JOHN CLAYTON

Clayton: Seahawks’ slate of AFC South games gets even friendlier with Colts QB Carson Wentz’s injury

Aug 2, 2021, 11:16 AM

Seahawks Carlos Dunlap Bobby Wagner...

Carlos Dunlap, Bobby Wagner and the Seahawks' D won't see Carson Wentz in Week 1. (Getty)

(Getty)

When the 2021 NFL schedule came out this spring, the Seahawks got a slight break.

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Even though they open the season on the road, in Week 1 they are scheduled to play an 11-win Indianapolis Colts team going through a change at quarterback. Philip Rivers retired and the Colts traded for Carson Wentz, who struggled mightily last year in Philadelphia.

That slight break became a big break Thursday when Wentz felt a pop in his foot. He decided to rehab for a couple of days, but Colts head coach Frank Reich announced Monday he’s going to need surgery. The injury goes back to high school when Wentz suffered a break in that foot.

Wentz is going to miss five to 12 weeks, which will take him out of the Seahawks game. The Seahawks could instead face former Seahawks backup Brett Hundley or former UW Huskies quarterback Jacob Eason. It’s also possible the Colts could trade for Nick Foles, who is with the Chicago Bears. Regardless, the Colts will not be as talented at quarterback and more vulnerable to being beaten in Week 1.

It would have been interesting to see how Wentz would have done in his first game. First games with a new team can be tough for a quarterback. Even if he was available, he would have gone into the opener with only a short amount of practice time.

The Seahawks play the entire AFC South this year, and they could have a great chance to go 3-1 or 4-0 against those teams. The Colts game now looks easier. The second game of the season will see the Tennessee Titans coming to Seattle. While the Titans are dangerous on offense with running back Derrick Henry and wide receiver Julio Jones, there are still questions about a defense that underwent a lot of roster changes.

The other two AFC South games should be very winnable. On Oct. 31, the Seahawks will host the Jacksonville Jaguars, who won only one game last year and have rookie Trevor Lawrence at quarterback. And the Houston Texans, who the Seahawks will visit on Dec. 12, are considered the worst team in football. They don’t know what they have at quarterback. Deshaun Watson wants to be traded. He reported to training camp to avoid the $50,000 fine, but he’s not playing quarterback and instead has only participated in non-padded practices filling in as a scout team safety.

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