Heinicke has worst day of his pro career

LANDOVER — Taylor Heinicke’s first pass of the day was a great one.

The Washington quarterback faked a handoff, sat confidently in the pocket and fired an accurate pass to Adam Humphries on a 15-yard out route for a first down.

It was all downhill from there.

Heinicke’s next five passes fell incomplete, and Washington’s second and third drives ended in turnovers by the 28-year-old signal-caller. By the end of the 27-20 loss to the visiting Dallas Cowboys, Heinicke played arguably his worst game in the Burgundy and Gold and also left early with a knee injury.

Heinicke ended 11-of-25 passing for 122 yards, one touchdown, one interception and one fumble. His 44% completion percentage, 122 passing yards and 4.9 yards per attempt are all the worst of his 13-game regular-season career.

He injured his knee when he was sacked with about 12 minutes remaining and missed the rest of the game, giving way to backup Kyle Allen. The sack was the fourth that Heinicke took, totaling 46 yards.

Washington coach Ron Rivera said after the game that the injury “doesn’t look that bad” and added that Heinicke will start in Philadelphia next week if he’s healthy. Heinicke said in a conference call after the game that his knee is “fine” and that he “should be” able to play against the Eagles.

Heinicke’s fearless play in Washington’s 31-23 playoff loss to Tampa Bay last season bred questions about his ability to stay healthy if he were called upon to be the team’s starter, which he was when Ryan Fitzpatrick went down in Week 1. He has, for the most part, been less reckless, doing his best to slide when he can and avoid taking unnecessary hits, especially during the team’s four-game winning streak. He even added 15 pounds in the offseason to deal with the rigors of an NFL season.

“I just felt like every time I go out on that field for some reason something happens,” Heinicke said in June. “So that was the biggest point of concern this offseason, and I felt like I kind of checked that box off.”

His 44% completion percentage is the lowest for a Washington quarterback since Week 14 of last season. In that game, Alex Smith completed 42.1% of his throws before being injured. Other games from Washington quarterbacks who completed less than 50% of their passes in recent years include Case Keenum and Dwayne Haskins in 2019 and Josh Johnson in 2018.

Not exactly the company any quarterback wants to be included.

“A couple times, I thought he was a little hesitant. I thought he held the ball a little bit more than he should have a couple times,” Rivera said. “… I think he kind of pressed a little bit. I’d like to see him get back to taking what’s out there and making those throws that he’s capable of.”

The inefficient day followed a four-game stretch in which Heinicke completed more than 70% of his passes in each contest — all wins for Washington.

During the winning streak, which took Washington from 2-6 and staring down a top 10 pick in next year’s NFL draft to 6-6 and a wild card spot, Heinicke posted a 77.3% completion percentage, seven touchdowns versus two interceptions, a 110 quarterback rating and 220 passing yards per game.

Heinicke agreed with Rivera that he “pressed” after Dallas took an early lead. That’s a position the offense — which has been controlling time of possession and running the ball on more than 50% of its plays during the winning streak — hasn’t been in since before the bye.

“In the first half, you’re not getting much going, and then when we do get some time, I’m trying to make the big plays I don’t need to make,” Heinicke said. “The good thing I did in the last four games was taking what they gave me, whether it’s a 5-yard hitch or a 20-yard seven route. Today there were a couple throws before half I shouldn’t have thrown, and they were almost picked off.”

Following his bad start, Heinicke didn’t get much better. He exited the game for one play following his sack fumble, which was taken back for a touchdown by Dallas’ Dorance Armstrong. Heinicke returned after being checked in the medical tent. Heinicke also said after the game that his throwing elbow was hit sometime in the first quarter.

“I didn’t feel right ever since,” he said.

Heinicke’s lone bright spot on the day was a 43-yard dime to Cam Sims for the team’s first touchdown of the game midway through the third quarter.

But the play most emblematic of Heinicke’s poor performance was an incompletion to Terry McLaurin earlier in the third quarter.

Down 24-0, facing a third-and-5 at midfield, Heinicke rolled out to the right, signaled McLaurin to go deep and then underthrew the wideout by 10 yards. McLaurin, who ended the game catchless for the first time in his career, landed hard after going up for the pass and was knocked out of the game. Rivera said McLaurin is in the concussion protocol.

“I have to be better,” Heinicke said. 

Terry McLaurin came down HARD on this deep jump ball from Heinicke.

He’s slow to get up. Hope that’s just being winded and isn’t something more serious like a rib or collarbone. #WashingtonFootball pic.twitter.com/9GHIe4fDYr

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) December 12, 2021