Ron Rivera Explains Decision to Start Taylor Heinicke Over Sam Howell

Rivera explains decision to start Heinicke over Howell originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

ASHBURN, Va. -- With starting quarterback Carson Wentz set to miss time after undergoing surgery on his throwing hand, the Washington Commanders are turning back to Taylor Heinicke at quarterback.

Heinicke, who started 15 games for the club in 2021, will start this Sunday vs. Green Bay, head coach Ron Rivera confirmed. Rookie Sam Howell will serve as the team's backup. 

A decent proportion of Commanders fans hoped Howell would be the choice at QB, largely because he's a rookie and there's plenty of untapped potential. With Heinicke, the Commanders and their fans know what to expect. Still, the choice to start Heinicke over Howell was an easy one for Rivera and his staff.

"Taylor, right now, gives us the best opportunity to be successful," Rivera said.

Of Washington's trio of quarterbacks, Heinicke knows offensive coordinator Scott Turner's system the best -- Heinicke has played under Turner for two-plus seasons in Washington and spent time with the offensive coordinator in both Minnesota and Carolina before that.

Due to that familiarity, Rivera believes inserting the quarterback into the starting lineup could potentially provide a spark for the unit.

"I think because of the familiarity with some of the things we do, it'll be an easy transition for us," Rivera said. "With Taylor, too, there's always that ability to run the ball -- he's got a little bit of that in him. It'll be interesting because the things we do will certainly match his skill set."

Later on in his press conference, Rivera praised Heinicke for how he's handled the backup role this season behind Wentz.

"He's been a guy that's been very helpful, not just to Carson but to a lot of the young receivers and backs," the head coach said. "He's a very knowledgeable guy. As far as knowing the game and learning the game, there's no concern there."

In fact, it's worth noting the Commanders averaged more points with Heinicke under center in 2021 (20.1 ppg in 15 starts) than they have this season with Wentz (17.0) at the helm. Even though the organization views Wentz as an upgrade at the position (or at least they did this offseason), it hasn't translated into results on the field.

When Heinicke takes the field on Sunday, he'll also have a much better group of skill players around him. Curtis Samuel, the team's leader in receptions, is healthy after missing almost all of 2021. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. and Jahan Dotson, two rookies, were obviously not in the fold last year. If Dotson -- who's currently dealing with a hamstring ailment -- is able to play, that'll provide Heinicke with another big upgrade on the outside compared to last season's bunch.

Even before Wentz's injury, several Washington fans hoped Rivera would make the move to Heinicke. Now, those fans will get their wish.

"The focus is Taylor. We're still in a good situation, still early in the year," Rivera said. "We like what we've got in terms of the skill sets in terms of our playmakers, guys we believe we can get the ball to."

Heinicke has been a locker room and fan favorite for Washington ever since his impressive postseason start in place of Alex Smith against Tampa Bay in 2020. When Heinicke was thrust back into action last fall after Ryan Fitzpatrick went down, the group rallied around him once again.

Rivera expects the locker room to rally around Heinicke once again, starting this Sunday against the Packers.

"A big part of it comes from you bring a guy in [during] 2020, throw him out there and he has this never die, never quit [attitude]," Rivera said. "The guys rally around anybody who's going to step up and compete. It's kind of that underdog story. It's kind of exciting and we'll see how it goes."

Another reason Washington is going with Heinicke over Howell is that Rivera doesn't want to put the rookie in a non-ideal situation to begin his career. The Commanders are down multiple starting offensive linemen; Wentz is currently the NFL's most-sacked QB. 

Rivera emphasized that Howell is "on track" and the organization believes strongly in his potential, but they want to give him more time to develop before throwing the 22-year-old out there in live action.

"We don't want to put Sam in a situation like that this early in his career," Rivera said. "We feel he's a young man that as he grows and develops, he's got a chance."

Howell, who's mainly run the scout team for the Commanders since the regular season began, believes he's made significant strides in his game over the past two months.

"I think I've grown a lot, especially since the last preseason game," Howell said. "Being out there in the preseason was a good opportunity for me. I learned a lot. I feel like I'm in a really good place right now."

Sunday will mark the first regular season game Howell suits up for, as he's been a healthy scratch in each of the team's first six contests. The rookie said his pregame routine won't change, even though he's now just one injury away from playing.

"I still go out there before every game, even when I wasn't active, I was throwing like I was getting ready to play a game," he said.