Washington Football Team quarterback Taylor Heinicke has shown a lot of things this season, but consistency isn’t one of them.
Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, Taylor threw for only 122 yards and one touchdown. He struggled to get competitions, connecting on a meager 44% of his passes. On top of that he threw a pick.
Washington fell behind 24-0 by halftime. Aside from a terrific leaping catch by Washington wide receiver Cam Sims, the offense never got going with Heinicke against Dallas.
Taylor’s inability to be consistently accurate can get frustrating for a Washington fan. He should have more interceptions, because when he is off, defenders continue to drop his potential picks. Several of his passes touched the hands of Cowboys defenders on Sunday.
His lack of arm strength shows as a number of his throws float as lobs.
If one of his receivers beats the defender, Taylor floats the ball with too much air causing the defender to recover and make a play. Combined with a lack of arm strength, his struggles as a quarterback are laminated.
His eyes telegraph throws. He locks on targets, stares them down all the while missing open options with his tunnel vision. His telegraphing comes to haunt him even at the line of scrimmage picking up the blitz. It showed in the first quarter when Heinicke was sacked by Cowboys defender Michael Parsons off a blitz that forced Heinicke to fumble the ball.
The fumble was returned for a 37-yard touchdown. Heinicke, who is currently the 11th-most sacked QB in the league, was sacked four times. In part the offensive line can be blame. Injuries have ravaged through Washington upfront. But, Heinicke is known to hold on to the ball at times.
Just to think Dwayne Haskins was often times criticized for similar hesitancy. However, Heinicke doing the same gets overlooked. Missing open reads, getting away with wobbly throws and hesitating to throw can be glossed over in wins. However, the Heinicke hype train took a huge hit Sunday against the Cowboys.
The four-game win streak was built against unhealthy defenses. The Cowboys were at full strength and gave Heinicke a dose of a reality check. The opportunistic Cowboys defense gave Heinicke fits and exposed his flaws.
Heinicke is tied for fifth for most interceptions in the NFL this season with 12. His 46.6 QBR is 22nd in the league.
His day ended with a knee injury in the fourth quarter. Kyle Allen replaced him and at times looked more promising with the snaps he had. Allen led a 73-yard touchdown drive that closed Washington’s deficit to a two-score game.
That sparked late rally that included a pick-six by Washington’s defense to make it 27-20. Their rally did end with an Allen fumble, sealing the win for the Cowboys.
Washington is currently fighting for a playoff spot. They currently hold the seventh and final spot in the NFC playoff race. However, even if Washington does make it to the postseason, it’s hard to believe they’ll go far with Heinicke at quarterback.
Whether it’s through the draft, free agency or a trade, Washington needs an upgrade at quarterback long-term. Next season, they need to have an alternative plan from Taylor Heinicke being the starting QB.
