Tag: Taylor Heinicke

Commanders’ Rivera: ‘We’re going to stick with Sam’

Sam Howell will be the first QB to start every game under Rivera.

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera announced Wednesday that Sam Howell will be the starter Sunday against the Cowboys at FedEx Field.

The first question directed at Rivera was regarding who would start Sunday, and Rivera’s succinct reply was, “Yes, we are going to stick with Sam.”

When asked if it was due to his play last Sunday or Jacoby Brissett’s hamstring injury, Rivera responded, “Well, I think it’s a little bit of both. But I thought what Sam did, he did the things that we were hoping he would be able to do. He did some really good things. I thought he managed a couple of the drives very well, very nicely. I want to see him get an opportunity to finish it out.”

Rivera expressed that he thought early on Howell had been able to connect with Terry (McLaurin) and that was something he wanted to see, and that this Sunday gives them a chance again to do some more of that.

Rivera pointed out that Howell took his benching well during last week’s game preparation. “He handled it no differently than I thought he would. He’s a very solid young man, a very mentally tough guy, and I thought he handled it nicely”, expressed Rivera.

With this decision, it means it could most likely become the first season of Rivera’s four seasons where he was able to start the same quarterback all season that he desired to start in preseason.

Last season (2022), Carson Wentz was the starter for whom Rivera had traded in the offseason. Wentz started seven games last year, struggled at times and also suffered a broken finger on his passing hand against the Bears. Taylor Heinicke started nine games, with Howell starting the season finale against Dallas.

In 2021, Rivera made the decision to sign free-agent Ryan Fitzpatrick to be Washington’s starter. However, in the opening half of the opening game, Fitzpatrick badly injured a hip and was lost for the season. Heinicke then started the other 15 games.

In Rivera’s first season in Washington, he started Dwayne Haskins in the first six games, Kyle Allen received four starts, and Alex Smith made the other six starts. Heinicke then was the starter for the playoff game.

Falcons release depth chart for Week 18 game vs. Saints

The Falcons have released their depth chart for Sunday’s season finale against the Saints

The Atlanta Falcons (7-9) have released their final depth chart of the season ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the New Orleans Saints (8-8). Taylor Heinicke is still listed as the starting quarterback, however, his status for Week 18 remains up in the air.

If Heinicke can’t play, Desmond Ridder will get the start for Atlanta on Sunday. Check out the team’s updated depth chart heading into Week 18 below.

Falcons to monitor QB Taylor Heinicke’s status throughout the week

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith told reporters that Heinicke plans to do “everything he can” to play against the Saints in Week 18.

The Atlanta Falcons have an important NFC South matchup coming up in Week 18, but quarterback Taylor Heincike’s status appears to be up in the air.

Heinicke was benched by head coach Arthur Smith late in Sunday’s loss to the Bears due to an ankle injury. On Monday, Smith told team reporters that Heinicke planned to do “everything he can” to play against the New Orleans Saints this weekend.

Heinicke had a rough day in Week 17, tossing three interceptions and completing just 10 of 29 pass attempts. The veteran QB did account for two touchdowns, but the team was behind the eight-ball for most of the afternoon.

If Heinicke can’t play in the season finale, second-year QB Desmond Ridder would get the start. Ridder has passed for 2,545 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season.

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Falcons fans ready to leave Arthur Smith in 2023 after loss to Bears

Falcons fans were ready to leave head coach Arthur Smith in 2023 following 37-17 loss to Bears on New Year’s Eve

The Atlanta Falcons have underachieved all season long, but somehow it hasn’t seemed to matter. Despite suffering a 37-17 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the Falcons caught a break as the Buccaneers also lost to the Saints.

At 7-9, Atlanta is still alive in the NFC South race with one week left to play. However, the chance for a playoff berth isn’t quite as appealing to fans since it would likely mean the return of head coach Arthur Smith for a fourth season.

Falcons fans on Twitter were ready to leave Smith in 2023 following Sunday’s 37-17 loss to the Bears on New Year’s Eve.

Falcons vs. Bears: Best photos from Week 17 matchup

Falcons vs. Bears: Best photos from Week 17 matchup in Chicago

The Atlanta Falcons (7-8) are attempting to secure their eighth win of the season against the Chicago Bears (6-9) on Sunday. As both NFC squads battle for an unlikely postseason spot, check out the best photos from Week 17 below.

When they last met: Commanders and 49ers

The Commanders hung tough with the 49ers last season until they pulled away in the second half.

“When they last met” is an ongoing series during the NFL season, recalling the preceding game between Washington and the next opponent on the Commanders’ schedule.

