By: Jake Rajala

Matt Ryan has been a steady sharpshooter at the quarterback position since he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons third overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. Matty Ice threw 4,000+ passing yards for 10 straight seasons (from the 2011 season through the 2020 campaign). The clean-cut QB has also thrown six seasons of 28+ passing touchdowns. In 2016, he even won the holiest award (MVP) by throwing 4,944 passing yards, 38 passing touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and having a 69.9 completion percentage. Furthermore, he led his team to the big dance in the 2016-2017 season (despite it not ending well). It should also be noted that Drew Brees, Troy Aikman, and Russell Wilson don’t even possess an MVP ring.

However.

Ryan’s baggage tells a different tale.

The god in the 2-minute drill didn’t oust a winning season in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. He also hasn’t thrown 30+ passing TDs since the 2018 season. Without Julio Jones, the former Falcons QB registered 3,968 passing yds (fourth-lowest in career), 20 passing TDs (second-fewest in career), and 12 ints in 2021.

I anticipated Ryan to excel in a Colts uniform, but it was clear that he couldn’t uplift his young wideouts & new offense in Week 1. The rook Alec Pierce dropped a pass in the end-zone for an easy touchdown. In a less appetizing fashion, Ryan unleashed an interception to DE Jerry Hughes in Week 1, as well.

At this point, I do feel Ryan is a tad overrated. I don’t love that he failed to put down the Houston Texans — even with a productive Jonathan Taylor. It’s worrisome that he doesn’t have Alec Pierce next week & that his WR group with or without Pierce isn’t sexy. I would be ecstatic if the Colts signed OBJ – which would bring a lot of optimism to the Colts fan base.

I’m not also a big fan of how the Colts QB compares to other AFC field generals. I wouldn’t be blind-sided if Tua Tagovailoa and Carson Wentz (which is a bit ironic) have a more robust 2022 campaign with their new weaponry. Ryan may very well be a future Hall of Famer & he could find a groove with the Colts at some point, but it doesn’t look like he will mow down opposing defenses and be a Top-10 QB in the near future.

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By: Jake Rajala

The NFL is clearly highlighted by the supreme talent of many quarterbacks. Signal-callers like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes have been chosen by the football gods to wreak havoc on opposing defenses and unveil unearthly stats. It’s expected that an elite QB that’s typically displayed stardom over the past few years will win MVP honors next season. Nonetheless, it’s very normal in today’s league that a darkhorse player could win MVP. With that said, here are three underrated prospects that could potentially win MVP next season.

Derek Carr

The LV Raiders QB Derek Carr threw for the fifth-most passing yards last season and led his team to a playoff appearance. He will have a healthy Darren Waller (Waller missed six games last season) and newly acquired Davante Adams (most targeted WR (the second-most targeted WR in 2021). I fully expect the former Fresno QB to really increase his production and become a Top 5 QB in passing yards and passing touchdowns next season.

Jameis Winston

I wholeheartedly believe Jameis Winston was the most underappreciated QB last season. It appears that many fans forget that Winston was 5-2 as the Saints QB in 2021 (including an odd loss against the Carolina Panthers when the Saints were missing several coaches). Furthermore, Winston was playing well without Michael Thomas (Top 5 WR in the NFL) last season. Expect Winston to be prolific with a healthy MT and potentially Jameson Williams in 2022. He will also have an elite defense to help him dominate against Tom Brady and likely unleash 11+ wins in the 2022-2023 season.

Matt Ryan

The Indianapolis Colts QB Matt Ryan was left out to try with the Atlanta Falcons last season. He didn’t have Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley missed 12 games last season (to say the least). Matt Ryan was still efficient with poor weaponry last season and he should be confident in having a Top 8 QB performance with the stellar Colts roster next season. He will have the 2021 MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman, and likely another quality WR in his arsenal.

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By: Trenton Roberts (Twitter: @TRobertsNFL)

On February 18^th, the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles announced a trade: starting quarterback Carson Wentz was shipped to Indy in exchange for a pair of picks, those being a 2021 third and a 2022 conditional second. Had this trade happened even so much as a year earlier, there is no possibility of it going down, as Wentz was coming off another solid 2019 season in which he broke 4,000 yards for the first time in his career and threw just seven interceptions to 27 touchdowns.

After the 2020 season, however, there are people that will say the trade is equal in value for both sides, and even some that will tell you the Eagles won by getting rid of Wentz. So, what happened?

Well, if you didn’t follow anything related to the Eagles in 2020, I’ll quickly get you up to speed. To put it simply, Wentz absolutely fell apart. Without a competent offense surrounding him, and with the offensive line in shambles due to the injury bug, the Eagles stumbled their way to a 4-11-1 record, dead last in the worst division in football, the NFC East, and second worst in the conference behind the 4-12 Falcons. 

