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5 Commanders reality checks for Week 10 against the Eagles

By Tim Payne

LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 25: Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Commanders carries the ball as Darius Slay #2 of the Philadelphia Eagles defends during the second half at FedExField on September 25, 2022 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 25: Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Commanders carries the ball as Darius Slay #2 of the Philadelphia Eagles defends during the second half at FedExField on September 25, 2022 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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In the slightly edited words of the immortal song “My Way”, here’s my open letter to Daniel Snyder:

“And now, the end is near, it’s time to face the final curtain.

No friends are left to cheer, the cases pile up for certain.

You’ve sailed on borrowed time, you’ve hid and skulked in every byway.

You’ve lost, the jig is up, it’s time to go away!!!!!!!”

And with that. While we wait for the final hammer to drop and the sale of the team to go through, we can get back to football and an endlessly intriguing matchup on Monday Night Football between the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles and the enigmatic Washington Commanders. So, living here are your Week 10 Commanders reality checks:

Commanders reality checks for Week 10 vs the Eagles

Oct 30, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke (4) runs the ball in the second half against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke (4) runs the ball in the second half against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

5. The Reality Is, Taylor Heinicke is yet again at a crossroads.

Taylor Heinicke entered the Washington franchise in 2020 after having already gotten well past what anyone but his mom and sister believed was the final crossroads of his NFL career. He got one last chance based on the rash of injuries Washington’s QB room faced that season. His stellar performance in the subsequent playoff game got his career back on track and set up  another career crossroads.

The result, he got a contract to serve as the backup to Washington’s newly minted starter: Ryan Fitzpatrick. Enter Ryan Fitzpatrick’s hip injury in the first half of the first game of the 2021 season, and Heinicke was at another crossroads: started the remainder of the season and played well enough to garner consideration by some as a future starter, but at a minimum guaranteed himself a spot as the team’s backup for 2022.

Enter Carson Wentz’ broken finger against Chicago in October 2022 and another crossroads for Heinicke. After 2 wins and an ugly loss, Heinicke enters this week facing a definitive crossroads again. If Heinicke plays like he did against Minnesota this coming week, he will definitely not maintain his starting role the remainder of this season. If he somehow leads this team to victory as 10+ point underdogs, it will be very hard for this coaching staff to go back to Carson Wentz the following week.

It will be fascinating to see how Taylor handles the crossroads this time.

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