Carson Wentz to start for Commanders, Ron Rivera benches Taylor Heinicke

Posted by Michael David Smith on December 28, 2022, 8:15 AM EST
NFL-New York Giants at Washington Commanders
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The Commanders have a new starting quarterback. Their old starting quarterback.

Carson Wentz will start Sunday’s game against the Browns, the team announced.

Wentz replaced Taylor Heinicke during last week’s loss to the 49ers, and as PFT has reported this week, coach Ron Rivera was planning a Wednesday morning decision about which one of them would start against the Browns.

So far this season the Commanders are 5-3-1 in games started by Heinicke and 2-4 in games started by Wentz, although their stats are very similar: Wentz has a 62.9 percent completion rate with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions, while Heinicke has a 62.2 percent completion rate with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions.

If the Commanders win their final two games, Sunday against the Browns and in Week 18 against the Cowboys, they will be a wild card team. Rivera thinks it’s Wentz who gives them the best chance of doing that.

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49 responses to “Carson Wentz to start for Commanders, Ron Rivera benches Taylor Heinicke”

  2. Is he on the hot seat if they miss the playoffs or something? This strikes me as the decision of a desperate man.

  3. Heinicke is a poor man’s Ryan Fitzpatrick. He plays with a lot of heart, but is turnover prone and lacks arm strength

  4. Riverboat Ron just gave his boat a leak.

    Trusting Wentz puts coaches on the unemployment line.

  5. This will probably be until Wentz has another bad game, then it will be back to Heinicke. Goes to show you’re only as good as your last game (sometimes it’s sooner).

  7. Unfortunately it was the right move. We all love Heiny, but the record with him as the starting QB was simply bc our defense and running game. He was pretty bad in most of those games.

  8. I’ve been blasted by our fans for saying this, but we know who Heineke is and need to wean ourselves off of him because it’s too comfortable to play him and remain in mediocrity. To build the QB room for next year, I’d move on from Heineke, bring Wentz to camp, because he’s the only QB on the roster who has an NFL arm and has played at an MVP level before and he now has a year of the system under his belt. I’d bring back Howell, draft another QB, and bring in another free agent. If Howell can’t play his way into the top 2, I’d cut him and put him on the practice squad. If he’s picked up by another team, so what. We have to get out of the mindset of mediocrity and the only way to do that is to stop loading the roster with average QBs who can’t take you anywhere.

  10. I don’t get this at all. I don’t see the team play but 3-4 times per years but it just seems desperate. Is this a move the fan base has been calling for or what do they think about this?

  12. Who got the team going this season…? Rhetorical question. It was
    Heinicke not Wentz. Stick with the person you took to the dance.
    I don’t see this turning out well.

  14. WOW i didnt see this coming. Good luck to Wentz I always liked the kid hes had a few rough years.

  15. Heinicke is limited in skill but he masked a lot of the o-line’s problems by being able to scramble and keep the play alive. Plus he has a bulldog mentality the team seems to rally behind.

    Why you would do this with two games left makes zero sense and it just shows that Ron and Turner are either stupid, scared, or both.

  17. Only 2 more weeks until Ron finally gets benched.

    With total command of the 6th seed here is what Rivera has done headings into week 14:

    Tie the giants
    Bye week
    Lose to the giants
    Lose the 49ers
    Vs browns
    Vs cowboys

    Let’s not forget Scott “my dad got me this job” turner deciding to line up in shotgun every time he it’s the one yard line despite BROBINSON running thru brick walls.

    The experiment is over. Thanks for the memories Ron.

    DEMECO RYANS COME ON DOWN! You’re the next Washington head coach

  20. Rivera obviously didn’t watch CW choke away the last two “must win” games for the Indy Irsays. Roll tape.

  21. “ The experiment is over. Thanks for the memories Ron.

    DEMECO RYANS COME ON DOWN! You’re the next Washington head coach”

    Hate to break it to you but Ron will be back. The sale of the team likely won’t be finalized until March at the earliest. That is way too late in the off-season to revamp the entire football operation.

    Rivera and the gang will get one more lame duck year.

  22. WFT has no NFL-caliber starting QB, and that’s 100% on Rivera. He has made it clear that trading for Wentz was his call. The nightmare scenario for Washington fans is Wentz plays just well enough to get the team into the playoffs, loses there, but “earns” the confidence of Rivera and is named the starter for 2023. I’ve been a big Rivera fan, but trading for Wentz was a deal-breaker. He’s been washed up for a few years now, and last year in Indy was the icing on the cake. Dude just can’t play.

  23. Carson takes the helm of a much better team than earlier in the season: Robinson is a tank, the D has significantly upped its game , and Chase Young is back. When you factor in Scary Terry, Dotson, and Samuel, this team represents Carson’s best chance to salvage his career. It says here, he does it, the Commanders shock the world and head off to the Super Bowl. They have all the ingredients.

  24. Whoever starts, this team is borderline to make playoffs and once there, will be bounced without question.

    Alot of heart shown by an organization with a degenerate owner, overmatched coach etc..

