Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be full circle for Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke. Filling in for an injured Alex Smith, the then unknown Heinicke galvanized Washington Football Team and NFL fans with his performance against the Buccaneers in the wild card playoff game last January.
Washington was an 8.5-point underdog, as Heinicke made his first playoff start and just his second start ever in the NFL.
He threw for 306 yards with a touchdown. He also led Washington with 46 rushing yards, including his epic eight-yard touchdown run. The FedEx Field crowd erupted as he dove over the pylon to cut Washington’s deficit to two at 18-16 in the third quarter.
Ultimately, Heinicke and Washington’s efforts fell short. But, he ignited a fan base into looking forward to the 2021 season.
“That game is probably the reason I’m still here,” Heinicke admitted Wednesday, per WUSA-9’s Sharla McBride.
The allure around him was magnified by his underdog story. He was out of the league when Washington signed him in December. Originally he was a quarantine quarterback, stashed away from the team.
But Smith suffered a late-season injury. Dwayne Haskins played poorly and was released. Thus, Heinicke was thrown into the fire and he nearly pulled off one of the bigger upsets in NFL playoff history.
His performance against the Buccaneers earned him a two-year, $4.75 million extension this offseason.
Unfortunately, things haven’t worked out for Heinicke and Washington this season. Heinicke, who actually started the season as a backup to Ryan Fitzpatrick, has played up and down.
He has started seven games in a row. But, Heinicke’s limitations have highlighted why he went undrafted, was a backup in the XFL and was sitting out of the league.
Washington is 2-5 with Heinicke starting this season. He has completed 63.9% of his passes for 1,928 yards. He has 11 touchdowns but an alarming nine interceptions.
It appears that Fitzpatrick isn’t close to returning from a hip subluxation. Yet, Heinicke may be at the end of his rope.
The last time he faced the Buccaneers, he had nothing to lose. Now this week, Heinicke’s starting job may be on the line after a series of underwhelming performances. Kyle Allen lurks over Heinicke’s shoulders.
Allen started four games last season after Haskins’ first benching. But he suffered a season-ending ankle injury that opened the door for Smith and ultimately Washington going out to add Heinicke.
