The Bears are in quarterback purgatory as they wait to see whether Justin Fields can be the face of their franchise.
The Commanders, though, are in quarterback hell.
Entering this season, 10 different quarterbacks had started the 55 games since starter Alex Smith suffered a gruesome compound fracture of both bones in his right leg in 2018. The list includes Ryan Fitzpatrick, whom they signed to start last year but needed season-ending hip surgery after throwing just six passes, and the late Dwayne Haskins, the No. 15 overall pick in 2019 whom they eventually cut in the middle of a season.
Since Kirk Cousins left Washington to sign with the Vikings in 2018, the Commanders rank last in yards per completion, fourth-to-last in passer rating and second-to-last in points allowed. Only the Jaguars and Jets have scored fewer points.
Enter Carson Wentz, who will run onto Soldier Field on Thursday night as the franchise’s latest failed escape hatch.
With his Colts needing to beat the 2-14 Jaguars to make the playoffs in last year’s finale, Wentz went 17-for-29 for 185 yards — with 85 coming on a who-cares final drive — in a 26-11 loss. Spooked and angry, the Colts shipped him to the Commanders shortly thereafter.
At the price of a $28.3 million cap hit — the Commanders can cut him after this year — Wentz has been serviceable. He’s 18th in the NFL with a 86.0 passer rating, fifth with 1,390 passing yards and tied for fifth with 10 touchdowns.
It’s not good enough. Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said that quiet part out loud this week.
When asked what separated the rest of the NFC East — which features the undefeated Eagles, 4-1 Giants and 4-1 Cowboys — from his 1-4 Commanders.
“Quarterback,” he said. “The truth is that this is a quarterback-driven league. And if you look at the teams that have been able to sustain success, they’ve been able to build it around a specific quarterback.”
Perhaps. But the Cowboys’ Cooper Rush is a backup. The Giants’ Daniel Jones had his fifth-year option declined in April, making him a lame duck while playing for first-year head coach Brian Daboll.
Rivera backpedaled like a linebacker into a hook zone. He apologized to Wentz, with the coach saying he had a “bad day.”
Beating the Bears would go a long way toward tamping down the weeklong controversy. The Bears know what to expect, at least — head coach Matt Eberflus and much of his defensive staff worked with Wentz on the Colts last year.
“It can help you,” Eberflus said. “It can hurt you too sometimes, if you overanalyze some things, but we’re just going to go with what we know.”
While the Bears are familiar with the player, the Colts’ defense didn’t have to scheme for their own quarterback last year. Alan Williams, the Bears’ defensive coordinator who was Eberflus’ defensive backs coach last year, said it’s easier to rely on film. It’s possible, he said, that Commanders coaches have helped iron out some of his weaknesses from last year.
James Rowe, the Bears’ defensive backs coach, compiled film of Wentz’s deep throws this week and showed them to the Bears.
“He’s made some of the best throws I’ve ever seen in my life,” Rowe said. “The arm talent is rare.
“Obviously, we’re gonna do things to try to take advantage of some of his weaknesses.”
Wentz ranks second in the league in air yards this season — but he’s thrown the third-most interceptions and has been sacked more often than all but two quarterbacks.
“He’s going to be who he is,” cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. “He’s a big play guy. Sometimes there’s some high risk and high reward to that.”
The reward is a respite for his coach — and himself. The risk: more hell.
Jason Lieser contributed.
