Carson Wentz: 'Kinda In Disbelief' After Colts Eliminated from Playoff Contention
January 9, 2022
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz told reporters that he was in a state of "disbelief" after his team was eliminated from postseason contention by a stunning 26-11 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
"It sucks. Kinda in disbelief," Wentz said. "The last two weeks just didn't get it done. It hurts now. Lotta reflection to come."
Indianapolis needed just one win in the final two weeks (or some help from other teams) in order to clinch a playoff spot. However, the Colts fell to the Las Vegas Raiders 23-20 in Week 17 and were beaten once again Sunday, ending their season.
The notion of the Indianapolis Colts even contending for the playoffs seemed like nothing but a long shot when they fell to 1-4 with an overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 11.
However, an 8-2 run put the team in prime position to reach the postseason for the second straight year.
Much of that turnaround could be attributed to the dominant Jonathan Taylor, who inserted himself into the MVP discussion with a stretch of head-turning play that rescued Indianapolis' season. The running back had 10 games with more than 100 rushing yards this season and has been at his best during some of his team's biggest games.
Taylor exploded for 185 yards and four touchdowns on the ground during a win over the Buffalo Bills and 170 rushing yards and a score during a win over the New England Patriots.
However, he had only 15 carries for 77 yards in the blowout loss to Jacksonville. Unfortunately for Indianapolis, the game script did not allow for the team to feed Taylor as much as usual.
Meanwhile, Wentz was unable to lead the team to victory with his arm. He completed 17 of 29 passes for 185 yards, one touchdown and one interception while adding 17 rushing yards on three carries.
Though the Jaguars finished the season with the worst record in the NFL, Sunday was the latest edition of a recent trend. The Colts have not won a game in Jacksonville since 2014, with Sunday marking its seventh straight defeat there.