Carson Wentz delivered a subpar performance on Sunday as the Indianapolis Colts lost to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Since Carson Wentz arrived in Indianapolis, the question has been: is he good enough to be the franchise quarterback, not only this season but moving forward for the Indianapolis Colts. The masses have been unable to come to a consensus.
Wentz has done a great job this season at playing his role, taking a backseat to Jonathan Taylor and playing off the run game. While this formula has been great for winning, it has created even more conversation about Wentz’s ability to win games with his arm.
In a pivotal game on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis could’ve clinched a playoff spot, but Indy failed to win. Some fans felt Wentz was the reason Indy came up short and point to one play in particular.
In the fourth quarter on a critical third down, T.Y. Hilton was running down the sideline wide open and Wentz slightly overthrew him. With a better pass, it’s possible Hilton makes the catch and runs into the end zone.
Still can’t get over this miss from Carson Wentz. Rushed this throw for no reason, which led to bad mechanics, and overthrew T.Y. Hilton. If this is on the money, #Colts score soon after. pic.twitter.com/LXoyC4Kwd0
— Locked On Colts Podcast (@LockedOnColts) January 3, 2022
This is an incredibly bad look, especially coming from the quarterback that cost a first-round pick. It’s not far-fetched to say completing this pass could’ve changed the outcome of the game, so the criticism of Wentz is warranted.
However, considering the context, it may be fair to pump the brakes just a little and extend Wentz some grace.
Carson Wentz shouldn’t be written off after mediocre performance against Raiders
While missing this throw was both bad and costly, and Wentz’s entire performance against the Raiders was lackluster, it’s important to remember the week leading up to Sunday’s game.
Wentz was placed on the COVID list on Monday after a positive test. He spent the entire week away from the facility, missing practice and only taking part in virtual meetings. It wasn’t clear if Wentz would even play in this game until about two hours before kickoff.
So the Wentz that was on the field on Sunday is about as unprepared as he will ever be. While that may not be enough to excuse the missed pass, it’s the necessary context for evaluating his total performance.
What fans saw from Wentz on Sunday wasn’t promising. There’s a group of quarterbacks in the NFL who are good enough to start but they are unable to consistently make the big plays when it matters most. It’s fair for Colts fans to fear that Wentz may be a part of that group, but that shouldn’t be decided off his Sunday performance alone.
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