Two months after handing the keys to quarterback Taylor Heinicke, the Commanders could again find themselves in a QB conundrum following Saturday’s 37–20 loss to the 49ers.
Making his eighth start of the season, Heinicke posted modest numbers before two costly fourth-quarter turnovers led coach Ron Rivera to turn back to Carson Wentz down 30–14 with 9:16 to play. Wentz, who remained on the bench after returning from a lengthy stint on injured reserve, led the Commanders to a touchdown on the first of his two drives in his first action since Week 6.
After the game, Rivera addressed what ultimately led to the decision to bench Heinicke, telling reporters the team wanted to assess how Wentz looked after not having played in eight weeks.
“I knew one thing, we were gonna throw the ball, and we didn’t need them to just tee off on the guy so we wanted to give Carson a shot, let him throw the ball around a little bit and see where he is,” Rivera said.
When asked if the switch will be a permanent one, Rivera was non-committal but stressed that he would make a decision sooner rather than later.
“We’re gonna evaluate the tape, we’ll talk about those things and I’ll make a decision next week,” he said. “I’ll make it early, too, because whoever’s gonna start is gonna get the chance to work.”
Wentz’s re-insertion into the lineup came after Heinicke lost a fumble following a Nick Bosa strip-sack and tossed an interception on consecutive possessions. Prior to the TOs, Heinicke led Washington on an impressive four-play, 75-yard TD drive that saw the QB find receiver Terry McLaurin for a 51-yard reception and a four-yard completion for the score.
Heinicke finished the day 13-of-18 for 166 yards, two TDs and an INT. Wentz, meanwhile, posted a 12-of-16 stat line for 123 yards and a score.
Wentz told reporters the late-game switch “was definitely weird” but maintained that he and Heinicke will continue to work together through the week heading into Week 16.
“This league’s crazy and, thankfully, Taylor and I have an awesome relationship,” he said. “I’ve been supporting the heck out of him, and he’s done the same thing for me all year so, a lot of things are outside our control and we control what we can and try and go play and be the best we can be.”
After riding the high with Heinicke under center, the Commanders (7-7-1) have now dropped two straight going into a meeting with the Browns on New Year’s Day. Washington is currently clinging to the No. 7 seed in the NFC, and will likely need to win its last two games to keep its playoff hopes alive.
