Official Game Thread - Week 1 - Jaguars @ Commanders

[Boone]

Yeah, we have weapons. However, we don't have the QB to effectively and consistently get the ball to those weapons, because Wentz's accuracy is so bad.

Wentz does not have good passing fundamentals and really struggles with passes between 20 - 30 yards. He had 5 or 6 really ugly throws yesterday. The vast majority of his completions were dinks and dunks that were 5 yards down the field. I don't think he will remain the starter very long.

66% completion rate yesterday. How is that inaccurate?

 

[Theismann To HOF]

66% completion rate yesterday. How is that inaccurate?

Look how far he threw the ball down the field on most of those completions: 5 - 10 yards at most. It was mostly dump the ball to Curtis Samuel two yards pass the line of scrimmage and let him run for a first down. That might work against the Jaguars, it won't work against better teams.

The offensive playbook is going to be limited with Wentz as QB, because he is just a very inaccurate mid-range thrower. He is really going to struggle in 3rd and long situations, due to his bad fundamentals and inaccuracy.

 

[Boone]

You’re a Heinicke guy, right?

Sorry, I’m not buying that. He’s an imperfect QB for sure, but I’m not sure the ‘accuracy’ criticism I hear parroted a lot holds up to scrutiny (or his career stats).

His decision-making has been suspect at times during his career, but accuracy is above average by NFL standards.

Just my opinion based on the numbers and what I see.

 

[Theismann To HOF]

You’re a Heinicke guy, right?

Sorry, I’m not buying that. He’s an imperfect QB for sure, but I’m not sure the ‘accuracy’ criticism I hear parroted a lot holds up to scrutiny (or his career stats).

His decision-making has been suspect at times during his career, but accuracy is above average by NFL standards.

Just my opinion based on the numbers and what I see.

Again, Wentz's accuracy is very bad on mid-range throws. He throws off his back foot too much, which is why he throws the ball too high many times. This is exactly why the Colts got rid of him -- they can't trust him on the difficult 20 - 30 yard throws.

Look at how bad that pass was to Milne yesterday. Milne was wide open, 20 yards down the field. Wentz sailed it way over his head. Heinicke doesn't miss wide open receivers like that.

Because of the short passing game of the modern NFL, everyone's completion percentage is inflated. And Wentz especially, because he is so dependent on 5 yard dinks and dunks because his fundamentals are so bad.

 

[Primus Porcus]

if the argument is tha Heinicke doesn't miss open guys, we have to acknowledge he also doesn't make the throw to Mclaurin for a TD, We watched Heinicke attempt passed like that over the last two years unsucessfully multiple times... in fact it was almost the exact same play that got McLaurin concussed last year against Dallas.


There are only a handful of QBs in the NFL at all that make that throw to McLaurin.

I'm not so qucik to get pissed at Wentz for that INT on the screen.. That play is going 100 miles an hour, and i'm convinced he anticipated Leno engaging with Walker to take him out of hte play. A lot of people are acting like he should have made a better decision, but there was no time to 'decide' not to throw that ball. It was thrown with anticipation and Walker wasn't supposeed to be there if Leno had done his job, it was not a situation where he stared down the reciever and hesitate (like the first pick) and telegraphed a late throw.


This process with Wentz is going to have maddening moments mixed in with some miraculous throws. If we get THAT Carson Wentz for 13 games this year, I think we'll be just fine.. as I think other factors like defense and playcalling likely 'cost' us more yesterday than Wentz did. The team rallied well at times, resulting in a win.. i'll take it.

 

[Theismann To HOF]

if the argument is tha Heinicke doesn't miss open guys, we have to acknowledge he also doesn't make the throw to Mclaurin for a TD, We watched Heinicke attempt passed like that over the last two years unsucessfully multiple times... in fact it was almost the exact same play that got McLaurin concussed last year against Dallas.


There are only a handful of QBs in the NFL at all that make that throw to McLaurin.

I'm not so qucik to get pissed at Wentz for that INT on the screen.. That play is going 100 miles an hour, and i'm convinced he anticipated Leno engaging with Walker to take him out of hte play. A lot of people are acting like he should have made a better decision, but there was no time to 'decide' not to throw that ball. It was thrown with anticipation and Walker wasn't supposeed to be there if Leno had done his job, it was not a situation where he stared down the reciever and hesitate (like the first pick) and telegraphed a late throw.


