Carson Wentz saw some positive things in Kansas City but he was certainly not satisfied.
Wentz completed 6 of 9 passes for 64 yards, his best being an 18-yard completion between the numbers to Terry McLaurin. His worst of the day was perhaps taking a sack on third down, eliminating a scoring opportunity.
Nice job by Wentz working to the back side to find McLaurin on a dig over the middle pic.twitter.com/LKUE4jFJfp
— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) August 20, 2022
The Commanders quarterback praised some of his teammates and was quick to take personal responsibility. “I definitely left some plays out there, definitely wish we could’ve sustained some drives a little bit more. That’s the biggest thing, the biggest takeaway for me, early. Especially those third downs, there’s a couple that I wish I could have back.”
At 7:42 remaining in the first half, the Commanders faced a 3rd &10 from the Chiefs 34. An incompletion would have resulted in a 51-yard field goal attempt. However, the pass rush pushed Wentz to his right, therefore away from the check down (Antonio Gibson). He then attempted to extend the play and was sacked, knocking the offense out of field goal range.
On 3rd & 10, Chiefs rookie DE George Karlaftis gets to QB Carson Wentz for the sack. #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/sXYs96mIos
— Devon Clements (@DevclemNFL) August 20, 2022
“Yeah, I’ve got to make a better play and a better decision there because we were in field goal range. That’s a decision I’ve got to be smarter on. They had it covered well, and I tried to make a play, but I’ve got to be aware of the situation there and not take that sack.”
Wentz wasted no time in getting the ball to Jahan Dotson (on the Commanders’ second offensive play), “Yeah, it was good to see. We see him do it in practice every day, making plays. I don’t know how many targets or practice he’s had in preseason so far, but we love what we’ve been seeing in camp from him, and it was good to see a couple out there today to get him more and more comfortable.”
The top three guards were missing for the Commanders Saturday, yet Wentz sent praise to the offensive line. “I thought they did a great job. I think it shows the depth we have and guys stepping up. We’ve got a lot of confidence in what they bring to the table.”
The Commanders were awfully thin at tight end, yet Wentz liked how Eli Wolf and Armani Rogers stepped up to the plate. “Yeah, it’s pretty crazy out there. I feel bad for those guys. They got lots of work in today. They’ve got to be gassed and more exhausted than anybody, probably. They’ve done a great job.”
One thing Wentz liked seeing was Antonio Gibson getting the ball in space, using his abilities in the open field. “He’s tough to bring down. Not only with his size, but he’s athletic. I thought he did a good job. Most of the plays were with Taylor (Heinicke) today, but seeing him from the sideline, he’s big and elusive, so it was fun to see him out there.”
