Washington Football Team: Key storylines to watch vs Patriots
By Tim Payne
5. Will the Heinicke from last season show up, or will the player who couldn’t win a starting job in the XFL?
Based on Rivera’s comments this week, it appears Ryan Fitzpatrick will play less than a quarter in this first preseason game, and with Kyle Allen still limited because of the ankle injury he suffered last week in camp, it’s reasonable to assume Heinicke will receive extended time before giving way to Steven Montez.
Given his style of play, evaluating Heinicke in practice will always be somewhat difficult. While reviews have been mixed (at best) for his performance so far in training camp, it’s reasonable to assume that he might look quite a bit better in game action.
If he’s able to mirror his performances from last season, that will go a long way toward cementing his role as the backup QB to Fitzpatrick and garner some starting consideration if Fitzpatrick struggles early in the season.
If Heinicke struggles in the preseason, there may be an opening for Kyle Allen to end up winning the backup QB job, and the Heinicke Hive will have to lower their expectations moving forward.