Carson Wentz Fixes the Chiefs' Lone Weakness

The Chiefs' recent signing of QB Carson Wentz to help backup Patrick Mahomes might seem like an unimportant move to most fans. After all, second-string QBs only matter if the starter gets hurt, right?

Not exactly. Wentz uniquely benefits Kansas City's offense in a way that might not be obvious at first glance. Chiefs fans have long begged Andy Reid to run QB sneaks with Patrick Mahomes, but the Chiefs haven't attempted one since Mahomes dislocated his kneecap in 2019.

That's led to a bevy of short-yardage problems. Well, Wentz happens to be one of the NFL's most effective players at running QB sneaks, providing a solution to a five-year-old complaint.

Carson Wentz Allows the Chiefs to Run QB Sneaks in Short-Yardage Situations

Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star took a look at the unique impact Wentz can make on the offense and the results are astounding.

From 2016 to 2021, Wentz got a first down on 47 of 53 QB sneak attempts for a success rate of 88.7%. Jalen Hurts, famously known for the "Tush Push" in Philadelphia, had a success rate of 83.3% on the play in 2023. At 6'5", 237", Wentz has fantastic size that could pair well with the Chiefs' stout interior offensive line.

This is crucial given how much the Chiefs struggle to convert short-yardage situations. Kansas City ranks 25th over the last two seasons in short yardage, finding success on only 52.4% of attempts.

Wentz is more than 36% more successful. We might finally be able to get rid of the gimmicky jet sweeps and convoluted quick passes in favor of hard-nosed football, fixing the Chiefs' biggest offensive weakness.

I'd expect defenses to understand that Wentz is sneaking it when he goes in on third-and-one, but defenses always know what Jalen Hurts is doing before he does and that hasn't stopped the Eagles.

I'm fired up about this signing and while I expect the Chiefs to bring in more competition for Wentz, he has a clear role from day one. Kansas City is +370 to win the AFC once again. If the offenses solves its biggest weakness, those odds will prove to be a steal for bettors.

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