The Minnesota Vikings didn't miss a beat without rookie starter J.J. McCarthy. Veteran quarterback Carson Wentz took over in Week 3 and delivered a strong performance, guiding the team to a commanding 48-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Wentz went 14-of-20 for 173 yards and two touchdowns, keeping the offense rolling while protecting the football. His poise stood in sharp contrast to Jake Browning, who faltered filling in for an injured Joe Burrow.
While Wentz kept things clean, the Bengals unraveled, coughing up three fumbles and surrendering four sacks in what turned into a nightmare outing.
Vikings QB Carson Wentz settling in
Vikings center Ryan Kelly, who has played with Wentz in the past, revealed how the veteran is doing in his second week of practice, knowing he's the starting quarterback against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"I think he had a great week last week of preparation," Kelly told KSTP's Alec Ausmus. "It's not an easy offense to learn. I was here since April, and it still took me a while to figure some things out because you're starting to see the end evolution.
"We're many evolutions down with this offense now, and if you weren't here for the origin, it's a little hard to pick up. We went from A to Z — how did we get here? I think a crash course for him."
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Moreover, Kelly points out that Wentz being with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023 allowed him to pick up on the offensive system that head coach Kevin O'Connell has.
"He was obviously in LA for a little bit, so there's some carry-over in the McVay system with Kevin," Kelly added. "But I think he's done a great job. I mean, that's just the professionalism — you don't stick around this league for this long without being a pro, being on top of your stuff.
"And it's the work that nobody sees — in here, walking through plays before and after, just figuring out concepts, motions, runs, all of our checks and stuff like that. It's critical for him, and he's done a great job."