At 2-6 coming out of their bye week, there’s plenty for the Washington Football Team to worry about in the present but quarterback Taylor Heinicke is taking some time this week to think about the past.
Washington plays the Buccaneers this Sunday for the first time since the two teams squared off in the Wild Card round of last season’s playoffs. Heinicke made his second career start in that game and impressed many as he threw for one touchdown and ran for another in a 31-23 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champions.
The Football Team was in that group. Washington was impressed enough to sign Heinicke to a two-year deal this offseason and he said Wednesday that he knows “that game is probably the reason I’m still here.”
“I feel like I’m getting better every week and I’m learning something every week. But again, my life has changed dramatically,” Heinicke said, via NBCSportsWashington.com. “I thought I was done with football last year. So since that game until now, made some good money and just feel a lot more comfortable in life. It’s a totally different feeling from what I was feeling this point last year.”
With Washington riding a four-game losing streak into Sunday, no one with the team would object to Heinicke turning back the clock and coming up with a big game in his second meeting with Tampa. The other NFC playoff contenders also wouldn’t object to Heinicke pulling out the win this time.