Wentz-O-Meter: Week 1 2022

[Boone]

We've crunched the numbers on the BGO Super Computer, and our Week 1 Wentz-O-Meter score is a promising 8.2.

Wentz was far from perfect, but the key factors in this week's score include:

• Wentz lead the offense on touchdown drives on the first 2 drives of the game. No Washington QB has accomplished this since Mark Rypien in 1991.
• The Commanders were 7/10 on 3rd down conversions and it should have been 8/10 (Jon Bates dropped an easy 3rd down pass). Compare that to the Jaguars abysmal 3/10 performance on 3rd down.
• Wentz threw for over 300 yds and 4 TDs.
• Wentz bounced back from 2 devastating interceptions that had most of in the pit of despair believing Wentz had just had a mental collapse that would cost us the game. But Wentz was able to set the mistakes aside and make the plays required to win the game. Those interceptions were bad. But to bounce back was impressive.
• Wentz hit 10 different targets for passing completions.
• Wentz showed an ability to go downfield accurately, including a 49 yd TD pass.
• Wentz was sacked just one time.

Vote in our Wentz-O-Meter poll and tell us what you think!

 

[Miles Monroe]

Overall, I'd say he had a good showing. The picks almost cost them the game, but he was able to stay composed and battle back. He did have some bad throws beyond the picks.... the accuracy thing, so I went with a 7 this week. Very promising for game 1.

 

[Boone]

Perfectly reasonable. Wentz gets a bonus 'bump up' for coming back AFTER throwing 2 picks - with all of the pressure and potential negative mental impact of that - and stepping up to lead 2 more TD drives. Huge.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I went with 8. I didn’t see all the game, so the extended highlights don’t show the mundane passes and incompletions. First and 4th quarters were awesome. The first INT is 100% on him. You can’t be late to the sideline. The 2nd INT, that’s mostly just a fantastic play by the defender, but also a play he knew was coming. Bad job by the coaches on making that play predictable. The 4th quarter rally was nice. That throw to McLaurin was perfect. He held the safety in the middle of the field and throws and absolute laser to hit Terry in stride before the safety can get back over for a TD. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a throw that good for this team. The last TD, another good throw but a tremendous box out by Dotson. Wentz put the ball where his receiver could make a play. He did and they won the game. So a really good start for Wentz for sure. Still some things to clean up, but he played well overall and made the throws we all wanted to see him make.

 

[Boone]

That 2nd pick reminds me of a soccer coach I once had. I was a fullback and he would have an absolute fit anytime any of the defenders kicked a crossing ball in front of the net. It didn't matter if there was no opponent within 50 yards of the goal - he would freak out. His philosophy was a) it's never necessary to put the ball across the goal on your own end of the field, and b) only bad things can happen if you do it and someone anticipates it or intercepts it.

Sort of the same thing. In that game situation, of the numerous results that can occur as a result of that throw, most of them are bad

 

[SirClintonPortis]

I went with 8. I didn’t see all the game, so the extended highlights don’t show the mundane passes and incompletions. First and 4th quarters were awesome. The first INT is 100% on him. You can’t be late to the sideline. The 2nd INT, that’s mostly just a fantastic play by the defender, but also a play he knew was coming. Bad job by the coaches on making that play predictable. The 4th quarter rally was nice. That throw to McLaurin was perfect. He held the safety in the middle of the field and throws and absolute laser to hit Terry in stride before the safety can get back over for a TD. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a throw that good for this team. The last TD, another good throw but a tremendous box out by Dotson. Wentz put the ball where his receiver could make a play. He did and they won the game. So a really good start for Wentz for sure. Still some things to clean up, but he played well overall and made the throws we all wanted to see him make.

Turner might as well purge screens from his playbook. They've always been predictable.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

My score is a 5 because he provided exactly the same stuff he's been providing since Foles stole his soul.

It won't move up until the turnovers and near-misses are consistently eliminated, and well, I can be quite sure it won't....

 

[MikefromOH]

I voted 6. Two picks really hurts, but the last drive where he caused the D to jump was solid!

 

[Boone]

My score is a 5 because he provided exactly the same stuff he's been providing since Foles stole his soul.

It won't move up until the turnovers and near-misses are consistently eliminated, and well, I can be quite sure it won't....

