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Heinicke Hive: The LEGEND of Taylor Heinicke Thread

LetThePointsSoar

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CommanderInTheRye

CommanderInTheRye

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For those that don’t know— Taylor Heinicke is soon to be an unrestricted free agent able to sign with any team he chooses without compensation.

 

After his duel with the Goat tonight Social Media is absolutely lit up with fans hoping their team steals him from us as a backup with both a high floor and high ceiling. Here’s an example of the stuff that’s out there...

 

 

 

 

Personally I would hate to see him leave for nothing. Particularly after Scott Turner gave him multiple opportunities with different teams to make a roster when no one else showed much interest but business is business.

 

Thankfully it Looks like that won’t be a concern:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by TrancesWithWolves
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Playaction2Sanders

Playaction2Sanders

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4 hours ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

 

 

 

Not going to the strip club, beautiful... My god what an inspiring performance. Want to see more of him, however this is the NFL, you have plenty of guys that have initial success sometimes out the gate, and then the league finally gets film on you and adjusts. If he is our guy I'm wondering how he'll be when they get film on him.. So proud of him and this team.

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KDawg

KDawg

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4 hours ago, CapsSkins said:

Here's what I go back to: if Dwayne, or any first round pick, had played exactly like Heinicke tonight, the consensus would be to give him weapons and build around him. But because he's a 27 year old UDFA, the default is "he's not the guy but he could the backup".

 

Why? Why is it different just because of past pedigree? Judge these guys on where they are, not their past.

 

He played good enough to be given a chance as QB1 and built around. The only Q is the durability, which IDK what to make of.


You keep saying this... but I think most are on board with the idea. 

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Skinsinparadise

Skinsinparadise

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I am a big Zach Wilson guy as for the draft and Heinicke reminds me so much of him stylistically.  He's so elusive in the pocket, can run, plays with moxie and the team seems to rally around him.  Wilson though has the stronger arm and is bigger.  But Wilson is being talked about as a top 5 pick, some even say #2.    My point is Heinicke seems like a keeper.  My concern about him is the same as Wilson which is he isn't the biggest dude and his style of play can lead to injuries. 

2 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

They were throwing everything at him and their defense is pretty awesome. There was no middle of the field last night. Everything about it was incredible.

 

I don't think I've ever been this happy and content with a loss.

 

Head to head with Brady.  Brady though had better protection, had his running game working (we didn't) and better receivers.  If you flipped the script, Heinicke likely would have beat Brady last night. 

 

 

Edited by Skinsinparadise
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Skinsinparadise

Skinsinparadise

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While outstretched and in midair, Heinicke collided with Buccaneers star linebacker Lavonte David. He landed on his left shoulder and said he heard “a click or a pop,” but he popped up to celebrate, to foist both arms to the sky in the signal for a touchdown, because he had kept his balance and managed to reach the ball to the neon-orange pylon. The score brought the Washington Football Team as close as it’d come to the star-studded, heavily favored Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 31-23 season-ending loss at FedEx Field on Saturday night.

 

And yet on a team with chronic quarterback instability, in a position group where the rise and fall of each contender this season would have seemed overdramatic in a soap opera, Heinicke still managed to deliver perhaps the most stunning performance of all. The 27-year-old who had started this fall by giving up on his NFL dream to return to college found himself, six weeks later, stepping in for Alex Smith, a Hallmark comeback story in his own right, and electrifying a fan base, a national audience and a group of teammates who never could have expected this. He played the fourth quarter with a separated AC joint in his left shoulder, an injury for which players can miss months.

 

“I didn’t feel good after that," he said. “The next series, I got hit, hit the ground a couple times and decided we should go [in the locker room]. ... But [I] came back out there and gutted it out.”

Perhaps the most impressive part of Heinicke’s performance was that he defied a grade on the curve. He wasn’t good for a fourth-stringer. He wasn’t good for an emergency option. He was good period, completing 26 of 44 passes for 306 yards, one touchdown, an interception that wasn’t his fault and added six rushes for 46 yards. He compelled some of the league’s best past and present quarterbacks, from Joe Theismann to Patrick Mahomes, to praise him on social media. He raised the question of what his role could be next season.

 

“Gutsy,” Rivera said of the performance. “It really was. He created an opportunity for himself and we’ll see what happens."

 

The circumstances of Heinicke’s success seemed improbable even this week. He had not spoken to many teammates because, as the quarantine quarterback, his job was to stay away from everyone. He had never thrown a pass to star receiver Terry McLaurin until practice Wednesday. He’d never shown the team he could play this way on a big stage because, in his only appearance before this one, he’d found success against a soft Carolina Panthers defense late in the fourth quarter.

 

But Heinicke proved Saturday that he was for real. He showed an uncanny understanding of the offense, and he flashed the mobility Buccaneers Coach Bruce Arians feared. Arians told reporters after the game he wished Smith had started. Heinicke’s third drive was a 10-play, 75-yard march to a touchdown that put Washington on the scoreboard.