San Francisco 37, Washington 20 – Week 16, Dec. 24, 2022

Brock Purdy completed 15 of 22 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns as the Commanders fell to the San Francisco 49ers 37-20 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Entering the game with a 7-6-1, the Commanders playing for a playoff berth, went toe-to-toe with the 49ers, as the game was tied 7-7 at the half. The Commanders had missed a huge opportunity in the second quarter when inside the 5, they ran four plays but could not score.

Purdy completed touchdown passes of 34 and 33 yards to George Kittle, extending the 49ers lead to 21-7.

But Washington starter Taylor Heinicke answered with a 3-yard scoring pass to Terry McLaurin with 2:46 remaining in the third quarter, narrowing the deficit to 21-14.

The 49ers defense then shut down the Commanders offense, resulting in three consecutive possessions resulting in Robbie Gould field goals, extending the 49ers’ lead to 30-14.

Ron Rivera benched Heinicke and turned to Carson Wentz. Wentz responded, completing 12 of 16 passes for 123 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Samuel.

As a result of Wentz playing well, Rivera named Wentz the starter for the next week against the Browns, but Wentz played poorly; Washington lost at home to the Browns and was officially eliminated from the 2022 playoff race.

Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke limited for 2nd straight practice

Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke was limited for a 2nd straight practice due to an ankle injury on Thursday

While nobody was missing from the Atlanta Falcons’ Thursday practice, several key players were limited participants. Starting quarterback Taylor Heinicke was among those limited for a second consecutive day due to an ankle injury that he suffered during Sunday’s win over the Colts.

Heinicke made his third start of the season in Week 16 and the team was noticeably more balanced on offense. The veteran QB has passed for 727 yards, four touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating of 88.8 this season.

Keep an eye on Heinicke’s status on Friday as he may be given an injury designation if limited for a third straight day.

Check out the team’s updated depth chart, injury report and 53-man roster heading into Sunday’s NFC matchup against the Chicago Bears (6-9). The Bears are currently favored by three points, per BetMGM’s odds.

Best Fantasy Football waiver wire pickups for Week 17

Here are some waiver wire options for fantasy this week.

After the 16th full slate of regular season action, every fantasy league is at least in their playoffs, with some in their championships.

If you had a tough injury in Week 16, or you just didn’t get the production from one of your players that you expected, we’ll scan the waiver wire. For potential pickups, we’ll consider players who are available in at least 50% of ESPN fantasy leagues.

Let’s take a look at some of the potential waiver wire pickups that could help your teams heading into Week 17 of the NFL campaign.

LOOK: Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke’s Week 16 passing chart

LOOK: Week 16 passing chart for Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke, via NFL Next Gen Stats

The Atlanta Falcons signed veteran quarterback Taylor Heinicke over the offseason as a backup plan in case Desmond Ridder didn’t work out as the starter. While Ridder had some nice moments, his inconsistency and lack of ball security cost him the starting QB job.

Heinicke made his third start of the season in Week 16 and turned in his best performance of the year. The veteran signal-caller completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 229 yards, one touchdown and zero turnovers.

As you can see below, many of Heinicke’s completions were at or near the line of scrimmage. However, his ability to hit teammates in stride was the main difference on Sunday. Check out his full Week 16 passing chart, via NFL Next Gen Stats.

Image via NFL Next Gen Stats

The Falcons will look to stay hot when they take on the Chicago Bears in Week 17. Atlanta has gone 2-5 on the road this season, but to make the playoffs, they’ll have to take care of business away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium over the next two weeks.

10 takeaways from Week 16

Twitter reacts to win over Colts

Falcons 7-round mock draft

Watch: Arthur Smith on Sunday’s win

Vote: Falcons Player of the Game

Taylor Heinicke voted Falcons Week 16 Player of the Game

Fan Poll Results: Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke voted Falcons Week 16 Player of the game

The Atlanta Falcons gave quarterback Tyler Heinicke the start in Week 16 and it resulted in the team’s best offensive performance of the season. Sunday’s 29-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts was as dominant as we’ve seen this team play all year.

Heinicke passed for 229 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions. His first-quarter touchdown pass to Kyle Pitts set the tone for the rest of the game.

It’s no surprise that Heinicke was voted player of the game in our Week 16 fan poll. As you can see below, Heinicke led the way with over 50 percent of the vote.

[polldaddy poll=13135342]

10 takeaways from Week 16

Twitter reacts to win over Colts

Falcons 7-round mock draft

Calais Campbell earns $500K bonus