Has there ever been anything you weren’t sure of?

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I found this on YouTube. All of his throws from yesterday.

 

[Miles Monroe]

That 2nd pick reminds me of a soccer coach I once had. I was a fullback and he would have an absolute fit anytime any of the defenders kicked a crossing ball in front of the net. It didn't matter if there was no opponent within 50 yards of the goal - he would freak out. His philosophy was a) it's never necessary to put the ball across the goal on your own end of the field, and b) only bad things can happen if you do it and someone anticipates it or intercepts it.

Sort of the same thing. In that game situation, of the numerous results that can occur as a result of that throw, most of them are bad

I always coached the girls the same way when it came to crossing our goal.

 

[Skinsfan1311]

I gave him a 7
It was like the days of "good Rex/bad Rex" but he balled. Damn, it was nice to see a QB with an NFL-caliber arm. I love the confidence. It would've been a 9, if it weren't for those picks.

 

[Neophyte]

I always coached the girls the same way when it came to crossing our goal.

Same, sir. Same. Never, ever.

I gave Wentz a 6. The first INT was his. Period. And he lost a point for that one. The second one I think would have happened to just any QB so I didn't count off for it.

Accuracy issues account for the rest of the deductions.

Over all, I was happy with him.

 

[Boone]

You guys are tough. Wentz completed 66% of his passes. It’s all good though… interesting to see the different perspectives. It was an extremely up and down performance so variable scores makes sense…

 

[Canadian Hog]

Early on in the game, I thought Carson Wentz did exactly what he needed to do to be efficient early in the season as he continues to develop chemistry with his receivers - that is, put the ball in the hands of your playmakers and let them do the work. It paid dividends early. Samuel was feasting with catch and run, Terry sprinkled a nice catch and run in there to extend a drive that led to points, so did McKissic I believe. Hell, we even sprang Rogers for a big catch and run. We were moving the chains, scoring TDs, and not really doing anything fancy. It worked. By the second half, the Jags caught onto it, we started stalling, and they forced Carson into several mistakes.

Sure there were some inaccurate downfield throws that sailed on Carson that should have been easy completions, but we saw Trevor Lawrence do a lot of the same. I suspect that happened elsewhere around the league too in the opening week. Remember - these first couple weeks are going to be like a preseason for many clubs, who quite frankly, didn't have their starters play much in the preseason. For a team like us who has a QB coming in from another team all together, it magnifies things even further.

When we looked dead in the water, Wentz delivered two money throws to Terry and Jahan that essentially won us the ball game. We cannot underestimate that. You just can't! Especially considering that he has barely played with these guys.

We have watched our team claw back into games many times in past seasons, but just not have the talent level required to finish off the job and seal it with game winning late drives. We could have taken a survey among us when we started that drive yesterday inside our ten yard line trailing the Jags by 2, and 90% of us would have likely bet that the drive was going to end in a turnover, or something else bad would have happened. For once, the tides turned.

Wentz played a big role in that and he should be applauded. Especially considering the narrative that has been written about him. It took a lot of guts.

I will give him an 8. You can't underestimate the value of wins in this league, especially for a franchise that has been starving for them forever like us.

 

[Neophyte]

Alright, after arguing for Wentz in another thread and on the strength of comments here by Boone and CH, I bumped my vote to a 7. It would have been an 8 except for that first INT, which was totally on Wentz. You can't stare down a WR in the NFL like that and not expect to get picked. Wentz is old enough to know better.

But it should also not be forgotten that this is his first year in this offense and, as CH has ably pointed out, still basically Pre-Season at this point. Going into today, he had less than 3 quarters of FB in Washington uni.

Oh, and Burrow had 5 INTs yesterday while losing the game. Something to keep in mind.

 

[Knightingale]

I went with an 8.

Yes the Ints were not great at all, but the rest of the stat line was impressive.
As Neo says above, this is Year 1 - Week 1. I think we need to remember that this isn't the finished article yet.

I also really liked the way in the locker room post game he totally owned up the interceptions. I think he won a lot of players over tonight with that comeback and that level of responsibility for his mistakes.

 

[China]

Gave him a 7. Those 2 INTs would've likely cost us the game against a better opponent, but 4 TDs and coming back to win the game puts him higher.