Commanders QB Taylor Heinicke Elevates Washington's Offense in Win vs. Packers
Sometimes, you don’t need to look far for an answer.
Taylor Heinicke made his first start of the season for the Washington Commanders on Sunday, leading them to a 23-21 win over the Green Bay Packers at FedEx Field.
Heinicke completed 20 of his 33 passes for 201 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. While he didn’t light up the stat sheet, the rest of the offense had one of its best performances of the season.
Brian Robinson Jr. and Antonio Gibson combined on 30 carries to run for 132 yards — averaging 4.4 yards a run.
Gibson also had a receiving touchdown for Washington.
Terry McLaurin and Heinicke rekindled the connection they had last season. McLaurin had five catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. Heinicke and McLaurin connected for a 37-yard touchdown that gave Washington a 17-14 lead in the third quarter.
The Commanders wouldn’t relinquish the lead from that point forward.
Curtis Samuel also had one of his better performances as a Commander, catching five passes and totaling 53 receiving yards and 26 yards on the ground.
Washington believed it was elevating the team when they traded for Carson Wentz in the offseason and took on his whole contract. With Wentz under center, Washington struggled to find any answers on offense. Wentz also had multiple game-changing turnovers. Heinicke has a chance to re-establish himself as the starter with Wentz on the injured reserve due to a fractured ring finger on his throwing hand.
If Heinicke continues to elevate the offense as he did against the Packers, the decision should be a no-brainer for Ron Rivera. Regardless of how much a player is paid, Heinicke has to remain the starter even when Wentz returns.
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