4 Commanders we need to see more from in Week 2 of preseason

2. Taylor Heinicke

With Carson Wentz in town Heinicke was reverted to his familiar backup role and surprisingly struggled vs the Panthers’ second-team defense. Everyone’s favorite quarterback finished just 4-of-9 for 21 yards and an ugly interception on which he overthrew undrafted wideout Kyric McGowan by a concerning margin.

To make matters worse for Heinicke, third-string rookie Sam Howell was the Commanders’ best player Saturday, finishing 9-of-16 for 145 yards (86.7 passer rating) and two rushing touchdowns that sparked a fourth quarter comeback.

We won’t overreact and say Heinicke is in danger of losing the backup job — he’s more than earned the benefit of the doubt after one poor preseason game — but that could become a real conversation if his struggles linger and Howell continues to ball out in training camp and the preseason.

After all, Howell is just as electric and as a scrambler and boasts double the arm talent to the Old Dominion product.