This process with Wentz is going to have maddening moments mixed in with some miraculous throws. If we get THAT Carson Wentz for 13 games this year, I think we'll be just fine.. as I think other factors like defense and playcalling likely 'cost' us more yesterday than Wentz did. The team rallied well at times, resulting in a win.. i'll take it.

Except there was nothing difficult about that throw to McLaurin. You throw it up and you let the WR run under it. McLaurin was wide open down the field. 90% of the QBs in the NFL easily make that throw.

Now, if McLaurin was open 20 yards down the field, Wentz would probably throw it over his head. Those mid-range throws are the ones he really struggles with, as he showed several times yesterday.

I think Wentz might get benched before the end of October. I did not like what I saw yesterday, his fundamentals are really bad.

 

[Primus Porcus]

I'm sorry I dont agree... and i've heard multiple analysts over the course of the day say there are MAYBE 5 - 7 QBs in the NFL that make that throw. To drop that ball where he did before the safety could get over the top was a top tier throw.

I'm struggling to figure out why there is so much rooting against a guy who just threw for 313 yards and 4 TDs. Yes there are things that were less than perfect, but Wentz has the same number of regular season 300 yards games in a Washington uniform as Heinicke, and 1 less overall with 1 less playoff game.

I'm not saying Wentz is going to be an all pro or anything, but it's been 1 game. 1 game where the offense has looked dramatically different than it has in the last 3 seasons. 1 game where there were throws we haven't seen made by a QB in our uniform in a long time. Wentz can still throw up all over himself and be terrible.. but what a lot of us saw yesterday was what we hoped / expected to see. A handful of frustrations offset by some big boy plays. We all HOPE there's more of the good than bad.. but we will see.

 

[Neophyte]

Look how far he threw the ball down the field on most of those completions: 5 - 10 yards at most. It was mostly dump the ball to Curtis Samuel two yards pass the line of scrimmage and let him run for a first down. That might work against the Jaguars, it won't work against better teams.

The offensive playbook is going to be limited with Wentz as QB, because he is just a very inaccurate mid-range thrower. He is really going to struggle in 3rd and long situations, due to his bad fundamentals and inaccuracy.

No. Just no.

The playbook is not going to be limited with Wentz. He did just fine with mid-range balls yesterday, completing a half dozen in that 20-30 range - including that great 26-yarder to Gibson on the crossing route early in the game and the 24-yard TD to Dotson to win it. Yeah, he overthrew Milne. Guess what? Turn on any NFL game this last week and you will see both QBs miss a similar throw. It happens.

In the current NFL, that 5-10 yard pass designed to get a playmaker into space, moving at speed where they can maximize YAC is emphasized in nearly every offense. It's an extension of the running game designed to nullify the pass rush and 8 guys in the box.

Wentz was 16th in the league last year in Air Yards per Completion at 5.9. He was within a yard of every guy ahead of him except Justin Fields, who had fewer than half of Wentz's completions, and Lamar Jackson, who had over 25% less.

Even more interesting is that he was also 16th in YAC per Completion but the list of guys ahead of him looks quite a bit different and both Fields and Jackson rank well below him.

Wentz is going to be fine in Washington and could end up being the most productive B&G QB since Rypien.

 

[Theismann To HOF]

No. Just no.

The playbook is not going to be limited with Wentz. He did just fine with mid-range balls yesterday, completing a half dozen in that 20-30 range - including that great 26-yarder to Gibson on the crossing route early in the game and the 24-yard TD to Dotson to win it. Yeah, he overthrew Milne. Guess what? Turn on any NFL game this last week and you will see both QBs miss a similar throw. It happens.

In the current NFL, that 5-10 yard pass designed to get a playmaker into space, moving at speed where they can maximize YAC is emphasized in nearly every offense. It's an extension of the running game designed to nullify the pass rush and 8 guys in the box.

Wentz was 16th in the league last year in Air Yards per Completion at 5.9. He was within a yard of every guy ahead of him except Justin Fields, who had fewer than half of Wentz's completions, and Lamar Jackson, who had over 25% less.

