Taylor Time! Commanders Name Heinicke Full-Time Starter After Win vs. Texans

The Washington Commanders have named Taylor Heinicke the new starting quarterback after leading them to five wins in their last six games.

Jeremy Brener | Nov 20, 2022

The Washington Commanders are putting an end to their quarterback controversy.

Following their 23-10 win against the Houston Texans, head coach Ron Rivera confirmed that Taylor Heinicke would be the team's new starting quarterback.

The move comes after Heinicke replaced Carson Wentz in Week 7 after the incumbent starter injured his finger against the Chicago Bears last month. Since replacing Wentz, Heinicke has led the Commanders to a 4-1 mark and has the team over .500 for the first time since Week 1.

Heinicke's individual stats have not jumped off the page. He's only thrown for 840 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions in his tenure as the Commanders starter, throwing for over 250 yards in just one game during the stretch. He's also gone without throwing a touchdown in each of the last two games ... but that doesn't matter when you're winning games.

The team plays with a different energy when Heinicke has been under center and there's been inspired football over the past five games, which wasn't quite the case when Wentz was under center.

The vibes have been right, and Washington is riding the wave with Heinicke.

Heinicke and the Commanders return to the field in Week 12 against the Atlanta Falcons at home. Kickoff is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. at FedEx Field.

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Published Nov 20, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.