Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke continued his roller-coaster season in Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers. There was good Heinicke, such as his touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin in the first quarter.
Then, there was bad Heinicke when he had an easy touchdown and dove short of the end zone; with the officials ruling, he gave himself up on the play. It was the correct call, and Washington ended up blowing an easy scoring opportunity.
Head coach Ron Rivera discussed Heinicke on Monday and was mostly pleased with his performance but did note how some inconsistencies were showing, which he attributes to experience.
“Some of his inexperience is showing,” Rivera said. “But I think obviously he has the skill set that you’re looking for, he has the ability to lead, but he’s still young in terms of actual opportunities and experiences as a quarterback in the league so far.”
Rivera was also asked about Heinicke’s tendency to miss high was due to mechanics.
“There is some mechanics to it,” Rivera said. “When you watch his body posture, he tends to throw with a little bit of his weight on his back foot and hasn’t really transferred on the throw.”
LIVE: Coach Rivera speaks with the media https://t.co/uQWvZ2khBT
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It’s clear from watching Heinicke he has physical limitations. However, he has a unique ability to use his legs to keep plays alive. We’ve seen on multiple occasions how Heinicke evades the rush, keeps his eyes downfield and finds Terry McLaurin for a big play.
One other nugget from Rivera’s presser is he said most of Heinicke’s mistakes come when he’s trying to be too cautious. Apparently, Rivera and offensive coordinator Scott Turner quickly realized Heinicke is virtually ineffective if he remains in the pocket.
Yes, Heinicke will make mistakes but he’s far more effective in a playmaking role vs. a game-manager role.