Carson Wentz says he performs for an audience of one, but he had 66,000 people cheering for him on Sunday.
Minnesota Vikings fans have historically embraced backup quarterbacks, and they’ve had a few intriguing ones recently. Joshua Dobbs captivated Minnesota and the league after he defeated the Atlanta Falcons days after the Vikings traded for him. Last year, Sam Darnold was a bridge quarterback who threw for over 4,000 yards and 35 touchdowns.
However, Wentz is unique in that he grew up a Vikings fan, starred at North Dakota State, and was previously a franchise quarterback. His ACL tear in 2017 and various other ailments have prevented him from reaching his ceiling as the second-overall pick in 2016. Still, he stepped in for J.J. McCarthy last week and operated the offense with aplomb.
“There was definitely a lot of emotions I had to channel running out there,” he said after Minnesota’s 48-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to do this. Obviously, being in the purple and gold means a little extra something to me.”
The U.S. Bank Stadium crowd picked up on that. They’ve cheered vociferously for Adam Thielen upon his return this year, and welcomed Christian Darrisaw, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Harrison Smith back from injury before the Bengals game. Still, they served an extra decibel or two for the backup quarterback from Bismarck as he exited the tunnel.
When he lined up under center for Minnesota’s first drive, Wentz became the first quarterback in NFL history to start for six teams in six seasons. It’s been a long time since he was Philadelphia’s franchise quarterback. Still, so long as he remains the Vikings quarterback, his only job is to get the ball to Minnesota’s playmakers and keep the chains moving.
“[Wentz] came in, played point guard for us, ran the show, it was efficient,” said O’Connell. “He made great decisions. He got through his progressions and did a lot of things to help the Minnesota Vikings win.”
Wentz led the Vikings on a six-play, 64-yard touchdown drive to start the game. However, the offense sputtered after that. They had to punt on their second drive after Wentz took a sack following Darrisaw’s false start. Their next drive after that only produced four yards on three plays.
Following that opening drive, the Vikings punted three times and settled for a 35-yard field goal. Had Isaiah Rodgers not had a historic first half that included a pick-six and a fumble returned for a touchdown, Minnesota would have let the Bengals hang around.
Wentz finished 14 of 20 for 187 yards and two touchdowns. However, he spent the fourth quarter on the sideline because the Vikings were leading, 48-3, which truncated his stats.
Despite managing the offense well, there were times he didn’t progress quickly enough or hesitated to throw into certain windows. Still, he also didn’t throw deep balls into traffic, trying to prove he’s still a franchise quarterback. Instead, he seems to have embraced his role as a backup who lets Minnesota’s skill players generate yards after the catch.
“That’s what I want to do when I’m out there,” Wentz said after the game. “I don’t want to be the one making the plays. I just want to get it to these playmakers.”
Wentz isn’t anything more than a stopgap solution. At 32, he’s exiting his prime, and injuries have taken a toll on his once-promising career.
Still, he looked more prepared to run O’Connell’s offense than McCarthy. Wentz broke the huddle on time and moved the ball around. Justin Jefferson finished with five receptions for 75 yards. T.J. Hockenson had five catches for 49 yards, and Jalen Nailor had three for 37. Wentz even hit Josh Oliver for a touchdown on the first drive.
The Vikings built infrastructure for McCarthy, but Wentz took advantage of it. Wentz was Minnesota’s Plan B after they moved on from Sam Howell. Still, he seems like the man for the moment.
Wentz is a veteran option as they head overseas to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, two stout defenses. As long as he approaches those games like he did against Cincinnati, he gives McCarthy time to heal and allows him to further prepare for the next time he has to start.
It’s hard to envision the Vikings moving on from Wentz if he performs well in Dublin and London. They have a bye week upon returning from Europe, then play the Philadelphia Eagles, the Los Angeles Chargers and the Detroit Lions on the road, and the Baltimore Ravens. It’s a gauntlet, one that may better suit Wentz, a veteran quarterback who’s faced a lot of adversity in his career.
