In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: Taylor Heinicke finds that proving himself as an NFL quarterback is far from a one-time thing ... we rank the MLB playoff contenders on how likely they are to make a deep postseason run ... and we share a beautiful “Story-book” moment from the Rockies.
When you’re Taylor Heinicke, starting quarterback for the Washington Football Team, former undrafted free agent, former XFL back-up, formerly essentially retired from the sport, proving yourself isn’t a one-time thing.
It’s an every-week deal, pretty much, especially coming off one of the most difficult and disappointing performances of your National Football League career.
When Heinicke plays well, like he most certainly did in a wild-card weekend defeat against eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay in January, it is a story everyone loves, the plucky undersized scrapper who refused to give up on a pro career even when it looked shot.
But there is a downside to being an underdog, and it’s that you’re only ever one game away from being doubted all over again by the critics who wonder whether the early scouting reports were actually right and that the good showings have been the blip.
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That’s where Heinicke is right now. He's coming out of last weekend’s 43-21 defeat against the Buffalo Bills where he went 14-for-24 with two interceptions, despite having plenty of time and solid protection. And he's going into a Sunday visit to the Atlanta Falcons (1 p.m. ET on FOX) that isn’t a definitively must-win encounter but has plenty in common with one.
Yet whatever skepticism might be felt towards Heinicke from NFL observers, it is not shared by his favored receiver Terry McLaurin, who believes the QB’s story of struggle and perseverance is a strong message for a team trying to find its way back to a repeat division title.
"Someone like Taylor may not have all the national attention and praise, but he doesn’t seek that," McLaurin told me via telephone. "He just goes about his job, he has done that ever since he got here and it has been cool to see him develop.
"A lot of people see what Taylor does on the field but they don’t necessarily see the preparation and attitude he brings into the building every day. As a team we have the most confidence in him, he just seems always ready for his moment. Last week obviously wasn’t ideal for any of us, but he takes accountability and you know he is going to come back and learn from it."
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Heinicke went through an exhilarating whirlwind last December. First, his engineering degree at Old Dominion was interrupted when Washington signed him to their practice squad. Eleven days later, he was promoted to the active roster. Then Dwayne Haskins was benched and ultimately released, then Alex Smith got injured and suddenly, there he was, in the starting spot in the NFL postseason against a certain soon-to-be-seven-time world champion in Tom Brady.
His efforts in the wild-card game, including an instantly viral dive for the pylon for a touchdown, earned him a two-year deal, and when Ryan Fitzpatrick got hurt in Game 1 this season, Heinicke came in again for another crack at starting.
However, after positive signs in the opening two weeks, the Bills game prompted him to hear two words that are enough to make any QB shiver – "game manager." That damned-with-faint-praise descriptor is what WFT Ron Rivera said Heinicke should actually aspire to be, indicating that he wants him to be safe and unspectacular, and keep the offense on a tight leash.
"I have no problem with it," Heinicke told reporters. "That’s what every quarterback should be, a game manager. You take what’s there, take what’s given, and you move the ball down the field. That’s something I want to do, that’s something I want to be, but at the same time, I know there’s also other aspects of my game that can help, whether it’s on my feet or whatnot. Game manager is fine with me."
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With the Dallas Cowboys showing significant signs of improvement, it may take a far better showing to win the NFC East this time around, unlike last year, when for a while it seemed as if even a 5-11 mark might be sufficient to win the division. Ultimately Washington squeezed into first at 7-9, winning five of its last seven.
Heinicke values McLaurin’s support and reciprocates it. During his midweek press conference, he wore a piece of McLaurin merchandise, a T-shirt with a "Scary Terry" motif and a Halloween figure on the front.
"We are both competitors," McLaurin added. "We are team-first guys and we want to do whatever we can to help the team win. The chemistry is really built in the building. I am extremely supportive of what he is doing, I think it has been noted how much I believe in him and vice versa. We have a good relationship as men outside of being teammates."
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McLaurin’s interview with me was courtesy of his partnership with Team Milk, and he extolled the virtues of milk as a vital source of nutrition for elite athletes. The 26-year-old, third-year wide receiver out of Ohio State drinks chocolate milk after training sessions and games and firmly believes in its restorative properties.
Washington is a marginal -118 favorite this week against the Falcons and can scarcely afford to slip to 1-3, with home fixtures against the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs to follow.
And so Heinicke will get another chance to shine, to show what he’s capable of and to make people forget in part about last week.
Game manager or not, he’s in the game, which is right where he wants to be.
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Here’s what others have said ...
Taylor Heinicke on playing in his hometown of Atlanta on Sunday: "It's going to mean a lot playing in front of my trainer who I've been training with for 10-plus years, high school head coaches, stuff like that. They're a big part of who I am today and why I'm here."
Ian Rapoport, NFL Network: “Heinicke appears to have rallied his teammates, both on the sidelines and in the locker room. Chase Young is among the teammates who has been vocal in support of Heinicke, and he's not alone. They treat him as a leader.”
Colin Cowherd, ‘The Herd’ on FS1: “Gotta admit, Taylor Heinicke is a gamer. Fun to watch.” |
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While the Colorado Rockies won’t be playing in the MLB postseason, they certainly gave their fans something special to cheer about on Wednesday. Before the Rockies took the field for their midday matchup against the Washington Nationals, the team let shortstop Trevor Story go out by himself as he soaked in what could very-well be his last game as a Rockie at Coors Field. It was a beautiful moment for Story, who has spent his entire MLB career with the Rockies since coming into the league in 2016. In six seasons, Story has played a total of 743 game with Colorado, sporting a career .272 average with 158 home runs. Wherever he plays next season, we’ll be rooting for him! |
| Virginia at Miami (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Brennan Armstrong leads the Virginia Cavaliers into Miami to take on Charleston Rambo and the Hurricanes in a much-anticipated ACC matchup.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals (NFL Network, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars take on Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football. |
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Odds provided by FOX Bet
Washington Football Team at Atlanta Falcons: Washington -1.5
Per FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd:
Washington lost to the Chargers; Los Angeles is pretty good. They got beat soundly by the Bills, who are a top-five team in the NFL. And then, they beat the Giants. We don't think they are a great team, but I'd take Washington here if I had to simply because it's a step down in competition.
At least with Washington, you are getting these coaches in their second year of the system. You have to be honest about Atlanta – they were getting beat by the Giants the entire game. Atlanta has new coordinators and a new system. Matt Ryan is a quarterback who needs about a year in a system to really flourish.
I think getting hammered by Buffalo is no great shame for Washington. Outside of the Rams and Bucs, are we sure that Buffalo isn't the third-best team in the league?
Atlanta has been outplayed in every game I've watched, including against New York. So, I would take Washington here. |
| | “I’ll take No. 4 on my team any day of the week." — Terry McLaurin on Taylor Heinicke |
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