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The Indianapolis Colts are in the middle of a very rough campaign this season. At this point heading into Week 10, they are just 4-5 and are fighting for survival. Despite the slow start, Carson Wentz has been a major bright spot for the Colts and has kept his team within striking distance of a spot in the NFL Playoffs.
Despite the fact that Wentz has played great football thus far, he has been receiving brutal criticisms from the Indianapolis media. Some have even called for the Colts to bench him to keep their first round pick from the Philadelphia Eagles that was traded to acquire him. Obviously, that isn't going to happen, but the media has been crucifying Wentz.
Following a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans that saw Wentz throw two critical interceptions, the hate went to a new level. Even some of the fans are shamelessly calling for Wentz's job. But the calls and the criticisms are completely ridiculous and unfounded.
Why? We'll take a closer look at that subject.
Why The Criticisms On Carson Wentz Are Completely Unfounded
Let's delve into the production that Wentz has put up for the Colts this season through his first nine games.
Wentz has completed a solid 63.3 percent of his pass attempts for 2,198 yards, 17 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. He has also picked up 121 yards and another touchdown on the ground. Simply looking at his numbers, Wentz has been fantastic.
Call his two turnovers against the Titans whatever you want, but he has only thrown three interceptions. Two in one game at times happens to every single quarterback in the entire league. Wentz is not perfect, nor should he be expected to be.
How about the Colts' offensive line injuries and inconsistencies? Throughout the first four games of the season especially, Wentz was running for his life on more plays than not. Still, he was able to make big plays for his team and put up good production without throwing a high number of interceptions.
Moving forward, let's take a look at the weapons that Wentz has at his disposal. For much of the season, TY Hilton has been unable to play due to injury, which has left Wentz with Michael Pittman Jr., Zach Pascal, and Ashton Dulin as his top three wide receivers. Mo Alie-Cox and Jack Doyle are solid weapons, but they certainly aren't elite.
So couple an inconsistent and porous offensive line with a lack of high-level playmakers at the wide receiver and tight end positions, and Wentz has still performed admirably. Thankfully, the Colts offense does feature second-year rising star running back Jonathan Taylor. He has been able to take some of the pressure off of Wentz.
As for the call to bench Wentz, the Colts are still very much in the mix for a playoff spot. Currently, the New England Patriots are in the seventh seed in the AFC with a 5-4 record. The Colts are still right behind them with a 4-5 record and a game they should win against the Jacksonville Jaguars this week.
All of the criticisms surrounding Wentz, who won a Super Bowl ring with the Eagles, would be understandable if he had thrown 10 or more interceptions. But he simply hasn't. Nothing about the hate and calls for benching make any kind of sense.
What this really comes down to is that Colts fans are just unhappy with whoever is starting at the quarterback position. Following the retirement of Andrew Luck and after watching Peyton Manning for years, the fanbase has forgotten what solid, but not elite, quarterback play looks like. No one is saying that Wentz is a superstar, but he has been more than solid.
Expect to see Wentz continue playing at a way above average level. He isn't going to be a top-five NFL quarterback, but that isn't what the Colts need him to be. Fans need to pump the brakes on the hate and just enjoy watching a signal-caller who makes plays under duress, doesn't turn the football over as much as they seem to think, and is more than capable of leading the Colts on a postseason run if the roster gets back to full health.
Who knows, if the Colts add an elite wide receiver to the roster, Carson Wentz could end up being much better than expected. Only time will tell what the future holds for him in Indianapolis, but the vitriol needs to stop.
