Winning cures all and losing highlights the all. That is the case for Taylor Heinicke. The Washington Football Team quarterback had a rough outing Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
Heinicke was 11-of-25 passing for a pedestrian 122 yards, one touchdown and one interception before a knee injury knocked him out of the game in the fourth quarter.
Heinicke’s lack of arm strength was exposed. It was never more evident than a jump ball that he threw in the third quarter that resulted in an incomplete pass and star wide receiver Terry McLaurin suffering a concussion.
What makes the play even worse is the fact Heinicke missed a wide open Curtis Samuel, not once but twice in the flat.
Samuel appeared to be Heinicke’s first read. He took his eyes off Samuel, although the wideout was in position for a catch near the sticks with some room on 3rd-and-5.
But, Heinicke totally ignores Samuel in the flat with zero Cowboys defenders around him. Instead, the QB locks his eyes on McLaurin, waves McLaurin to go deeper despite the fact Heinicke’s arm strength doesn’t warrant such a deep pass.
Heinicke hung the ball in the air short of where McLaurin was with two Cowboys defenders bracketing him. McLaurin was forced to outleap both players but couldn’t come down with the football. Unfortunately, he came down on the ground hard, hitting his head in the process.
It’s an awful decision by Heinicke, a bad throw and a horrific result with McLaurin’s injury. And to think it was avoidable had he just got the ball out to Samuel.
