'Very Knowledgeable' Taylor Heinicke Ready to Return as Commanders Starting QB
A familiar face will be back in the limelight for the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
Taylor Heinicke will make his first start this season when Washington hosts the Green Bay Packers at 1 p.m.
Heinicke became a household name when he made his first start for Washington in the playoffs two years ago against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Heinicke turned many heads when he completed 26 of 44 passes for 306 yards and a touchdown while also reaching the end zone on the ground in the 31-23 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champions.
Despite his performance in the playoffs, Washington signed Ryan Fitzpatrick in the 2021 offseason to become the team’s starting quarterback. Heinicke wasn’t stuck on the bench for long after Fitzpatrick suffered a hip injury in the first game of the regular season last year against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Heinicke started 16 games for Washington and had an up-and-down season. He threw for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
Now, Heinicke will start again for the Commanders after Carson Wentz fractured the ring finger on his throwing hand against the Chicago Bears on Thursday.
Despite not being on the field, Heinicke has still found a way to help the team. Ron Rivera, who was also Heinicke's head coach in 2018 with the Carolina Panthers, believes that his new starting quarterback has grown because of how he’s helped his teammates.
“It's been interesting to watch him in the role that he's been in," Rivera said. "He's been a guy that's been very helpful, not just to Carson, but to a lot of the young receivers and backs. I mean, he's a very knowledgeable guy.”
The Packers’ defense will provide a stiff test for Heinicke, specifically on third down. Green Bay ranks as the best defense in the NFL on third down, only allowing opponents to convert 26.6 percent of the time.
That is especially problematic for Washington’s offense, who ranks 26th in the NFL in third-down conversions at 35.44 percent. While Heinicke’s ability to run plus his familiarity with offensive coordinator Scott Turner’s scheme may help, Rivera wants to see his team execute better to avoid third and long against Green Bay.
“I think a lot depends on the down and distance,” Rivera said. “We're playing against a team that in third and long is one of the best in the league. So one thing we can't do is we can't get into third and long, you know, we've got to have a little bit more success on first and second down.”
Heinicke and the Commanders face the Packers Sunday at 1 p.m. at FedEx Field.
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