Taylor Heinicke 'Living Every Kid's Dream' as Commanders Starting QB
Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke is enjoying his time as the starter. Having stepped in for the injured Carson Wentz five weeks ago, Heinicke has won four of his five games, improving the Commanders' record to 6-5.
Since the 29-year-old took over from Wentz, the difference in performance has been noticeable, so much so that head coach Ron Rivera named him the starter for the forseeable future. The Commanders have scored 20 or more points in three of the five games Heinicke has started (Wentz surpassed 20 points twice in six games) For the former Old Dominion alumni, being Washington's starting quarterback is something he treasures.
"It's a special moment," Heinicke said on being the team's starting quarterback. "It's something I have been working for my whole life to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. It's every kid's dream, so it means a lot to me, it's very special to me, and I just want to keep this thing rolling."
With Heinicke under center, Washington has been rolling. But another layer to Heinicke's reign as the starting quarterback is his fellow teammates are behind him. A lot can be said of Carson Wentz's locker room presence, but for receiver Curtis Samuel, it is "easy" to get behind the "motivator" Heinicke.
"He's continued to bring great energy to the building," Samuel said. "He's a high-energy person and someone we can easily get behind. He's someone who can easily motivate us. We are really excited to have him here, and we expect to continue to have success."
A big reason for Washington's turnaround with Heinicke under center is the quarterback's growth. Much is made about a player's ability to self-evaluate and build on the little things, and for Heinicke, looking back on last season to now, he has reeled in the unnecessary risk-taking.
"You look back at last year, I was taking those shots in unneeded situations, and it turned out with interceptions, and it cost us points," Heinicke said. "Again, this year I've homed in trying to be a lot smarter with the ball, keeping the ball in our possession, especially with the defense playing the way it is."
The NFC East race is heating up as every team in the division is over .500. For the Commanders, it is one step at a time despite the superb run of form the team is on. Washington, thanks to a stout defense and a quarterback "living his dream" are making some waves in the NFL.
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