'The Motivator': QB Taylor Heinicke Gets Starting Support from Washington Commanders Teammates

The Washington Commanders handed the Houston Texans a loss, with Taylor Heinicke being named the starter going forward.

The Washington Commanders did what good teams should do against lowly opposition: get an early lead and keep their foot on the gas. 

On Sunday at NRG Stadium, the Commanders raced out to a 20-0 lead at halftime and never looked back to run out a 23-10 win over the Houston Texans. ... with Taylor Heinicke taking centerstage.

The Texans, who now drop to 1-8-1, struggled to get anything going as the Commanders offense kept them off the field due to the 33 combined rushing attempts from Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr., which yielded 129 yards for 6-5 Washington.

And in a headline-grabber, Washington head coach Ron Rivera named Heinicke the team's starting quarterback going forward, a reward for the quarterback's play ... and his presence.

Heinicke is now 4-1 on the year as a starter, and the quarterback is someone the entire team can easily support, says receiver Curtis Samuel.

"He's continued to bring great energy to the building," Samuel said. "He's a high-energy person and someone we can easily get behind. He's someone who can easily motivate us. We are really excited to have him here, and we expect to continue to have success."

The win was largely set up by the Commanders' running game, but the passing game also showed signs of life. Samuel says that his team did a good job of unleashing the right weaponry.

"We moved the ball around pretty good," Samuel said. "We got the ball a lot into our playmakers' hands. We ran the ball when we were supposed to, we were efficient in the run game. ... We made plays when our numbers were called, and that's what we have to continue to do."

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