The Washington Commanders are set to be without Carson Wentz for the foreseeable future, as the quarterback suffered a fractured finger against the Bears. Wentz visited a hand specialist on Monday and we now know he’ll miss 4-6 weeks. The silver lining is Wentz doesn’t need surgery, but he’ll miss a huge (and important) chunk of the schedule and his absence leaves Washington with a big decision.
There’s been widespread debate amongst fans about who should step in as the starter: Taylor Heinicke or Sam Howell. Team and league insiders have already disclosed that Heinicke is the next man up, which makes sense all things considered.
But is it the right move? For the interim, absolutely. Heinicke knows the offense and is revered in the locker room for his unwavering competitiveness and leadership. Having said that, the former undrafted quarterback should be on a short leash because the Commanders have a promising rookie waiting in the wings.
Why the Commanders should have Taylor Heinicke on short leash in relief of Carson Wentz.
3. Patriots are having success with Bailey Zappe
Do the Patriots suddenly have a QB controversy on their hands? Fourth-round rookie Bailey Zappe has filled in tremendously for injured starter Mac Jones, prompting a conversation the national media previously had (or forced) regarding Cooper Rush and Dak Prescott, though that debate ended after Dallas’ loss to the Eagles.
With backup Brian Hoyer out with a concussion, New England — probably somewhat begrudgingly — handed the keys of the offense to Zappe.
Despite being thrown to the wolves, Zappe hasn’t looked overwhelmed. He’s showed poise under pressure and confidence delivering the ball, which admittedly has more zip relative to Jones’ spirals. In two starts, the rookie QB is 41-of-55 for 497 yards with three touchdowns and one interception (112.46 passer rating).
The Patriots won both games.
When accounting for Zappe’s emergency relief appearance vs Green Bay, when he finished 10-of-15 for 99 yards and a TD, the Kansas State product now has three straight performances logging a passer rating of 100.0 or higher. The Patriots lost that game, but it took overtime for Aaron Rodgers and Co. to win.
The Commanders don’t have New England’s infrastructure, but Zappe is proof Washington shouldn’t be afraid to unleash Sam Howell.
2. Already know what Heinicke brings at QB
Nobody denies what Heinicke’s accomplished as a backup quarterback. His performance against the eventual Super Bowl champion Buccaneers in the 2020 playoffs was nothing short of gutsy. And last season, Heinicke led an injury-depleted Washington side to seven wins with a bottom-barrel receiving corps.
Could Heinicke step in and provide a similar spark? Absolutely, but the Commanders already know what he provides as a quarterback. His scrambling ability would come in handy behind an inconsistent offensive line and his knack for showing up in the clutch is something Wentz has struggled with in his career.
And by the way, the offensive line has been markedly better in pass protection over the last couple of games so it’s not like the offense is begging for a mobile QB.
Howell is definitely unproven and has a lot of developing to do, but it wasn’t long ago (the preseason) fans were calling the UNC product an upgraded version of Heinicke: Howell might be a better runner and he has a bigger arm.
We just don’t want to see Heinicke underthrow deep balls and sail passes over receivers heads when the Commanders have a talented rookie waiting in the wings. If Howell was undrafted or Washington had a journeyman vet like Brian Hoyer as the third-stringer, Heincike would obviously get the nod.
Which brings us to our No. 1 reason.
1. The Commanders are invested in Howell
The Commanders didn’t trade up to draft Howell, but it speaks volumes they invested a fifth-round pick on a QB who entered the pre-draft process as a surefire first-rounder. Every draft analyst in the business viewed Howell as a steal in Round 5 and the hype was only amplified during the preseason.
Howell looked better than Heinicke in the preseason. The rookie led all quarterbacks with 547 passing yards and brought the Commanders back from a 20-6 deficit against the Panthers in Week 1 with two rushing touchdowns; showing off his dual-threat ability.
Care to guess how Zappe looked in preseason? He went 45-of-71 for 462 yards and one touchdown to three interceptions. It’s not like Zappe lit it up and he’s now performing better than expected against first-team defenses.
Howell already has a strong preseason under his belt. Who’s to say that momentum wouldn’t carry over into the regular season? There’d obviously be growing pains, but with Wentz out for the foreseeable future, wouldn’t it make sense for Washington to see what it has in Howell over the remaining 11 games?
The 2023 draft is deep at quarterback. Better to know beforehand if you should draft a Bryce Young, CJ Stroud or Will Levis. If Howell turns out to be the answer, that first-round pick can be invested in another position of need.
Heinicke might be the right move for the immediate future, but giving Howell some run is an absolute must with Wentz out indefinitely.