In the second half, after his touchdown run, Heinicke returned from the locker room with tape on his left shoulder. After the ensuing drive foundered, Heinicke engineered an 11-play, 75-yard drive capped by a pretty touchdown throw to receiver Steven Sims in the back corner of the end zone.

 

“I can’t tell you why he was on the street before we picked him up,” said right tackle Morgan Moses. “He has every quality of a football player that you’d want. … He stepped up on a big-time stage, and I commend him for that.”

After it was over, after Heinicke had emerged from the midfield scrum, he was trudging back to the locker room when he felt a hand on the back of his jersey. He turned around to see McLaurin.

“I told him I appreciated him for laying it on the field for us,” the receiver said. “He has a heart of a lion. I told him I’d take him on my team any day of the week. … He’s a man of few words, but his actions speak volumes.”

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Skinsinparadise

Skinsinparadise

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7 hours ago, TryTheBeal! said:

HineyHiney balled out.  But it’s not sustainable.

 

Kid gets nicked in literally every start.

 

He can play in this league tho.  He’s Case Keenum +++.  He’s gonna win some games for somebody if he sticks around.

 

 

 

Judging by fans/media types on twitter, you got two camps on Heinicke right now.

 

A.  He's fine as a backup but hold your horses on him, you still need to find QB A.

B.  We got our answer

 

I am closer to B though I understand A, and this is from a dude who is as obsessed about the Qb spot as anyone here.   I wonder if they can get Heincike to bulk up some?  I am not a workout fiend but have worked out on and off over years, I've cooled it in recent years after my hernia surgery.  But as a layman, I am pretty fast, used to run track.  Like Heinicke, I am not the biggest guy though.   But I think I've had broader shoulders at points in my life (lol, probably not now though) and lats than Heinicke if I had to guess based on seeing him on TV.  You can broaden the upper part of your body without losing an ounce speed.    In his shoes, I'd work that part of my body.  It could add to his arm strength but also possibly protect him from injury. 

 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/01/10/washington-qb-future-alex-smith-taylor-heinicke/

 

Heinicke was thrilling. He was daring. He was smart. He was athletic. He had the second pick in last year’s draft staring into a sideline camera and pointing at the back of his jersey. How’s that for a fun moment, Chase Young pumping up this kid who was taking online math classes in November when the phone rang? Heinicke proceeded to ball out.

“He gained my respect, man,” wideout Terry McLaurin said. “I got nothing but respect for No. 4. … That dude plays with no fear.”

“There’s some things that you just can’t teach,” tackle Morgan Moses said. “He has that ‘it’ factor.”

 

He went 26 for 44 for 310 yards and a beautiful touchdown pass, plus ran for 46 yards and a lunging, I-don’t-care-if-I-hurt-myself score on the ground. Does that make him the starter in 2021?

 

“It was gutsy; it really was,” Coach Ron Rivera said. “It’s one of those things that a guy like him who works hard at what he does, he’s created an opportunity for himself. And we’ll see what happens.”

 

Which is intriguing. Still, take a breath and ask another question: If he’s always this good, why in the world was Heinicke a backup for the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL? I’ll admit to less than a cursory understanding of the BattleHawks’ offensive scheme and whether it maximized Heinicke’s abilities. But the answer is: There’s a reason. All the promise of one playoff game can’t override the idea that Heinicke had bounced from NFL practice squad to practice squad to a couple of stints on active rosters to being out of football before he made his second NFL start Saturday.

 

So, then, Washington’s quarterback for 2021. Was he in uniform against Tampa Bay? Was he in the building? Where the heck is he? Who the heck is he?

It’s easier to figure out who won’t be Washington’s quarterback next season. It won’t be Dwayne Haskins, a first-round draft pick just more than 20 months ago who was cut last month — and who, frankly, never looked as promising or as polished in running Scott Turner’s offense as Heinicke did against the Buccaneers.

 

It says here that Smith, too, won’t be the quarterback. That’s too bad, because his story is inspiring, one of the great comebacks in any sport after his broken, infected leg endured 17 surgeries — and then held him up well enough to start NFL games again. It’s still remarkable, and reflects so well on Smith, that Washington’s record since 2018 when Smith starts is 11-5. With everyone else, including Heinicke’s give-him-a-cape performance against Tampa Bay, it’s 6-27.

 
 

But the calf injury that cost Smith the chance to return to the playoffs — not to mention the chance to start the penultimate game of the regular season and severely limited him in the finale — can’t be viewed as some sort of isolated incident. He will turn 37 in May. He has a titanium rod in his right leg. He owes nothing to anyone, and he has proved he could play again — to all of us, but most importantly, to himself. If he wants to try to play more, no one should tell him no. But, really, that’s enough football.

 

“Alex is unbelievable,” Rivera said. “Believe me: He’s a hell of a man.”