Even more interesting is that he was also 16th in YAC per Completion but the list of guys ahead of him looks quite a bit different and both Fields and Jackson rank well below him.

Wentz is going to be fine in Washington and could end up being the most productive B&G QB since Rypien.

No. Just no. You think you know something the Colts' coaching staff does not? They let go of Wentz for a reason and that reason was obvious yesterday -- his inaccuracy and poor passing fundamentals.

Wentz was so bad on those two INTs that he may have actually gotten benched for next week if Washington had lost. He was being booed in the 4th quarter of his first game at home as a Commander. He almost singlehandedly lost the game for Washington. That's unacceptable.

It wasn't just the Milne throw that was bad. He stares down his receivers, which is what caused the first INT. He had at least 3 or 4 other really bad inaccurate throws, besides the two INTs. I don't think Wentz will be starting very long.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

No. Just no. You think you know something the Colts' coaching staff does not? They let go of Wentz for a reason and that reason was obvious yesterday -- his inaccuracy and poor passing fundamentals.

Wentz was so bad on those two INTs that he may have actually gotten benched for next week if Washington had lost. He was being booed in the 4th quarter of his first game at home as a Commander. He almost singlehandedly lost the game for Washington. That's unacceptable.

It wasn't just the Milne throw that was bad. He stares down his receivers, which is what caused the first INT. He had at least 3 or 4 other really bad inaccurate throws, besides the two INTs. I don't think Wentz will be starting very long.

I doubt that because I suspect part of the deal is to have the Colts "win" every aspect of the trade. Unless he gets himself hurt, Wentz will start rain or shine.

 

[Theismann To HOF]

I'm sorry I dont agree... and i've heard multiple analysts over the course of the day say there are MAYBE 5 - 7 QBs in the NFL that make that throw. To drop that ball where he did before the safety could get over the top was a top tier throw.

I'm struggling to figure out why there is so much rooting against a guy who just threw for 313 yards and 4 TDs. Yes there are things that were less than perfect, but Wentz has the same number of regular season 300 yards games in a Washington uniform as Heinicke, and 1 less overall with 1 less playoff game.

I'm not saying Wentz is going to be an all pro or anything, but it's been 1 game. 1 game where the offense has looked dramatically different than it has in the last 3 seasons. 1 game where there were throws we haven't seen made by a QB in our uniform in a long time. Wentz can still throw up all over himself and be terrible.. but what a lot of us saw yesterday was what we hoped / expected to see. A handful of frustrations offset by some big boy plays. We all HOPE there's more of the good than bad.. but we will see.

The objective of the game is to win and Wentz almost singlehandedly lost that game in the 4th quarter yesterday. "Less than perfect"??? Rarely do you see an NFL QB throw two horrendous INTs like that back-to-back.

I'm glad that Wentz was able to bounce back and make that TD pass to McLaurin, but I have zero confidence in the guy going forward.

 

[Neophyte]

Unless he is injured, Wentz starts 17 games in Washington this season. Book it.

And he had one bad INT. The second INT was down to an amazingly athletic play by a defender who was at full stretch to do and who should have been handled by the lineman in front of him. That INT happens to every QB in the league on that playcall.

As for Indy, what we know is the owner didn't want him there anymore. What the coaches wanted is less than clear. I'll remind you that Indy's head coach was Wentz's OC in Philly too so he knew all about the player he was getting last off season.

 

[Theismann To HOF]

Unless he is injured, Wentz starts 17 games in Washington this season. Book it.

And he had one bad INT. The second INT was down to an amazingly athletic play by a defender who was at full stretch to do and who should have been handled by the lineman in front of him. That INT happens to every QB in the league on that playcall.

I disagree. When a QB is running to his right or left, it's a bad idea to try to throw a short pass back across the middle in a lot of traffic. That's where Wentz screwed-up, which he does a lot.

 

[Theismann To HOF]

Unless he is injured, Wentz starts 17 games in Washington this season. Book it.

And he had one bad INT. The second INT was down to an amazingly athletic play by a defender who was at full stretch to do and who should have been handled by the lineman in front of him. That INT happens to every QB in the league on that playcall.

As for Indy, what we know is the owner didn't want him there anymore. What the coaches wanted is less than clear. I'll remind you that Indy's head coach was Wentz's OC in Philly too so he knew all about the player he was getting last off season.

