SANTA CLARA, Calif. — After throwing an interception in the fourth quarter, Taylor Heinicke stormed to the sideline and was met by coach Ron Rivera. The conversation between the two lasted just seconds, but it was long enough for the Washington Commanders quarterback to slam his helmet out of frustration.
Rivera delivered the news that Heinicke had worked so hard to avoid: Carson Wentz was coming in.
Wentz replaced Heinicke with just over nine minutes left, but the quarterback change ultimately made little difference in Saturday’s 37-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Still, Rivera’s decision to turn back to Wentz — Washington’s high-profile offseason acquisition — now puts the Commanders at a crossroads with only two games left this season. Did Heinicke lose his starting job permanently? Or did Rivera just turn to Wentz in an attempt to spark an offense that had gone cold?
Whatever Rivera decides could very well determine Washington’s playoff fate.
The 7-7-1 Commanders remain the seventh seed, with the Browns and the Cowboys up next on the docket.
“We’re going to evaluate the tape, we’ll talk about those things,” Rivera said when asked if Wentz is Washington’s new starter. “I’ll make a decision next week. And I’ll make it earlier, too, because whoever is going to start is going to get the chance to work.”
Against the 49ers (11-4), Heinicke played well — until he didn’t. The quarterback committed turnovers on back-to-back drives in the fourth that not only helped extend San Francisco’s lead, but also led Rivera to go to Wentz.
Both Heinicke mistakes gave the 49ers the ball in prime scoring territory, with Heinicke first losing a fumble at the 12-yard line after a Nick Bosa sack and then later throwing an interception at the 25-yard line to safety Jimmie Ward.
Speaking to reporters, Rivera said he didn’t blame the turnovers solely on Heinicke. He said he pulled his starter because “the last thing we want to do is to have them tee off on him,” adding the switch was an opportunity to evaluate Wentz — who hadn’t played since breaking his finger in a Week 6 win over the Chicago Bears.
When Wentz checked in, the Commanders faced a 30-14 deficit — which could have been worse if the Washington defense had not held San Francisco to field goals on Heinicke’s pair of turnovers.
In his first action since Oct. 13, Wentz was sharp off the bench, leading the Commanders on an 11-play, 82-yard drive that cultivated with a 20-yard touchdown strike to Curtis Samuel.
Washington even had the opportunity to cut into San Francisco’s lead and make it a one-score game before Wentz was sacked by two defenders.
Wentz finished with 123 yards and a touchdown on 12 of 16 passing in relief of Heinicke, who was 13 of 18 for 166 and two touchdowns.
Statistically, each quarterback was solid, potentially making Rivera’s decision more complicated.
“This league is crazy and thankfully Taylor and I have an awesome relationship,” said Wentz, who said it was “weird” to come in off the bench. “I’ve been supporting the heck out of him and he’s done the same for me all year. A lot of things are outside our control and we control what we can.”
“He was ready for his moment and I thought he did a good job,” Heinicke said of Wentz.
Saturday’s change wasn’t particularly shocking as Rivera previously hinted that he could go back to Wentz if Washington’s offense did not improve. In last week’s loss to the Giants, the Commanders mustered just 12 points and the offense came up short in the red zone by converting a touchdown only once on three chances. Wentz, too, had been waiting in the wings ever since he was activated to the roster on Dec. 12 — almost two months after he fractured his finger.
In Wentz’s absence, Heinicke had played well enough to secure the starting gig. The 29-year-old helped the Commanders get back into playoff contention by winning five of six. And though his stats weren’t spectacular, Heinicke helped the Commanders establish a run-first identity.
After losing to the 49ers, Heinicke’s good work during that extended stretch may no longer matter. Rivera said he’ll base his decision on which quarterback gives Washington the best chance to win now.
No matter who is under center for the rest of the season, there are other issues.
On Saturday, the Commanders had trouble handling a ferocious San Francisco defensive front that disrupted both the Washington passing attack and the run game. Bosa, in particular, had a monster day as he recorded six tackles, four quarterback hits, two sacks and a forced fumble.
The Commanders came out determined to run the ball, but couldn’t crack San Francisco’s wall. Running back Brian Robinson had a team-high 22 carries, but mustered just 58 yards. The Commanders, as a whole, had only 79 rushing yards on 33 carries.
Washington’s defense, too, gave up a season-high in points — even with the encouraging season debut of defensive end Chase Young, who exceeded expectations by logging 30 snaps and disrupting plays in his first game in more than a year. The Commanders intended Young to play only 12 to 16 snaps coming off a significant knee injury, but the pass rusher told Rivera that he was good to go past that.
Still, missing versatile safety Kam Curl (ankle), the Commanders struggled to contain explosive plays in the second half. Though Washington and San Francisco were tied at 7 at halftime, San Francisco’s offense exploded in the second half — helped in part by two George Kittle touchdowns.
On Kittle’s first score, a 34-yard strike, the tight end broke free up the seam after safety Darrick Forrest failed to travel with him on the route. The second came just two plays after the Commanders failed to convert a fourth-and-1 at their own 34-yard line: Quarterback Brock Purdy (234 yards and two touchdowns) rolled out to find a wide-open Kittle in space for a 33-yard score.
The Commanders trailed 21-7 at that point, though Heinicke helped keep Washington competitive as he led the team on a four-play, 75-yard drive that featured a pair of pinpoint completions to Terry McLaurin. The star wide receiver first hauled in a 51-yard bomb to get Washington into scoring position and then converted the touchdown with a 3-yard reception.
After that drive, though, Heinicke unraveled — and he didn’t get the chance to redeem himself. In the locker room, players spoke openly about how they’ll have to rally around no matter which signal-caller Rivera decides to start next week against Cleveland.
The quarterbacks pledged to do the same.
“I kinda just try to roll with the punches,” Heinicke said. “If I’m the starter, I’ll give it my all. If not, I’ll be the best backup I can be. I’m going to continue that. We’ll see what happens next week.”
“We’ll both be ready for kind of whatever and have our backs at the same time,” Wentz said.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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