Of all of the potential teams to hand the Philadelphia Eagles their first loss of the 2022 NFL season, the Washington Commanders were one of, if not the least likely of the bunch.
Try telling that to Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke.
HEINICKE LET ‘EM KNOW 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/HjyNGyvCng
—SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 15, 2022
In a rousing Monday Night Football matchup last night, the Commanders came up big, handing the Eagles their first loss of the season.
Although Heinicke’s stats from the game don’t jump off of the box score (17/19, 211 yards, 0 touchdowns, and an interception), he certainly didn’t lose the game for the Commanders.
An Unlikely Hero
If you haven’t heard of Heinicke before last night’s game, we can’t exactly blame you.
After his time at Old Dominion University, Heinicke went undrafted but was eventually signed by the Minnesota Vikings.
After a few injuries, and stints on the Patriots, Texans, Panthers, and even the XFL’s BattleHawks, he has found a home on the Commanders roster.
His first start for the Commanders was in the 2020 playoffs, where he threw for an impressive 306 yards, nearly beat Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, threw a touchdown pass, and ran one in as well.
He did start 15 games for the Commanders during the 2021 season but had taken a backseat to Carson Wentz this year until Wentz fell to another injury.
With Heinicke at the helm in their past four games, the Commanders are sporting an impressive 3-1 record in those games, and hold a 5-5 record on the season.
Will Heinicke, an increasingly positive run game, and an impressive defense lead the Commanders to the playoffs?
We’ll soon see.
