Though the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive personnel was talented enough to make a deep playoff run last season, they were severely limited by their quarterback play.
While we have nothing against Philip Rivers, who really exceeded expectations after signing a one-year, $25 million deal, his compromised mobility and lack of arm strength prevented the Colts from expanding now-former offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni’s playbook.
That figures to change in a big way following the acquisition of Carson Wentz, who, despite a forgettable final season in Philadelphia that finished with him being benched, is still one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks the league has to offer.
If you think about it, Indy is giving Wentz everything the Eagles failed to do over his final two seasons. That includes a formidable offensive line, serviceable wide receiving corps, an elite rushing attack and a strong relationship between the head coach and front office.
With that in mind, why don’t we dive into a (realistic) prediction of Wentz’s first season under center with the Colts’ and their current roster? That, of course, is assuming Indy continues being conservative and does NOT strike a trade for Julio Jones.
Michael Pittman on new Colts QB Carson Wentz: "He's so dialed in that he is on a mission"https://t.co/jYzTfvRtaF pic.twitter.com/G3G0n07KTS
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) May 26, 2021
Predicting realistic stats for Carson Wentz in his first year with the Colts
Before we give our predictions, we first must understand just how woeful Wentz was for the Eagles last season. To make a long story short, let’s just say he ranked 34th in completion percentage (57.4%), tied for last — or first, depending on how you look at it — with 15 interceptions, ranked 33rd in yards per attempt (6.0) and 28th in quarterback rating (49.6).
Let’s assume Wentz is able to wipe that disaster of a season from his memory, reclaims his confidence and reaps the benefits of being surrounded by premium talent. If he does that, he’ll be in contention for the Comeback Player of the Year award, though Dak Prescott likely has a leg up on the field given he’s returning from a gruesome ankle injury.
Nevertheless, we’re also going to assume Wentz plays the full season. That’s obviously isn’t a guarantee with the former No. 2 overall pick, but play along. As long as he gets the proper protection and his WR corps stays upright, we see no reason why he shouldn’t complete 68% of his passes for 4,520 yards and 28 touchdowns to eight interceptions.
If you equate his yards over a 17-game sample size, Wentz will average 265.8 per game, which gives him a great chance of finishing in the top 10. Getting beyond that, the Colts’ lack of a prototypical red zone threat and Jonathan Taylor’s presence figure to take some touchdown opportunities away from Wentz.
Frank Reich on Carson Wentz: "Dominant physical specimen" at quarterback. https://t.co/8nVHUxCMKe
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 26, 2021
These numbers might not be enough to warrant Pro Bowl consideration, but that was always going to be a challenge given that Wentz is now playing in the same conference as stars like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson (if he plays), and Josh Allen.
In any event, the bottom line is that these are strikingly impressive numbers for someone who was arguably the worst quarterback in the NFL a season ago. As long as Wentz posts stats that are on par with these projections, Indy will be back in the playoffs for a second straight year.
If that ends up being the case, what more could fans ask for?
Did Indianapolis Colts help Carson Wentz enough this offseason?
Did the Indianapolis Colts help Carson Wentz enough this offseason despite not splashing on a left tackle or wide receiver?