Prior to Saturday night, Taylor Heinicke was best known for his performances at Old Dominion and his ability to celebrate an XFL victory.
This is no longer the case.
Heinicke made a bold effort Saturday night to lose a 31-23 loss to Tampa Bay, completing 26-of-44 passes for 306 yards, one offense and one interception, and a surprisingly effective Washington offense in the second half of what ended as a match with one score.
‘He benefited from [the opportunity]”did an excellent job for us,” Washington coach Ron Rivera said.
Without Heinicke, it is reasonable to wonder if Washington would have had anything more than a chance to hit Tampa Bay. Washington’s usually powerful defense struggled to get behind Tom Brady, forcing just three points on 12 possessions in total, conceding 31 points in a game that ended up being a higher score than expected. This left Heinicke as the face of Washington’s best chance of victory, and he put together a performance that Rivera called ‘courageous’.
Heinicke delivered above expectations, with two touchdowns in the second half and another that ended in a field goal to keep Washington at a hit distance until the end. Only when Tampa Bay came under pressure did Heinicke get into a struggle and overcome an early interception to put together a game in which those who relieved Twitter responded with reactions of inspiration and surprise.
Heinicke was calm under pressure and explored the field and hit targets at different depths and locations. Washington’s offense went from a sleepy unit to one with the potential to go on and off the field at any time, all thanks to the calmness and delivery of Heinicke.
“He made a lot of plays. He kept up a lot,” Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said of Heinicke after the game.
Heinicke’s best play does not come from his arm, but his legs, when he escapes from a collapsing bag, rolls to the left and jumps to the front pilot, dives and reaches a full extension while sticking the ball out to the foam level indicator. Heinicke hits the arrow with the ball, crosses the goal line for a touch that shows teammate Chase Young on Heinicke’s nameplate and points to the camera with a clear message: Remember this name. After the game, Heinicke said he played after the dive through a separated AC joint that later saw him leave the game briefly after hitting a shot but returning on the ensuing offense.
“They respect guys who go out there and play hard and put everything in the bag,” Rivera said. “It’s easy to get behind such a man. And that’s really what happened. Those guys came after Taylor. They crowded around him and they fought their ass off. They really did. I’m really proud of this group of men. “
Heinicke’s future does not appear to be in football after the sudden fold of the XFL, but when Washington was in distress, he called on Heinicke. The former passer-by of Old Dominion and St. Louis BattleHawks delivered, who could possibly create new opportunities for himself somewhere in the NFL.
His next destination has yet to be determined, but for one night he was Washington’s quarterback, and a playoff game. And Heinicke delivers, even in a defeat.