Prior to getting benched in the final quarter of the season, Wentz accumulated a league-leading 15 interceptions to just 16 touchdowns in 12 games. What is even more impressive is that, despite playing four fewer games than most quarterbacks, Wentz led the league in sacks with 50, averaging out to just over four sacks each game. It is also telling that only a single receiver netted over 50 catches on the season, that being Greg Ward, and only Ward, Travis Fulgham, and tight end Dallas Goedert tallied more than 400 receiving yards. The offense surrounding the struggling quarterback was horrendous, but Wentz had issues of his own.

For those who watched any of the Eagles games in 2020 and compared them to his tape from prior seasons, it was obvious that Wentz was not the same quarterback he was before. Perhaps it was the lack of protection, a true top target, or something else, but Wentz developed a multitude of bad habits throughout the season, turning him from a budding young star into arguably the worst quarterback in the NFL.

Now, in 2021, it’s on Colts head coach Frank Reich to see if he can reignite the magic that was displayed when he was the offensive coordinator for Wentz’s MVP-caliber season in 2017. However, it is far from smooth sailing for the pair, as the coaching staff will need to work out Wentz’s aforementioned bad habits in order to get him back to his prior self. However, unlike in Philadelphia, Carson Wentz will have many of the pieces he needs to round back into form.

The Indianapolis Colts house one of the league’s top offensive lines, with superstar left guard Quenton Nelson heading the charge. The unit allowed just 21 sacks in 2020, tied for the second fewest in the league, and their 71 sacks allowed since 2018 is the second fewest over that time period, just one more than the 70 allowed by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite losing cornerstone left tackle Anthony Castonzo to retirement at the beginning of the offseason, the team has adequately replaced him with former Chiefs bookend Eric Fisher and pinch-starters in Sam Tevi and Julién Davenport. With Wentz looking good behind top offensive lines from 2017-2019, he should be able to rely on the big guys up front once again in order to boost his own confidence.

The offensive line isn’t the only improvement, however. In Philadelphia, Wentz struggled to get things going while passing to 2017 UDFA Greg Ward, oft-injured tight ends Dallas Goedert and Zach Ertz, an inexperienced Travis Fulgham, and rookie receiver Jalen Reagor, none of whom spark fear into opponents. In Indianapolis, Wentz will unite with former league-leader T.Y. Hilton, sophomore breakout-candidate Michael Pittman Jr., and tight ends Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox to form the passing offense. Throw in dynamic receiving back Nyheim Hines and wide receivers Parris Campbell and Zach Pascal, and Wentz is entering a much better situation than he saw in 2020.

Along with a strong rushing attack that saw 2020 rookie running back Jonathan Taylor finish third in the NFL in rushing and is set to return former 1,000-yard rusher Marlon Mack into the picture, and Wentz has all the tools there to be successful once again. However, the question again returns to whether he can get rid of all the bad habits that arose in the 2020 season in order to return to his full potential. If Reich and Co. can release Wentz from his shackles and round him back into shape, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see the former star reach 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns through the air with the team surrounding him. Should he continue to struggle as he did for much of the 2020 season, there is a chance he could even end up on the bench in favor of 2020 4^th-rounder Jacob Eason or 2021 6^th-rounder Sam Ehlinger. Whether he regains his star form or is benched for the second time in as many seasons is ultimately up to the 28-year old from North Dakota State University.

The post Projecting the floor and ceiling of Carson Wentz in Indianapolis appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Quarterback Carson Wentz will be entering his sixth year in the NFL come the beginning of the 2021 season. The former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has found a new home for himself: The Indianapolis Colts. 

Carson Wentz has had an NFL career that has been full of highs and lows. Over the course of his five-year career, he has played in 16 games just twice. Injuries have plagued his career and have kept him from being the QB that many people thought that he could be when he entered the NFL as the second overall pick in the 2016 draft. 

When healthy, Wentz has proven to be a capable starter. He has made big plays and is considered a true leader in the NFL world. During the Eagles super bowl run in 2017, Wentz had the best season of his career. He was an MVP front runner and his play spoke for itself.

The second-year quarterback led the Eagles to a record of 11-2. He threw for 33 touchdowns and looked to be on pace to become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. This was until a torn ACL in week 14 ended his season. 

While the Eagles still went onto win the super bowl, led by quarterback Nick Foles, Wentz still played an integral part in putting them into that position. His leadership and elite play through 13 games helped the Eagles secure their spot in the playoffs.

The injuries began with the torn ACL in week 14 of the 2017 season for Wentz. Since then he has dealt with  injuries nearly every year of his career. 

