INDIANAPOLIS – What a difference a week makes.
One week after a clearly hobbled and limited Carson Wentz struggled to do anything of substance when throwing the football, the quarterback play the Colts got on Sunday was something that should have fans intrigued.
By no means was Wentz’s performance in Sunday’s first win of the season perfect, but it had plenty of moments of why the Colts made the move they did this past offseason.
Form an efficiency (75 percent completion percentage) and production standpoint (7.1 yards per attempt), Wentz had one of the better games of his career on Sunday.
It might not have seemed that way watching, but that’s a credit to Wentz for finding the balance of making high-percentage throws, with some chances sprinkled in, while still not turning the ball over.
“I think you saw from Carson a little bit more of the player that we are expecting,” Frank Reich said after Wentz went 24-of-32 for 228 yards and 2 touchdowns. “He had more mobility today. You saw him extend a few more plays. He made some big-time plays and then did from the pocket, as well.
“He did a phenomenal job (of taking what the defense gave him). He didn’t put the ball in harm’s way. He was accurate. He made good decisions.”
Thanks to a healthier Wentz, the playbook was more open to the Colts and that led to the quarterback showing off more of his skillset.
With the Colts trying to put Sunday’s game away, Wentz wasn’t afraid to take some chances down the field (hello Mo Alie-Cox) or get out of the pocket (a bootleg toss to Michael Pittman which iced the game late).
Leading into Sunday’s matchup, the Colts had Wentz practicing all three days last week. Improved health allowed for Wentz to be under center more on Sunday. One of those plays was a slower-developing, play-action deep crosser to Zach Pascal for 41 yards.
Those plays wouldn’t have been called last week, and weren’t really there in the first two games when the run game was struggling and the offensive line was wilting.
Plays like that are why the Colts felt Wentz was worth the package they gave up for him this offseason.
But perhaps the most impressive things about Wentz’s time in Indy comes from his ability to protect the football.
Through 4 weeks, Wentz has thrown just 1 interception (on a shovel pass against the Rams) in 138 pass attempts.
Even with all this said, you watch Wentz on Sunday and there were several plays still left out on the field.
The passing offense is still waiting to find the crispness from a communication and timing standpoint that other elite units offer.
Some inaccuracies on underneath routes from Wentz are still not where they need to be.
Despite this, the play from Wentz on Sunday was at a more than adequate level for what the Colts need, particularly when the support around him is there.
Gifts that the Dolphins gave the Colts won’t be there every week.
But the Wentz we saw on Sunday gives the Colts a pretty good foundation of necessary quarterback play.
“I think we have a lot of ability to be an explosive offense,” the quarterback said after Sunday’s win. “I think we’ve seen glimpses of it. For us it’s about keep getting better, scratch off some wins here early and keep getting better and I think we will be an explosive offense.”
