Taylor Heinicke - This Is Where Coaching Matters

The ever elusive QB solution. Finding a savior. Finding the long-term answer that can help the Burgundy & Gold become a consistent winner and dominant team in the NFL. We've struck out at the position forever. Some along the way over the last 30 years have given us a glimmer of hope and got us thinking that just maybe we were onto something. We don't need to go through the lengthy list of names - we know who they are. At the end of the day, each of them all left us utterly disappointed. We were left thinking about what could have been while circling back to the same conclusion each and every time - that the cupboard is truly bare at QB in Washington.

Now Taylor Heinicke has come along. Simply a guy picked up off the street a year ago out of necessity, he seemingly has injected some life into this Washington team. In 11 quarters of football that he has played for the WFT, he has more often than not left us all very impressed. Have we truly found a diamond in the rough? Could he at the very least be a QB solution that allows us to win consistently in the NFL? Or is he fool's gold? While the history and misfortunes of the WFT suggests fool's gold, I am a believer in #4. Put me in the camp of people that believe he can at the very least can give this team a chance to win/compete on a weekly basis and potentially turn into a consistent winner. Does he have what it takes to lead this team to a Super Bowl eventually? I think that it is way too early to have that conversation. However, you need to walk before you run in this league and I feel as though Heinicke can put this team on a path towards consistency and success, something that has eluded the franchise for decades. That's a good enough start for a team that is still growing and maturing, isn't it?

While numbers and stats can often play tricks on us, for once, let's just enjoy them and accept them at face value. Afterall, we have been beaten up and thrown to the curb far too many times as fans of the WFT. Take a look at what Taylor has done (yes, it is okay to smile Washington fans):

* In his two starts for the WFT, we have averaged 26.5 points per game (scoring totals of 23 and 30 respectively).
* In his 11 full quarters of football under center in Washington, we have amassed 70 points - on average, close to a touchdown per quarter.
* He has completed passes that have gone for 10 or more yards 35 times already in 11 full quarters of football in DC. 4 times vs. the Panthers, 13 vs. the Bucs, 6 vs. the Chargers, and 12 vs. the Giants. For a team that has lacked big/chunk play ability over the years, it has been a sight for sore eyes.
* In Burgundy and Gold, he is 83/124 on pass attempts, good enough for a 68.5% completion percentage. A small sample, yes, but for comparative purposes, Deshaun Watson led the league last year with a 70.2% completion percentage. Patrick Mahomes was next best at 66.3%.
* He has completed more passes than anyone in history over the course of his first three NFL starts (93). Sure, a lot of that has to do with Scot Turner's willingness to have him sling it quite often, but the fact is, he seems to be doing it with a high rate of success.

Make what you want to make of the numbers. At the end of the day, Heinicke's ability to push the ball downfield, his courageousness, what appears to be an overall level of comfort and confidence in running the offence, combined with his ability to move around and make plays with his feet make him a very intriguing player moving forward. Over and above all that, what has been most impressive about this kid and why I believe he can be molded into a solid player is that the moment to this point has never appeared to be too big for him. That's huge for a quarterback in the NFL. He was thrown to the wolves vs. the eventual Super Bowl champs in the Wildcard game last year and responded admirably. The fact is, that on our last possession of the ball game, we were down a score and in a position to potentially tie the game. That is more than you can ask for from an inexperienced QB like Heinicke put in that type of situation vs. a legend like Tom Brady. You saw it again this past week vs. the Giants. After throwing what normally would have been a game ending interception, Heinicke got the ball back in his hands and led the team downfield for a game winning field goal drive. The moment did not faze him - he overcame adversity. Here is an interesting little tidbit. Taylor Heinicke has thrown two interceptions in his Washington career. Guess what did on the very next drives when he got the ball back? Well, vs. the Bucs he led a long touchdown scoring drive. Against New York, as mentioned, he orchestrated a game winning drive. The kid has some guts and just doesn't seem to know any better at this point, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

