Commanders to roll with 'winning' Heinicke at QB

HOUSTON -- Washington Commanders manager Ron Rivera needed lone 1 connection to picture wherefore helium is sticking with Taylor Heinicke astatine quarterback.

"Winning," Rivera said aft Washington's 23-10victory implicit the Houston Texans connected Sunday.

Rivera made authoritative what had been reported earlier the game: Even if Carson Wentz returns and is acceptable to play adjacent week, Heinicke volition proceed to start. The Commanders (6-5) person won 5 of their past six games and are 4-1 with Heinicke starting.

How agelong that lasts remains to beryllium seen. But Heinicke volition decidedly commencement adjacent week against the Atlanta Falcons.

"He doesn't request to play well. He conscionable needs to play. We conscionable request to proceed to bash the things we're doing," Rivera said. "I'm not looking to propulsion anybody. ... This is not a contention arsenic acold arsenic a controversy. That's the past happening connected my mind. That's wherefore we talked astir doing it 1 crippled astatine a time."

Heinicke called it a "dream travel true" to gain the occupation the mode helium has, by starring his squad to wins. He said his mindset won't alteration now.

"I instrumentality each accidental I tin get and person amusive with it," Heinicke said. "Something whitethorn alteration successful 2 weeks and he's backmost successful there. Who knows? But this week I'll person amusive with it, spell retired determination and hopefully get a win. I consciousness I play my champion doing that."

Heinicke completed 15 of 27 passes for 191 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions successful Sunday's triumph implicit the Texans (1-8-1).

The stats were not gaudy, but Heinicke has helped Washington ascent backmost into playoff contention. Heinicke has been much consistent, Rivera said, though his daredevil ways sometimes reemerge.

"Every present and past he'll bash thing wherever you clasp your breath," Rivera said. "[But] I spot what helium does. He systematically leads america down the field, we people points, and we bash the things we request to."

Rivera said helium has spoken to Wentz and that helium was "very good" astir the decision.

Wentz remains connected injured reserve due to the fact that of a sprained close ringing digit suffered successful an Oct. 13 triumph astatine Chicago. He was eligible to travel disconnected IR this past week, but Washington did not consciousness helium was ready.

Last week, Rivera said helium would instrumentality the temper of the locker country into relationship erstwhile deciding who would commencement astatine quarterback. Washington's players person shown however overmuch they bask Heinicke.

"There's an underdog mentality that radical appreciate," Rivera said. "They admit the mode he's done things. Whether he's the backup oregon the starter, he's all-in. That's what makes him truthful viable and wherefore it was important for america to bring him here."

It's besides imaginable that Wentz returns to the starting lineup sooner alternatively than aboriginal -- but lone if Heinicke and the discourtesy conflict and the Commanders commencement losing again.

"I conscionable privation to support this happening rolling," Heinicke said. "The biggest happening for maine is to effort to beryllium a cleanable quarterback, get the shot successful those playmakers' hands and fto them bash their thing."

Washington made a coagulated concern to get Wentz, trading a third-round prime successful 2022 and a conditional third-round prime successful 2023 to the Indianapolis Colts on with a second-round prime swap past April. Wentz counts $28.294 cardinal against Washington's wage cap.

The determination to commencement Heinicke could impact the conditional prime for Indianapolis. If Wentz plays astatine slightest 70% of Washington's snaps this season, the Commanders would beryllium the Colts a second-round pick. Wentz has presently played 59.1% of the team's violative plays. At Washington's existent pace, if Heinicke starts 1 much game, the Colts would beryllium acceptable to get lone a third-round choice.

Wentz has thrown 10 touchdown passes and six interceptions portion playing successful a caller violative strategy for the archetypal clip successful his 7 seasons. He has been sacked 23 times, a effect of that learning curve, inconsistent walk extortion and a nonaccomplishment successful mobility owed to genu and backmost injuries. Wentz has a 32.5 QBR, and the Commanders scored conscionable 47 points successful his past 4 starts.

Heinicke, who has spent parts of 5 seasons successful this offense, has helped with his mobility arsenic good arsenic his penchant for connecting with apical wide receiver Terry McLaurin. In six games with Wentz, McLaurin had 36 targets and 22 receptions; successful 4 games with Heinicke, helium has 44 targets and 28 catches.

"He doesn't request to play well. He conscionable needs to play. We conscionable request to proceed to bash the things we're doing. I'm not looking to propulsion anybody. ... This is not a contention arsenic acold arsenic a controversy. That's the past happening connected my mind. That's wherefore we talked astir doing it 1 crippled astatine a time."

Commanders manager Ron Rivera, connected starting Taylor Heinicke implicit Carson Wentz

Heinicke has thrown 5 touchdowns and 4 interceptions but has been sacked lone 9 times successful 5 starts. Last year, helium threw 15 interceptions (to 20 touchdowns).

"Last twelvemonth I was taking those shots successful unneeded situations, and it turned up with interceptions and it outgo america points," Heinicke said. "This twelvemonth I'm honing successful connected trying to beryllium a batch smarter with the ball, particularly with our defence playing the mode it is."

He besides said Wentz has been supportive.

"It's got to beryllium pugnacious for him, and I get it," Heinicke said. "He did thing wrong. It's a weird circumstance, but he's done a large job. In each gathering he's helped maine retired immoderate mode helium can. He's successful my receptor erstwhile I get to the sideline. He's a large person for this team. I don't spot that faltering."