Carson Wentz to Add Some 'Spark' to Commanders Offense, Says Ron Rivera
It's official. The Washington Commanders have named Carson Wentz as the new starting quarterback. After Taylor Heinicke was pulled from the game against the San Francisco 49ers, Wentz stepped in and provided an uplift from the outset.
The 37-20 loss saw the Commanders drop to 7-7-1 on the season, and now, with the playoffs still on the agenda, the team made a quarterback change. Head coach Ron Rivera gave an insight into why Wentz was given the nod over Heinicke.
“Well, just looking at a couple things," Rivera said. "First off, I think seeing the way he played, how he handled things, I think where we are right now, I'm looking for a little bit of a spark, a little something different and I think now's a good opportunity for it.”
That opportunity comes in the form of the last two regular-season games for Washington against the Cleveland Browns and the Dallas Cowboys.
Washington will need to win both of their remaining games to guarantee a spot in the postseason.
For Rivera, winning out amid serious pressure is the only thing that is occupying his mind.
“Yeah, I mean, we wanna win both of these obviously to get into the playoffs and that's a part of it (playoff pressure)," Rivera said. "I think that's also part of the reason behind it. I mean, the last three games we are 0-2-1 and so looking for a little something extra to give us a little something to get over the hump. And it's important, especially with these last two games that we wanna win.”
With Wentz's return, Washington will feel good about the remaining fortnight. If he can steer them into the postseason, the decision to acquire him from Indianapolis will look like a superb piece of business.
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