However, the whole point of my thread I suppose was to point out that from this point forward, coaching will be HUGE in the continued development of Taylor Heinicke. How we handle this kid and how he is mentored will play a large role in determining if he will simply fizzle out like so many other signal callers in DC, or if he can continue on an upward trajectory and turn us into a consistent winner. When I say "how we handle this kid," I certainly don't mean insulating him. I think the writing is on the wall. Turner is not going to shackle this kid and play it safe, and nor should he necessarily do so. They think he can make plays and they believe in him to at times carry the team when needed with success. Handling Heinicke properly in my opinion is going to come down to instilling in him the mindset that he doesn't need to do it all on his own. Handling Taylor Heinicke properly in my opinion moving forward is going to require consistently and regularly reminding him that he doesn't need to force the issue. The sum is greater than the individual parts - the staff needs to drill that into his head - over and over and over. For example, look to make big plays? Certainly. Force the issue, press, and play recklessly? Absolutely not. That is what can potentially stunt his growth and development as a player and I hope he is not led down that rabbit hole. There is a fine line between being aggressive and making plays and playing smart. I hope that with the seemingly large amount of responsibility the staff seems content on giving Heinicke, that he doesn't at any point feel he needs to become a world-beater on his own. There is a good roster and solid foundation growing here. He needs to be reminded of such. In a hostile environment like Orchard Park this coming weekend, I will be particularly interested in seeing the level of composure with which Taylor plays. It will be a big test for him. Does he press, or does he play with good balance and composure? Does he stay within himself? That will give us some good preliminary clues as to if the legend of Taylor Heinicke can live on in DC.

Several years ago, we all thought we were on top of the world with Robert Griffin III. It was all blue skies and sunshine ahead...seemingly. Then Robert Griffin III became bigger than the collective team in DC. Some of that manifested itself with the RG3 chants that consistently echoed through FedEx Field, and some of that revealed itself in the playoff game vs. the Seahawks when he wasn't removed from the ballgame with an obvious injury, essentially wiping out our chances of maintaining our lead and winning the game.

Can we avoid some of these types of mistakes this time around with Taylor Heinicke? Can we allow his talent to shine while ensuring that he at no point feels he needs to do this on his own? Can we keep the kid's head screwed on straight?

Coaching matters.

Nice, CH. I agree completely.

I don’t know exactly what ‘it’ is but I know it when I see it.

The long plays has something that has stood out to me as well as his moxie.

Per your point on coaching, however they do it, I think Heinicke is definitely coachable. I about shared this article yesterday, but it's behind the paywall so knew many may not be able to see it. It focuses on how Heinicke approached the offseason with is training regimen. He comes across as someone that wants to work hard to succeed not like a former first rounder that says the right things. Little snippet from the article below.

Heinicke wanted to add bulk to assist the avoidance of injuries but didn’t want to lose the speed and agility that make him dangerous. There’s an oxymoronic component to such thinking, as some athletes lose flexibility while adding mass. “You lose mobility when you start sacrificing proper technique in the weight room,” Seedman said.

The quarterback added 15 pounds during the offseason without heavy lifting thanks to Seedman’s methods and his own discipline. That included consistent weight training and football workouts, getting proper sleep and hydration and “eating good, not going out and drinking all the time,” he said in June.

“I just took it very serious,” Heinicke said. “Again, I was on the other side — I wasn’t playing ball for a year and I thought I was done.”

Heinicke and Williams have discussed footwork since the quarterback was 15. Williams quickly recognized he had impressive athleticism but lacked a way to control his speed and aggression.

Heinicke once showed up for training with awkward footwork he picked up elsewhere. Williams harped on the need for Heinicke to play on the balls of his feet and said Heinicke’s preferred stance was too wide.

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The offseason began with Williams and Heinicke meeting five or six times a week for 90 minutes in addition to weight training with Seedman. Once again, footwork dominated the discussion.

The skills coach wants quarterbacks to have “blazing footwork” throughout the game so they have more time in the pocket for their defensive reads.

It isn’t about direct speed, though Williams said Heinicke could still run the 4.56-second 4o-yard dash time he clocked at his pro day. “The quarterback has to be quick to extend the play,” Williams said.

He also has to have endurance, and Williams pushes his pupil through rigorous routines.

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Henieke just impresses me. He's just a humble hard-working professional player. He's easy to root for because of this.
Of all the QB's we've had, only really him and Alex are the two I've REALLY wanted to succeed for reasons other than because the team needs a quality QB.

