The Washington Commanders already have had to answer for the inaccuracies of quarterback Carson Wentz despite the fact the newly-acquired signal-caller has yet to face an opposing defense.
And while Commanders head coach Ron Rivera expressed the team isn’t overly concerned, the reports to come out of Washington’s training camp speak volumes.
“Inaccuracy concerns dogged Wentz in Philadelphia and Indianapolis, and that fret has traveled to Washington with an assortment pack of misfires,” The Athletic’s Ben Standig recently wrote, including Wentz in his “Stock down” category. “High and low, wide and inside — it’s all been on display, with Saturday’s showing in front of thousands of fans the most public display yet.”
Standig, while acknowledging it wasn’t an every-play issue for Wentz, went on to provide some laughable imagery.
“Quarterbacks throwing to receivers against air (with no defense) is the football equivalent of a layup line,” he wrote. “Yet, Wentz routinely has bricked passes in various directions. Overthrowing or firing too far out front has been the most common issue.”
NFL.com’s Kevin Patra also has noted how Wentz will make some “wow” throws and then “airmail” an open receiver.
The accuracy issues with Wentz aren’t anything new, of course. Since 2019, merely 66.5% of Wentz’s passes have been deemed catchable, per Sportradar, which ranks 64th among quarterbacks to throw at least one pass.
Wentz and his new Washington teammates have noted how developing connections continues to be a work in progress. Wentz will have a chance to improve on it when the Commanders take on the Carolina Panthers in their first preseason game Saturday, but it certainly isn’t a promising start for the new-name team.
