Foles with many even thinking he should start in 2018

Then the 2018 season - Wentz is struggling coming off his injury, leads the team to a 6-7 record before suffering another injury (his back).  He then watches Foles lead the team to 3 straight wins and into the playoffs.  They beat the Bears and then come within an Alshon Jeffery drop of potentially landing in the NFCCG again.

2019 - Wentz finally plays a full season again, but again has his struggles but flashed at times.  Overall mediocre, but thanks to the weak division, they make the playoffs.  Wentz finally gets his playoff start...and then gets a concussion within the first few plays and was out.

2020 - 1 year after signing Wentz to big extension, the Eagles draft Hurts. 

The drafting of Hurts was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.  It was the final nail in the coffin, mentally, for Wentz.  That said, I think the bulk of the issue was Wentz watching his backup win the Super Bowl.  The injury was one thing, but I don't think he ever mentally rebounded from seeing Foles do what he thought he was going to do.  He pressed way too much to make things happen and regain his standing...hence why some folks criticized him for playing "hero ball" (he was pressing, which is a mental issue).

Had Foles "sucked" in 2017 and the Eagles never won the Super Bowl, I truly believe Wentz would be a different player today.  It's ashame, actually.  

 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

55 minutes ago, EaglesAddict said:

The drafting of Hurts was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back

I agree with your post. I really do think that the series of events led to a mentally damaged QB who just can't bounce back. I think everyone thought a change in scenery would help him and look he had a better year. His stats look pretty good but ultimately he still came up short and hurt his team when they needed him. 

[EaglesAddict]

56 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I agree with your post. I really do think that the series of events led to a mentally damaged QB who just can't bounce back. I think everyone thought a change in scenery would help him and look he had a better year. His stats look pretty good but ultimately he still came up short and hurt his team when they needed him. 

Yep.  I thought going to Indy would be the fresh start Wentz needed and I was confident he'd play well and take the Colts to the playoffs.  But, it just seems he can't recapture his confidence or whatever it was that had him looking like the next big thing (his pre-injury form of 2017).  I wonder if Wentz was "pressing" this year as well, feeling the pressure of both wanting to prove himself while justifying the Colts' investment in acquiring him (and it's also where Wentz wanted to go).  

Plus, I wonder if the whole vaccination thing impacted how his teammates viewed him...maybe it did, maybe it didn't.  But, certainly a possibility.

[PoconoDon]

At the end of the day, Wentz' meltdown is on Wentz.

[D-Shiznit]

16 hours ago, EaglesAddict said:

I said it why he was still here in Philly and I still stand by it...I truly believe Wentz was mentally ruined after the following sequence of events:

What you said is certainly plausible, and lines up, but the more time goes by, I'm convinced that Wentz's success in 2017 was lightning in a bottle and not at all indicative of who he is.

Kurt Warner did a deep dive on Wentz, and once said: "Even the year he would’ve been the league MVP [2017], he wasn’t overly consistent that year, he was consistent in making crazy plays when things broke down. But I just don’t think you can live in that world, no matter how talented you are."

That was not a play style that was sustainable, even without all the events you laid out. The more he tries to emulate what he did in 2017, the more it's clear that was just a lucky streak.

 

This is the breakdown by the way:

 

[EaglesAddict]

7 hours ago, D-Shiznit said:

What you said is certainly plausible, and lines up, but the more time goes by, I'm convinced that Wentz's success in 2017 was lightning in a bottle and not at all indicative of who he is.

Kurt Warner did a deep dive on Wentz, and once said: "Even the year he would’ve been the league MVP [2017], he wasn’t overly consistent that year, he was consistent in making crazy plays when things broke down. But I just don’t think you can live in that world, no matter how talented you are."

That was not a play style that was sustainable, even without all the events you laid out. The more he tries to emulate what he did in 2017, the more it's clear that was just a lucky streak.

 

This is the breakdown by the way:

 

Warner's breakdown here is the Wentz of 2018 to now.  In 2017, he did make some "crazy" plays when things broke down, but those were his highlights and what made him look "special".  I'd like to see Warner breakdown his actual 2017 season to see if he was the same...if he saw the field better, made quicker/better decisions, etc.