In 2018, even after coming off of the torn ACL, Wentz was ready to go by week three. He led the Eagles through 11 games and had a record of 5-6. He lasted until week 14 when the Eagles decided to end his season early. This early shutdown was due to a back injury that Wentz fought throughout the majority of the season. Yet again, the Eagles turned to Foles and he once again pulled off a playoff miracle. Their season came to an end in the NFC Divisional round. 

As the 2019 season was under way, Wentz began to look like his old self again. He played in all 16 games and his stat line was impressive. He threw 27 touchdowns and added another on the ground. Wentz played well but injuries came for him yet again. In the Eagles first playoff game, Wentz suffered a concussion just nine snaps into the game. There was no Nick Foles to save the day this time and the Eagles season came to an end in a game that saw the Eagles not score a single offensive touchdown. 

The 2020 season was no better for Wentz. The only difference this time being that injuries did not derail Wentz season, but instead, he derailed it himself. 

Statistically, 2020 was the worst season of Wentz’s career. He finished with a starting record of 3-8-1. He was responsible for 21 touchdowns but also threw 15 interceptions and had 10 fumbles. He was eventually replaced by rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts. 

Both the Colts and Wentz will look to bounce back in 2021. In recent years, both sides have underperformed. 

The Colts went all in last season and brought in longtime Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers. Rivers led the Colts ro an 11-5 record but didn’t make it past the AFC Wild card round. Not long after the season ended, Rivers retired and brought in Carson Wentz. 

Wentz and the Colts will both have high expectations heading into 2021, but things may not necessarily go to plan. Here are three reasons why Carson Wentz may struggle in his first season with the Indianapolis Colts. 

Injury History

As previously noted, Carson Wentz has had a difficult time staying healthy. It is difficult to make a legitimate impact if you can’t stay on the field.

Now this is no knock against Wentz. Injuries are never planned and they are impossible to avoid. But, it is difficult to discuss Wentz career up to this point without taking note of his extensive injury history. He has finished a season playing all 16 games just twice.

The injuries that have knocked Wentz out have all been significant. His injuries have varied heavily. He has dealt with hairline fractures in his ribs, concussions, a stress fracture in his back, and a torn ACL and LCL. 

None of these injuries have been easy to recover from, and while it is amazing that Wentz has continued to be resilient and work back from each injury, it can’t be ignored that he is hurt somewhat often. 

2020 proved to be an outlier for Wentz. He was able to stay healthy but his play on the field proved to be his downfall. 

Turnover Issues

Turnovers have been a mainstay throughout Wentz’s career. While he has shown that he is willing to do whatever must be done to make a play, whether that be staying in the pocket for too long, forcing a ball into a tight window, or attempting to make the play with his legs, this has also led to a high amount of turnovers. 

Wentz has been responsible for 121 touchdowns over his career: 113 passing and 8 rushing. But, he has also produced some of the highest turnover amounts while missing significant time over his five seasons in the NFL. He has thrown 50 interceptions and has fumbled 58 times. That is 108 turnovers to 121 touchdowns. The number is much closer than you would like it to be for your QB1. 

It is possible for Wentz to cut down on his turnovers. He has had three seasons where he has thrown only seven interceptions. 

The fumbling issue is more of the concern when it comes to his turnover concerns. He has never had less than nine fumbles in a season and has recorded as many as 16 in a season. 

The positive of joining the Colts is that Wentz will be protected. The Colts have one of the top rated offensive lines in the NFL and should give Wentz all the time that he needs to make a play. This protection will give Wentz an opportunity to not need to force the ball or have to make some outlandish play. 

A clean pocket has not been a consistent part of Wentz’s career up to this point. The Eagles line that Wentz was behind dealt with injuries and experienced highs and lows, much like Wentz. 

Average Wide Reciever Room

The Colts wide receiver core has depth but is still widely unproven. This could prove to impact Wentz more than some may think. 

Every great quarterback in the NFL has a reliable main target. Josh Allen has Stefon Diggs. Patrick Mahomes has Tyreek Hill. Tom Brady has Mike Evans. But who does Wentz have? Let’s look at the wide receiver options in Indianapolis. 

T.Y. Hilton is the longest tenured receiver out of the core, so we will start with him. He is a proven receiver and has spent his entire nine year career with the Colts

During his time in Indianapolis, he has produced great nu,hers and has been a catalyst on the offense. While he has never been a high touchdown producing machine, with just 50 career touchdowns, he is a reliable receiver. He has hauled in 608 receptions and is on pace to potentially reach 10,000 career receiving yards this season.

While age has not necessarily caught up with Hilton, his production has slowly begun to decrease. Even after playing in 15 games, the most of any core Colts receiver, Hilton still only had 56 receptions on 93 targets. These 56 catches led to just five touchdown receptions and 762 yards. This upcoming season, Hilton will still be available but may potentially take on more of a leadership role where the younger receivers can learn from him. Even with being a main target in Indianapolis, he is not to the caliber of an elite WR1 anymore. 

