Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid says trying to tackle such a big quarterback like Carson Wentz could prove tough for the team’s pass rushers.
If you’ve watched many games of the Pittsburgh Steelers over the last several years, you will recognize the dilemma described by Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid as he talks about the difficulties presented when trying to tackle Carson Wentz. That’s because the Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback brings some similarities to a game not unlike Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Big Ben is aptly named because of his tremendous size at the quarterback position. At 6’5, 240 lbs., Roethlisberger is built more like a tight end and bringing him down in the pocket can cause issues for smaller linebackers or safeties who come on a blitz. Roethlisberger is also deceptively agile and aware in the pocket which means he can often skirt away from an outstretched defender who believes he’s on the verge of a sack.
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Wentz is 6’5, 237 lbs. and he’s proving early on in his NFL career to be just as tough to bring down. For a Chiefs front seven hoping to shake Wentz’s confidence and force him into some bad decisions, it means the Chiefs must take a more certain approach when tackling in the pocket this week than in other games. Andy Reid mentioned as much when asked about Wentz on Monday.
"“So he is a big man. He is a big strong kid and moves around well. You have to stay disciplined on how you rush him. Once you have an opportunity, you have to wrap up on him so he doesn’t get out of there. He has great vision down the field so you have to maintain your coverage than just the quick count there and you have to stay on your guys forever.”"
Wentz completed 26 of 39 passes in a Week 1 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He threw for 307 passing yards and 2 touchdowns to go with a single interception and was sacked 2 times. Last year, Wentz completed 62 percent of his passes and threw 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in his rookie season for the Eagles. He was also sacked 33 total times in 2016.