Last weekend, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz threw a pair of late-game interceptions and shouldered the blame for the team's overtime home loss to the Tennessee Titans. But no fingers were pointed in Wentz's direction this week -- he rebounded with an elite performance.
In what was arguably his best game as a member of the Colts, Wentz silenced his critics on Thursday night, throwing for 272 yards with three touchdowns in a resounding 45-30 win over the New York Jets at Lucas Oil Stadium. After the game, Colts head coach Frank Rich described Wentz as "freaking flawless."
"I've always been a big Carson Wentz supporter. I've defended him over the last several years," former NFL quarterback Steve Beuerlein told the Reiter Than You show on Friday. "He's in a great situation now, with a quarterback-friendly and very good coach in Reich. He's got a lot of talent around him... He's obviously got a great stable of running backs, the offensive line is back clicking now. There's really no excuse for him not to be successful...
"I do believe he's got the ability to be a really good quarterback. He's just got to make sure his confidence is up and that he's prepared to play every single week. He can lead this team to a lot of wins -- they're really a playoff-quality team. I don't know if they have a chance to get themselves back in it, but he has the ability to play at that level. I want to see it on a more consistent basis."
The Colts' opening drive was, like Reich said, flawless. In under five minutes, they traveled 88 yards on eight plays, and capped off the possession with a flashy 34-yard rushing touchdown by Nyheim Hines. Although Wentz played mistake-free football, Indianapolis' ground game made his night easy, as star running back Jonathan Taylor rushed for a career-high 172 yards on 19 carries with two scores.
To Wentz's credit, he was sharp in the pocket. He completed 22 of 30 passes with a season-high 134.3 passer rating, and his six games with multiple scores and zero interceptions are the most he's had in a single season, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Through nine games, Wentz ranks ninth in the NFL in yards (2,198), fifth in touchdowns (17), and 27th in interceptions (3).
Indianapolis will host the rival Jacksonville Jaguars in a Week 10 matchup on Sunday, Nov. 14. According to FiveThirtyEight's projections, the Colts (4-5) currently have a 41-percent chance to reach the playoffs and just a 3-percent chance to win the AFC South.
The entire NFL conversation between Beuerlein and Reiter can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Reiter Than You show on Twitter @sportsreiter and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.