Carson Wentz is Trying to Make Kevin O’Connell’s Life Difficult
If I were Carson Wentz, I would be trying to force Kevin O’Connell into a difficult decision.
There’s no hint of malice between the pair. What there is is a developing relationship, one that betrays ample respect from both sides. Wentz is the QB1 in Week 4 and appears likely to be so again in Week 5. Offering sturdy play in both games while leading the Vikings toward wins would create a riddle to solve for Coach O’Connell.
Carson Wentz, Kevin O’Connell, & The QB1 Decision
O’Connell has indicated he wants a point guard. Wentz will be making every effort to be a compelling option, someone who can get the ball to his 3-point shooters and large lads operating in the post.
Working in Wentz’s favor is that Jordan Addison is coming back. Getting Ryan Kelly into the middle of the offensive line should be a major boost, especially since the QB and C have a professional relationship already. In two weeks, does Mr. Wentz get his Vikings onto the plane back to North America at 4-1? If so, will there be a difficult decision ahead regarding J.J. McCarthy?
One thinks back to the end of August for a similar conundrum.
A lot of players shined in the offseason. The coaching staff therefore had to respond by making some difficult cuts and trades while moving down to 53 players. Moving on from Harrison Phillips is perhaps the most compelling example, but others exist. Mekhi Blackmon got shipped out; Lucky Jackson ended up being sent down to the practice squad. Gabriel Murphy exploded in the preseason but didn’t make it onto the final team.
Difficult decisions due to an abundance of talent, a robust supply of strong players who can help a team to succeed on the football field.
Carson Wentz isn’t going to be the 2017 version of himself. Those days, presumably, are a thing of the past. Prior to injury, Wentz had led his Eagles to an 11-2 record. The passing yards were sitting at 3,296 while completing 60.2% of his passes. The 33/7 touchdown-to-interception ratio was ultra impressive. Eventually, the Eagles would win the Super Bowl (Vikings fans will recall the Nick Foles game). Wentz was a Pro Bowl nominee, was a second-team All Pro, and finished 3rd in MVP voting.
Several years on from 2017, Wentz is at a different stage of his career. Can he nevertheless offer the Vikings precisely what’s needed?
Carson Wentz avoided major blunders in Week 3. He tossed a pair of touchdown passes, finding each of T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver. Jordan Mason was fantastic, bringing the ball across the goal line a pair of times. Will Reichard drilled kicks aplenty and then there was the defense.
By the time the clock hit 0:00, the Vikings had accumulated 48 points. All of those points arrived in the opening three quarters. The final quarter was about draining the clock while depth guys got a chance to play.
A paradox follows: if Carson Wentz can operate the Kevin O’Connell offense with ease, then Kevin O’Connell is going have a difficult decision to make about Carson Wentz.
Solid football at quarterback is going to involve the Vikings winning more games than they lose. Not every game is going to be as phenomenal as Week 3, but that game was illustrative: just play competent football at quarterback. The roster and coaching staff are both great, so the QB1 just needs to play point guard. Find playmakers without needing to be a playmaker in the same manner as Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and the game’s other elite passers.
Would the Vikings turn away from Carson Wentz in Week 7 — a game where the Eagles are coming to town — if the record is sitting at 4-1? Carson Wentz was chosen by Philly at No. 2 in the 2016 NFL Draft; might he be the best option to take on his former team?
A lot still needs to take place. Up first is a game versus the Steelers in Week 4 and then a game versus the Browns in Week 5. Carson Wentz may yet stumble, failing to deliver wins in the same manner as in Week 3 versus the Bengals.
Pulling off the point guard assignment, though, may give Kevin O’Connell lots to consider going into the Week 6 bye even if Minnesota is almost certain to hand the reins back to J.J. McCarthy when the time comes.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