Don't count on it. His teammates will start loudly grumbling to the coaches if he keeps putting his team in bad situations with bad INTs, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

 

[Primus Porcus]

The objective of the game is to win and Wentz almost singlehandedly lost that game in the 4th quarter yesterday. "Less than perfect"??? Rarely do you see an NFL QB throw two horrendous INTs like that back-to-back.

I'm glad that Wentz was able to bounce back and make that TD pass to McLaurin, but I have zero confidence in the guy going forward.

I've gone back and been watching the game on coaches cam. Wentz missed a handful of guys but also hit a bunch. I don't put AS MUCH 'blame' on him as you do. I think there are other factors. Playcalling changed with a lead as we were approaching halftime. The offense got conservative, and the defense went to zone - prevent. Samuel also fumbled. Those 3 things had as much to do with the Jaguars getting back into the game, as the INT where Wentz held the ball too long and threw the INT. That one was not good.

Here is the overhead shot of that play. Wentz is not scrambling, he's throwing a screen as he's falling back (like ALL Qbs do) and Leno fails to engage Walker allowing Walker to react. IF Leno engages correctly to truly sell the pass block, I don't think Walker has a chance to make this play. Wentz is not looking at Gibson until the throw by design, again like most screen passes are drawn up. The point is misdirection and deception.



Leno (IMHO) 'should' have engaged with Walker and 'carried' him deeper and around the outside (See Bates at TE and how he carries the end around the outside of the play). Allow their momentum to carry him out of the play... that didn't happen.

 

[Knightingale]

I look at it this way...

Is Wentz flawed? Yes. Is he the second coming of Aaron Rodgers/Patrick Mahomes/Tom Brady? No.
But he is the best QB - warts and all - that we've had in Washington lately, and he is capable of exploiting the talent we've got at the skill positions. We may not hum through the season like the Chiefs, but I do think we have a VERY good chance to be a top tier offense.

Because also... WEEK 1.

Week 1 with a new QB, a rookie WR, and a bunch of returning players (McKissic/Thomas). Wentz had one off season to get to know them and limited pre-season action. Week 1 always throws up some wacky games because it's Week 1.

If Washington can use this as a jumping off point to improve, then I'm really optimistic about what we could be on offense.

It's honestly the D that has me worried. Our line is solid, but what's behind it looks shaky. Maybe it'll improve as the year goes on, but I think better TEs and WRs getting passes from a more experienced QB could expose us badly. I fear a lot of shoot outs in our future, but at least we may have the horsepower to keep up.

 

[burgold]

There’s a bunch of talk about how Wentz almost lost the game, but not enough talk about how he won the game. How many failed fourth quarter comebacks have we witnessed? How many got to have it drives ended in a three and out or a pick?

Wentz came from behind twice. The throw to Mclaurin was beautiful. The drive that ended in Dotson’s amazing catch was impressive. How often have we ended that drive with a field goal and 90 seconds left only to watch our D give up soft yards and the game losing field goal?

Those two 4th quarter TD drives are something to build on. It’s where you hope your QB can lead you.

Sure, Wentz had three frustrating overthrows. He also tossed two picks. Overall though, Wentz IS the reason we won. We certainly didn’t win because of the D. We didn’t win because of the run game. That game was won on the arm of our QB.

 

[Primus Porcus]

some advanced metrics on the game plan... A LOT of throws on 1st down... including the first play from scrimmage on offense being a play action pass

 

[Henry]

I did not like the Wentz trade and I'm not a huge fan of his, but it's obvious that his ability to push the ball down the field opens a lot of things up for the offense. That throw to McClaurin was not an 'anybody could make that' kinda throw. He can't under throw that with the safety racing over. That's gotta hit McClaurin in stride. That's a great throw.

The team's going to have to play better to beat most other teams in the league. Can't turn the ball over three times and win a lot. Wentz is part of that, but the offense had topped out with Heinicke. I'm glad Heine's on the team and he's a great backup, but Wentz has the tools. You could see it.

 

[Enforcer]

It was encouraging to have an offense with *gasp* multiple weapons! Also, w/ the likes of Alex Smith and Heinicke, getting 4 TD's TOTAL was a maaaaaajor ask, let alone - getting all through the air. Good start to the season.