Atlanta Falcons Arthur Smith Shoots Down Taylor Heinicke Advantage vs. Washington Commanders

The Atlanta Falcons game against the Washington Commanders will be a reunion for backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke.

Fresh off a win against the Houston Texans at home, the Atlanta Falcons have turned the page to their next opponent, the Washington Commanders. 

For many of the Falcons' players, this is just another game, while for backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke, it is his first reunion with a franchise that he spent three seasons with before signing with the Falcons last offseason.

This budding reunion of sorts has caused some to wonder if Heinicke's presence in the Falcons' facility gives them an advantage over the Commanders due to his knowledge of the team.

“The scheme change, I mean, look, you get information from everybody," Arthur Smith said about the advantage of having Heinicke on the team. "You take everything with a grain of salt. ... That gets a little overrated. Taylor, again, completely different offense.”

Aug 18, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke (4) rolls out to pass against the Cincinnati Bengals during the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

It is a talking point ahead of every game that will see a player play one of his former teams for the first time, and it is no different as Heinicke and the Falcons prepare for the Commanders. 

While the Commander's offense will look much different than what it did when the 30-year-old played in it due to the hiring of offensive coordinator Eric Bienenmy, there is still plenty of information he can provide the Falcons like specific details on the Washington defense, which Jack Del Rio is still coordinating. 

However, as Smith and many other coaches before him have said, the potential use of an informant like Heinicke won't replace the need for the Falcons to study the Commanders' game film and see what they can find out for themselves.

While Heinicke will ultimately not have the chance at starting versus the Commanders on Sunday, part of his role as the backup quarterback is to help the starter, Desmond Ridder, be as prepared as possible.