    The fans in DC and the surrounding areas deserve better. They will get it hopefully with the next owner(s). Also, the new name stinks.

  25. Let’s be honest, you’ve seen and got the best from Heinicke, and to be honest both he and Wentz have suffered for the most part because of pitiful O-line play. Heinicke floats too many balls and doesn’t use his legs as much as he should. Run the same offense for Wentz meaning using the run game, Wentz also should now have a better understanding and comfort with the offense.

  26. Let’s play this out. They will beat Cleveland by running Robinson (who’s awesome) and Wentz will have an OK day. But all is good cause they win and Rivera feels good about the decision.

    Week 18, Dallas rests the starters, Commanders need a win and Wentz chokes it up.

  27. I like Rivera, but no team becomes good by waffling on QBs. Panicking every time a QB isn’t perfect is a hallmark of loser teams and a key reason they stay bad.

    QBs take time to develop and grow, especially on teams with iffy rosters and coaching. Guys like Purdy and Hurts happen when you build a great roster and are patient.

  28. Heinike is a leader. He has the intangibles that his teammates respond to. I can’t see any good come from benching him. Rivers’s days are numbered. Bonehead move.

  29. CW seems to shrink when the lights shine their brightest. Besides, he has never made it through an entire post-season game and the only way they get there is if Dallas rests their best players for the playoffs.

  30. 1dayatatime says:
    December 28, 2022 at 9:04 am
    Who got the team going this season…? Rhetorical question. It was
    Heinicke not Wentz. Stick with the person you took to the dance.
    I don’t see this turning out well.
    ———————————
    They started the dance with Wentz. Got the team going? Both QBs have been mediocre at their best this season. Heinicke’s 12 TDs in 9 games is not carrying the team. It’s their defense that has.

  31. Philadelphia Eagles are very interested on how this plays out. Arnt they still getting draft picks for Wentz?

  34. It really sucks not having a franchise Quarterback. To be above 500 without one says a lot about the football team. Perhaps Washington can attract one of the few good free agent quarterbacks available. Should always try find a decent QB in the draft until they do finally get a franchise QB. A few teams got lucky and found one such as Phili not having a top 10 pick.

  35. Two seasons from now, this current franchise will be a fading memory. New owner, new branding, new personnel, new stadium in development.

  36. TheTruth says:
    December 28, 2022 at 10:30 am
    1dayatatime says:
    December 28, 2022 at 9:04 am
    Who got the team going this season…? Rhetorical question. It was
    Heinicke not Wentz. Stick with the person you took to the dance.
    I don’t see this turning out well.
    ———————————
    They started the dance with Wentz. Got the team going? Both QBs have been mediocre at their best this season. Heinicke’s 12 TDs in 9 games is not carrying the team. It’s their defense that has.
    ———————————
    I never said he’s carrying the team. I just think that of the two and their performances to date that Heinicke gives the W’s a better chance to win. As was mentioned he has heart and his teammates respond to him. Coaches and analysts often say, you’re only as good as your record, Heinicke’s 5-3 this season, Wentz 2-4. CW isn’t a cat, he doesn’t have 9 lives and doesn’t deserve to.

  37. Riviera is putting his job on the line if the switch doesn’t pan out and they miss the playoffs. I’d have stayed with Heineke. He ain’t pretty,… but he gave you more W’s than L’s.

  38. Rivera is just overrated as an HC. The commanders were robbed against the Giants, and they werent going to beat the 49ers. pulling Heinike is a classic panic move

  39. Neither QB is elite so I’d go with the guy that the team rallies behind. Clearly, that’s Heinicke. Go with the team player until you have a legitimate #1.
    Unfortunately Wentz has shown himself to be somewhat un-coachable and prone to huge mistakes at the worst times. There’s a reason Philly and then Indy dropped him, the same reason WFT benched him earlier this year.

  42. Probably the best move. Heinicke is a capable NFL quarterback and probably gives them the best chance to win right now. But he’s clearly not the long term answer in Washington. Wentz may not be either, but they made a financial commitment to him and he has more upside. It’s more important for them to know what they have in Wentz than to make the playoffs this year. That said, this has to be Wentz’s last chance to prove himself as an NFL starter. Doesn’t it?

  43. They need more of a threat to throw. Taylor can’t see the field unless he rolls out and unfortunately, even when he does see it, he just does not have the arm talent to deliver. They have weapons, but Taylor’s not getting them the ball. If Carson makes 3 or 4 of those throws that Taylor just can’t make that’s the difference in the playoffs.

  44. My favorite team has played most of the wild card hopefuls, and based on those games, the Cowboys obviously are the best, followed by the Giants and Washington. Despite my dislike of their owner, the Washington players and coach are very likeable — this opposing fan hopes they make it into the playoffs.

  46. Welp, there goes Scary Terry’s production out the window. Any time Wentz is throwing to him, he misses him by 10+ yards each attempt.

  47. This is one of the worst coaching decisions I’ve seen in a while. Rivera’s time has passed.

  48. Heinecke getting the black QB treatment. Not a Redskins fan – but TW has played much better than CW and the players seem to respond better to Taylor than Wentz

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