Indianapolis Colts

Can Carson Wentz's career resurgence equal a playoff berth for Indianapolis?

Published Nov. 6, 2021 10:40 a.m. ET

With a record of 4-5 through nine games, the Indianapolis Colts have the appearance of an inconsistent unit.

But if you look below the surface, Indy actually has the makeup of a team that is hitting its stride.

After starting the season 0-3, the Colts have won four of their last six to inch closer to .500, with their last two losses coming by a combined nine points.

And, to no surprise, the Colts have gone as far as their quarterback Carson Wentz has been able to take them.

Wentz is having a resurgence of sorts in Indianapolis. Through nine games (most QBs have played only eight), he's tied for fifth in the NFL in touchdown passes (17), has only three interceptions and is seventh in passing yards (2,198).

In fact, his 17 touchdown passes are already more than the 16 he threw in 12 starts during the 2020 season.

In Indy's four wins, Wentz has been nearly perfect, tossing nine touchdown passes and no interceptions while completing 68.5% of his passes for 218.3 yards per game.

In the Colts' five losses, Wentz hasn't been bad, but there has been a marked decline in his efficiency. He has eight touchdowns while completing just 60.4% of his passes for 256 YPG. He has also thrown all three of his interceptions and lost two fumbles in those losses.

The most noticeable difference for Wentz in wins and losses has been his pass attempts.

In wins, he is throwing the ball 27 times per game, while in losses, that number climbs to 38.4 attempts. This appears to mostly be related to the success of Indy's rushing attack.

Running back Jonathan Taylor has recorded at least 100 yards rushing in all four of the Colts' wins, while he has been held below 75 yards rushing in all five of their losses.

But despite the Colts having a losing record and thriving mainly on the ground, Colin Cowherd believes Wentz has been just what the team needed this season, as he explained on Friday's edition of "The Herd."

"If you take out two games against the Titans, he's actually been great," said Cowherd. "I liked the move [to sign Carson Wentz]. I thought it was smart. He's 6-foot-5, 230 [pounds]. I thought it was great, reuniting him with Frank Reich. I thought it was smart."

The Colts are currently second in the AFC South and a few games out of the playoffs, and the schedule gets tougher as the season continues, considering only three of their remaining opponents are below .500.

If the Colts are going to make a real playoff push, they will need to rely on solid play from Wentz.