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Washington Football Team quarterback Taylor Heinicke nearly led the team to a wild card upset against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season.
Eight months later, Heinicke gets the keys to the station wagon once again, filling in for an injured Ryan Fitzpatrick. This time, the Old Dominion University product will have to keep the team afloat while the veteran quarterback is on the mend. He will get a legitimate chance to catapult Washington to the top of the beleaguered NFC East. His time begins Thursday night against the New York Giants.
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Washington Football Team quarterback Taylor Heinicke (4) throws the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
If there was any doubt about the team’s hopes for this season, second-year defensive end Chase Young attempted to quash it Wednesday. He gave Heinicke a big vote of confidence.
"He could start on any other team in the league," he said of Heinicke, via The Washington Post.
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It’s a bold backing for a quarterback who only has one regular season start since entering the league in 2017. He’s been with Washington since 2020 and before that was with the Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers. Washington added Heinicke to the practice squad in December 2020. The Panthers had cut Heinicke in August 2019 Current Washington coach Ron Rivera was the Panthers' coach at the time.
The 28-year-old was 11-for-15 with a touchdown pass and 122 rushing yards in the four-point loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
Washington Football Team quarterback Taylor Heinicke (4) dives to score a touchdown against Tampa Bay Buccaneers inside linebackers Kevin Minter (51) and Lavonte David (54) during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Rivera said Heinicke "plays a little bit like his hair is on fire" but had hopes that he matured between 2020 and now.
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He was 26-for-44 with 306 passing yards, two total touchdowns and an interception in the playoff loss to the Bucs last year.
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