So who else? It’s such a paramount question, and no opponent could illustrate the importance of stability at quarterback better than the Bucs — who haven’t had it, until they imported Tom Brady this offseason to instill it. Brady threw for 381 yards and two touchdowns against Washington, but before he landed in Tampa, he had led the New England Patriots to the playoffs 16 of the previous 17 years. The exception: when he suffered an injury in a season opener. Brady left New England, and the Pats missed the playoffs. His departure isn’t the sole reason for that, nor is he the only reason Tampa Bay won its first playoff game since the 2002 season. But there’s a correlation, for sure.

 

That consistency is foreign to Washington, a team whose proudest moments — three Super Bowl titles — came with three different quarterbacks. But you don’t have to go back to the glory days to find the wheel of fortune element to Washington’s quarterback situation. Have we played this game before? Even so, try again: Since Kirk Cousins’s departure after the 2017 season, list the players who have started under center here. (Hint: There are eight.)

 

But the franchise can’t reach its full potential without a steady presence at quarterback.

Is it Heinicke? For now, he’s the answer to that trivia question, the eighth starter for Washington since Cousins left in free agency. He joins Smith, Haskins, Kyle Allen, Case Keenum, Colt McCoy, Josh Johnson and Mark Sanchez.

That’s quite a cast. It represents where Washington has been at the most important position in North American sports. If Rivera is to bring to fruition what he has started, that list of characters can’t represent where his team is headed.

 
Edited by Skinsinparadise
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Koolblue13

Koolblue13

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Imagine him with an offseason and knowing he will be contributing to a team. Him and Allen together is absolutely perfect for us to groom a young QB next season.

 

His high praises of Alex Smith is great. So much respect for Alex, but I think that was his final game.

 

The first half of the game, I'd see the RBs or WRs within 10 yards of the LoS and see the ball sail over them and it almost gave me a heart attack. I know Alex is captain check down, but it was so strange to see the football going over LBers heads to deeper WRs. lol. Been a while.

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ClaytoAli

ClaytoAli

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14 minutes ago, London Kev said:

I'm happy to go into next season with Allen, Heinicke and Smith. We could still draft a QB if we wanted to, but we wouldn't have to.

With that in place, this team can focus more on other needs LB, WR, FS, K, OL, OWNER.

Edited by ClaytoAli
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Skinsinparadise

Skinsinparadise

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5 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

Imagine him with an offseason and knowing he will be contributing to a team. Him and Allen together is absolutely perfect for us to groom a young QB next season.

 

His high praises of Alex Smith is great. So much respect for Alex, but I think that was his final game.

 

The first half of the game, I'd see the RBs or WRs within 10 yards of the LoS and see the ball sail over them and it almost gave me a heart attack. I know Alex is captain check down, but it was so strange to see the football going over LBers heads to deeper WRs. lol. Been a while.

 

Arians is super honest.  And the dude is one of the most brilliant offensive minds in NFL history and his niche is the QB spot.  When he said he wanted to see Alex and not Heinicke and he thought Heinicke would give his defenses more problems -- I believe him.

 

Imagine if Heinicke was throwing to M. Evans and Godwin (even though Godwin wasn't hot yesterday) as opposed to Steve Sims and Cam Sims?    Tampa's O line mostly handled our D line last night.  But the Tampa line successfully harassed Heinicke.  You flip the two supporting casts and I think Heinicke would have outplayed Brady last night.

 

I do think the dude needs to bulk up his upper body some.  Injuries is my concern. 

 

 

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LetThePointsSoar

LetThePointsSoar

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I think his two concerns are durability and batted balls due to his height. However, this was his FIRST start with very limited prep time. I'm incredibly optimistic on what he can do with an entire offseason and training camp to grow, get better, learn throwing lanes, etc. 

 

Get this kid some weapons, beef up our LB core and let's kick the NFC East's ass for years to come. 

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Darrell Green Fan

Darrell Green Fan

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44 minutes ago, Warhead36 said:

I wouldn’t annoint him just yet. NFL history is filled with guys like this. Hes earned a roster spot and a right to compete but if some dumb team offers him legit starting QB money you let him go. 

 

Thank you being the voice of reason.  Heinicke played great last night, especially with no running game. Why Gibson was in so much when even a fan like me could see that he was still hurt and ineffective is frustrating, they should have gone with Barber and McKisson.  But I knew fans would overreact to a few good games by this QB.   Guy looked just like Allen to me, questionable arm, good mobility, delivered the ball on time and on target. So now we have two Kyle Allens but no real long term solution. 

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CommanderInTheRye

CommanderInTheRye

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I’m down with taking Allen and Heinicke into camp and letting them duel it out for qb1 and qb 1a.

 

As for Alex I think his body is telling him something and this time he should listen.

 

As for the draft I’d focus on receiving targets (WRs, TEs) and we need a bell cow type rb to go along with “Big Play” Gibson. I wouldn’t select a qb in the early rounds unless somebody unexpectedly drops

 

As for the defense— get some big athletic lbs that can cover, play the run and blitz.

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