Commanders Bench Taylor Heinicke in Loss vs. 49ers

Taylor Heinicke threw two touchdowns, but it wasn't enough to keep him in the game for the Washington Commanders in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Jeremy Brener | Dec 24, 2022

The Washington Commanders (7-7-1) will fly back home shaking their heads after missing an opportunity in a 37-20 loss against the San Francisco 49ers (11-4) Saturday afternoon at Levi's Stadium.

The Commanders opted to play keepaway in the first half from the Niners, and the strategy worked. Washington allowed just one score, a 71-yard touchdown run by Ray Ray McCloud, and responded with a touchdown of its own by rookie wide receiver Jahan Dotson.

However, in the second half, the Niners put their foot on the gas on offense and defense. 49ers tight end George Kittle scored a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter, which gave the Niners a 14-point lead.

Washington responded with a Terry McLaurin touchdown to cut the deficit in half, but the defense could not contain the San Francisco offense with a 54-yard play to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

The Commanders tried to get back in the game, but turned the ball over on successive possessions, ultimately leading Ron Rivera to bench Heinicke in favor of Carson Wentz, who hadn't played since Week 6.

Wentz led a touchdown drive on his first series, but it was too little, too late.

While the Commanders remain inside the playoff picture thanks to losses from the New York Giants, Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks, Washington returns home with a quarterback controversy and more questions than answers.

The Commanders return to action on New Year's Day when they face the Cleveland Browns at FedEx Field. Kickoff is scheduled for a week from Sunday at 1 p.m.

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Published Dec 24, 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.