I'm no expert by any means, but to me, in his rookie year in 2016, Wentz showed flashes and promise of being a potential franchise QB.  In 2017, he realized that promise until the injury. Has never been the same since.  Hard to say he's "always been this way".

Obviously it doesn't matter now.  But I do find the Wentz case to be interesting, just because of how everything has gone from Day 1 until now.  

[nipples]

8 hours ago, EaglesAddict said:

Warner's breakdown here is the Wentz of 2018 to now.  In 2017, he did make some "crazy" plays when things broke down, but those were his highlights and what made him look "special".  I'd like to see Warner breakdown his actual 2017 season to see if he was the same...if he saw the field better, made quicker/better decisions, etc.

I'm no expert by any means, but to me, in his rookie year in 2016, Wentz showed flashes and promise of being a potential franchise QB.  In 2017, he realized that promise until the injury. Has never been the same since.  Hard to say he's "always been this way".

Obviously it doesn't matter now.  But I do find the Wentz case to be interesting, just because of how everything has gone from Day 1 until now.  

I mean even in 2017 he was inconsistent and struggled with accuracy. He had a 60.2 completion percentage… Hurts supposedly can’t throw, yet he completed  61.3% this year. Yards per attempt pretty even at 7.3(Hurts) and 7.5(Wentz). The big difference was the passing TDs where Wentz had 33 compared to Hurts 16 this year. But a lot of that has to do with the Eagles being run heavy in the red zone and Hurts himself running in 10TDs. 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

16 minutes ago, nipples said:

I mean even in 2017 he was inconsistent and struggled with accuracy. He had a 60.2 completion percentage… Hurts supposedly can’t throw, yet he completed  61.3% this year. Yards per attempt pretty even at 7.3(Hurts) and 7.5(Wentz). The big difference was the passing TDs where Wentz had 33 compared to Hurts 16 this year. But a lot of that has to do with the Eagles being run heavy in the red zone and Hurts himself running in 10TDs. 

And if you add in the rushing TDs Hurts had 26 total TDs. Plus like you say so so many TDs were rushes from our RBs. So yes no doubt Wentz 2017 was immense no question. And Hurts 2021 is not ad good unquestionably. But it really isn't a million miles off. 

[EaglesAddict]

17 hours ago, nipples said:

I mean even in 2017 he was inconsistent and struggled with accuracy. He had a 60.2 completion percentage… Hurts supposedly can’t throw, yet he completed  61.3% this year. Yards per attempt pretty even at 7.3(Hurts) and 7.5(Wentz). The big difference was the passing TDs where Wentz had 33 compared to Hurts 16 this year. But a lot of that has to do with the Eagles being run heavy in the red zone and Hurts himself running in 10TDs. 

I'm not sure why you're marginalizing Wentz' 2017 season, he was fantastic.  A totally different player than we've seen ever since.  He would have won the MVP that year and that doesn't happen if you're "inconsistent and struggle with accuracy".

That would describe how he's played from 2018 to now.

[nipples]

27 minutes ago, EaglesAddict said:

I'm not sure why you're marginalizing Wentz' 2017 season, he was fantastic.  A totally different player than we've seen ever since.  He would have won the MVP that year and that doesn't happen if you're "inconsistent and struggle with accuracy".

That would describe how he's played from 2018 to now.

Just over 60% completions is inconsistent accuracy. Wentz was an MVP candidate because he made some incredible plays each week and had a lot of TD passes ,  but let’s not pretend he had pinpoint accuracy. 
 

 

[time2rock]

51 minutes ago, nipples said:

Just over 60% completions is inconsistent accuracy. Wentz was an MVP candidate because he made some incredible plays each week and had a lot of TD passes ,  but let’s not pretend he had pinpoint accuracy. 
 

When is the last time we can say we had a QB that fit that description?  

[UK_EaglesFan89]

28 minutes ago, time2rock said:

When is the last time we can say we had a QB that fit that description?  

Sam Bradford... In one game.