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Washington Football Team: 3 quotes that prove Taylor Heinicke was built for this

By Jerry Trotta

LANDOVER, MARYLAND - AUGUST 20: Taylor Heinicke #4 of the Washington Football Team scrambles out of the pocket in the second half during the NFL preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals at FedExField on August 20, 2021 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - AUGUST 20: Taylor Heinicke #4 of the Washington Football Team scrambles out of the pocket in the second half during the NFL preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals at FedExField on August 20, 2021 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /
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Washington Football Team
Washington WR Terry McLaurin (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

The Washington Football Team was put in a precarious position when Ryan Fitzpatrick was injured in the second quarter of Week 1.

It was ultimately revealed that Fitzpatrick suffered a hip subluxation. The well-traveled QB opted for rehab over surgery — a strong indicator he wants to return as soon as possible — and will spend the next 6-8 weeks on injured reserve.

Little did we know, however, that Taylor Heinicke would step in and perform better than fans wildest expectations. That isn’t a knock on Heinicke. His performance against the Buccaneers in last year’s playoffs was heroic. We just wanted more than a one-game sample size to really buy into the hype

Well, if the last six-plus quarters are any indication, we were dead wrong to second-guess Heinicke and these quotes following last Thursday’s thrilling division win over the Giants prove he was meant to be here.

3 quotes that prove Taylor Heinicke is THAT guy

3. Terry McLaurin vote of confidence

It’s clear that Heinicke trusts Terry McLaurin more than any of his other pass-catching options right now.

That figures to change as he gets more comfortable with the playbook, but the rapport between Heinicke and McLaurin is undeniable, as Scary Terry finished with a career-high 11 catches for 107 yards and a touchdown vs the Giants.

Who better to hear from in terms of Heinicke’s leadership and overall command of the huddle than his go-to receiver? During his postgame presser, McLaurin lauded Heinicke’s poise, saying the 28-year-old QB “does a really good job of speaking loud and clear and putting us (the team) in a great situation to be successful.”

Check out the full quote.

Talk about a vote of confidence, folks.

This might not seem like a big deal to some, but the fact Heinicke has the offense on the same page coming out of the huddle is SO important. It’s also rare for an inexperienced quarterback — Heinicke now has just three NFL starts under his belt —  to be so adept calling out blitzes and coverages.

For Heinicke, it seems to come naturally and that proves he belongs.

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