The next man up will be second year receiver Michael Pittman Jr. Pittman showed promise in his first year with the Colts. The 34th overall pick caught 40 receptions and had just over 500 receiving yards. 

Pittman dealt with lingering issues and played in 13 games last season. The Colts have high hopes for Pittman and will look for him to be Wentz’s main target this upcoming season. But can Pittman be a WR1? That is not yet something he has proven. 

The core after Hilton and Pittman is somewhat interesting. Zach Pascal has been an anchor for this group. He will be entering his fourth season and his production has been eerily similar over his first few years in the NFL. 

His 2019 and 2020 numbers are nearly identical across the board. He has 623 and 629 yards from scrimmage in each respective season. He also had 43 and 44 touches and also had five touchdowns in each season. 

Third year receiver Parris Campbell is the most unproven of the four. Over the course of his two seasons in the NFL, Campbell has appeared in just nine career games. He has 24 career receptions, 198 yards, and one touchdown. 

Injuries have been Campbells downfall up to this point. He was a talented playmaker during his time at Ohio State and will look to return to form this season. 

When looking at the combined stats of these four receivers, they are seemingly all on par with each other. There is no alpha in the room and that may prove to hurt Wentz. While it is nice to have reliable players at the position, a clear number one target would be even more beneficial. A star receiver in this group, whether it be one of these guys taking a leap towards stardom, or going out and getting one for Wentz, could be what he needs to not struggle. 

Wentz could potentially reach back into his bag and play like he did during his 2018 run, or he could pick up where he left off last season. There is no guarantee how he will look coming into this 2021 season. While he is easy to root for, the road back to MVP level play will not be easy to reach. 

The post Three reasons why Carson Wentz could struggle with the Colts appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Trenton Roberts (Twitter: @TRobertsNFL)

Until recent years, the AFC South had been the laughingstock of the league. From 2011 to 2017, teams in the division accounted for a whopping 12 bottom-six finishes in the NFL. However, their fortunes began to change with a surprising run by the Jacksonville Jaguars to the AFC Championship game in 2017, and since then, the division has put two teams into the playoffs each season.

Currently, each team in the division is heading in a positive direction and have been building up youth for future success. After the 2021 offseason, every team is set (for the moment, more on this later) at the quarterback position, with Jacksonville drafting generational prospect Trevor Lawrence with the first pick in the draft and the Colts trading for Eagles signal caller Carson Wentz.

However, despite all the talent at the position and the recent numbers for each of the four quarterbacks, it’s Carson Wentz who stands above the rest in the division. Here’s why.

For starters, Deshaun Watson is clearly the most talented quarterback in the division, as he has shown in recent seasons by putting up huge numbers with not-so-great teams. However, the litigations taken against the young star this offseason have left major questions surrounding his availability for 2021 and beyond. This means that, should Watson not play in 2021, the team will have to shift to journeyman quarterback Tyrod Taylor to lead the offense, who, despite some past success with the Buffalo Bills, is a major downgrade.

Moving on to the Titans, Ryan Tannehill has been a fantastic game manager in the teams run-based offense, and pairs with A.J. Brown to form a good punch in the passing game, combining for 1,075 yards and 11 scores in 2020. However, despite good numbers, Tannehill is nothing more than just that: a game manager. This team is clearly Derrick Henry’s to lead, as the bruising back became just the eighth running back ever to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards in 2020. Should the team need to rely more on Tannehill, my bet is on their opponent, because though Tannehill is good, he has a ceiling that holds him back.

Finally, we get to the top pick in the draft. In Jacksonville, Trevor Lawrence has some weapons at his disposal along the lines of DJ Chark, Marvin Jones Jr, and Laviska Shenault, and will likely be handed a very long leash just based off of his name alone. Despite never playing an NFL snap, it’s easy to see the Clemson product tearing up the league in the future. However, as a rookie joining a team that just finished with a single win in 2020, he’ll have his work cut out for him, so we can’t expect too much immediately. Sporting a pristine 34-2 collegiate record, though, it shouldn’t take more than a year for Lawrence to acclimate.

And so, we are left with Carson Wentz. On paper, Wentz looks like the worst quarterback in the division, not the best. His 2020 season was arguably the worst in the league, in which he threw a career high 15 interceptions to just 16 touchdowns and was benched halfway through the year in favor of rookie second round pick Jalen Hurts. The questions on whether he can return to his past success with Indy are certainly legitimate, and he has much to prove. However, unlike Watson, he’ll be available. Unlike Tannehill, he has a high ceiling. Unlike Lawrence, he has a good team around him and experience.

With a much better offense waiting for him in Indianapolis, Carson Wentz could and should return to his MVP-level play from the Eagles 2017-18 Super Bowl season and is well situated to come out on top of a crowded quarterback competition in the division.

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