How Did Carson Wentz Perform Under Frank Reich?

INDIANAPOLIS – Fittingly, the return game from Carson Wentz’s torn ACL came against his old offensive coordinator.

Before that Week 3 Colts/Eagles meeting in 2018, Frank Reich did not hold back in handing out praise for Wentz.

Without Wentz putting up that MVP caliber season, before tearing his ACL in Week 14 of the 2017 campaign, Reich wouldn’t be in the position he was with the Colts.

“Obviously (Wentz) was having a phenomenal year, just a phenomenal year and probably was the MVP and deserved every bit of it,” Reich said of Wentz in 2018, as the Colts were preparing to face his former pupil. “What you love about Carson is much like Andrew (Luck), is a team-first guy, an explosive player with the right kind of attitude and the right kind of work ethic.

“It was just fun watching him grow as a player, just in the short two years that we were there together and truly one of my coaching highlights was a chance to work with him. He’s just a class act.”

When Reich took the job as Eagles offensive coordinator in January 2016, Philadelphia held the No. 13 overall pick.

Under new head coach Doug Pederson and Reich’s respected offensive mind, the Eagles identified Carson Wentz out of North Dakota State as someone they wanted in that April’s Draft.

A trade up from the No. 13 spot to No. 8 got things started. Another move to the No. 2 spot put the Eagles in a position to draft their new franchise quarterback.

Reich and Wentz worked together in 2016 and 2017, with Pederson still calling the plays.

We’ll look into the numbers more below, but one thing to note is the ball didn’t necessarily come out a whole lot quicker when Reich and Wentz were together, which was something we saw for Andrew Luck and Philip Rivers.

Here’s a closer look at how Wentz’s stats compared to the NFL with Reich as offensive coordinator (2016-17), and then without him (2018-20):

Wentz Under Reich (2016-17)

-61.5 completion percentage (28^th)

-49 touchdowns (11^th)

-2.01 interception percentage (17^th)

-88.8 quarterback rating (24^th)

-6.76 yards per attempt (32^nd)

-18 wins (10^th)

Wentz Without Reich (2018-20)

-63.5 completion percentage (32^nd)

-64 touchdowns (18^th)

-2.01 interception percentage (20^th)