Is Carson Wentz an Elite Quarterback or the Most Overpaid Man in Football?
Wentz was amazing down the stretch last game. He made play after play and led an unbelievable comeback late in the fourth quarter after looking horrible for the majority of the game. He is maybe the most difficult player to read in the NFL. He is the man in the national media that every single talk show loves to argue about. Colin Cowherd thinks he's one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Max Kellerman thinks that he is complete garbage.
Obviously, these guys have their agenda and are going to stick with their takes no matter what because that's what these shows do. Kellerman is a known Wentz hater and Cowherd has always said that he's one of the most underrated players in the NFL. Both make solid points, but at the end of the day, what is the correct read on Wentz?
Somehow last game was a wet dream for both sides of the argument. In the first half, Kellerman must've been salivating at the idea of going into work to dance on the graves of Wentz believers. It was just play after play of horrible decision making and missed throws. There were multiple instances of Carson refusing to throw the ball away.
There were some horrible throws.
And then there was this. Maybe the worst throwing decision these young eyes have ever seen that somehow was inconsequential.
Then somehow in the final two drives of the game he flipped a switch and made Cowherd look like a genius, making play after play that made you remember the kind of quarterback he was in 2017.
That last throw to Boston Scott is one of the best throws of the year. It was an absolute dime to a 5'7" running back that was placed in a spot that literally couldn't have been better. Not many players in the league can make that throw to win the game. So the question remains, how the fuck can one man look so bad and so good in one game?
The obvious excuse is the injuries. Everyone says it and sometimes it's a bit exhausting. Injuries didn't force Wentz to throw that interception. Injuries didn't force him to take that intentional grounding. Injuries didn't change the setting to a game of Madden where you can throw the ball across the field across the field just because you fucking feel like it. It's truly insane sometimes. However, what would any elite quarterback look like given the circumstances?
What Wentz has gone through these past 12 games is something that I feel like has never happened in this league. Imagine If Mahomes lost Hill, Watkins, Hardman, Kelce, CEH, his entire offensive line, and had to play with practice squad guys. Would he still look like Mahomes? I don't know, maybe.
The fact of the matter is that Wentz resides in one of the hardest places to play in the NFL that has more media attention than almost any team in the league. He is constantly under a microscope and has all the pressure in the world on his shoulders, and it shows. It shows that he just tries to make plays out of nowhere because he feels like he has to. Right now his biggest problem is his decision-making because he feels like he's alone out there. What would it look if he had a decent line? What would it look like if he had a full cast of playmakers? Would he be able to relax and know when to take a wash on a play? I don't know and I really don't think you can accurately judge his play until he has that opportunity.