RGIII had the skills in 2012 to be great, but then, by all accounts, he became bigger than the team. Insisted he play a different style that was in his skillset to preserve his career. Instead he killed it. I've seen him talking about Washington 'making the call' to bring him back, but whenever I see an interview with him I'm not sure he learnt any lessons in humility from his rapid fall from grace. Maybe I'm wrong.
It'll be interesting to see how Haskins reacts in Pittsburgh too. Did he learn anything from being unceremoniously dumped by Washington?

Heineke gives a vibe like he KNOWS that he's lucky to be here. He doesn't come across as entitled. In that sense he kinda feels Brady-esque. Tom Brady has never sat on his laurels. He never seems to stop working to improve, to be better next year even as father time chases him down.
Compare and contrast with Aaron Rodgers, who is another QB who comes across as entitled sometimes.

Henieke feels like the kind of QB who will pursue whatever he needs to do to improve and hold on to his place here. I think the other players recognise that too and that's why he's so popular with them.

One thing that stands out about Heinicke is that....he is a red zone threat.

Doesn't sound profound...but he really is. Money throw after money throw every week in the red area, with on point passes and when it counts.

Even the current and past crop of elite QBs, have they given such a feel that they are just guarantted to make a money throw in the red area every week? Tom+Gronk is such a combo.

SirClintonPortis said:

One thing that stands out about Heinicke is that....he is a red zone threat.

Doesn't sound profound...but he really is. Money throw after money throw every week in the red area, with on point passes and when it counts.

Even the current and past crop of elite QBs, have they given such a feel that they are just guarantted to make a money throw in the red area every week? Tom+Gronk is such a combo.

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Threat with his feet too, he proved that in the Tampa game.
I think they're keen to protect him from doing that too much, but the threat of him taking off and scoring is something defense must account for.

Knightingale said:

Threat with his feet too, he proved that in the Tampa game.
I think they're keen to protect him from doing that too much, but the threat of him taking off and scoring is something defense must account for.

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Something that I don't think we've used enough. Boone pointed out in the last game (I think?), there was a 3rd and short situation, no designed roll out, no boot pass/run option style... no moving of the pocket. I don't want him running the read option, but use his legs to move the pocket and add an element the defense has to account for.

True, but the knock on Heineke has always been his durability if taking hits. I suspect Rivera/Turner think we have enough weapons on offense now to not have to use him too much in a designed run capacity.
Could you imagine the backlash if Heine got hurt on a run play while Fitz is out too?

I think that's also evident from the Athletic interview. That they are trying to make him more durable and move better in the pocket and not have to necessarily rely on his legs to make plays unless things break down.
Unlike RGIII, I think Heine has the skills to be a good pocket passer.

All that said, I think that there is room to surprise opponents with a few carefully sprinkled in designed runs.

totally fair.. i'm not looking for designed runs... I'm just looking to move the pocket. Get him outside and if there's nothing there he can throw it away, or if he's got open field, pick up what he can and get out of bounds. Force the linebackers to have to consider staying down and keeping contain. I understand not wanting him to get hurt, but using a weapon as a weapon wins games.

There has been a lot of criticism, concern, and frustration about Scott Turner’s play calling. This shows that execution may be a more significant factor than we think. With more game experience and film work, Taylor has the opportunity to take what he has done so far to an entirely different level.

Chris said:

There has been a lot of criticism, concern, and frustration about Scott Turner’s play calling. This shows that execution may be a more significant factor than we think. With more game experience and film work, Taylor has the opportunity to take what he has done so far to an entirely different level.

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Thanks for that link. Really interesting to see the 'hidden' yards that could have been versus what we got. And good analysis on the interception late.

Chris said:

There has been a lot of criticism, concern, and frustration about Scott Turner’s play calling. This shows that execution may be a more significant factor than we think. With more game experience and film work, Taylor has the opportunity to take what he has done so far to an entirely different level.

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I'm not surprised he's missing a few. With so little game action, the game is likely a little "fast" and hasn't, as they say, "slowed down" yet. But he's still ahead of our 1st round bust donning #7 in reading the field.

JT O' Sullvian and Tae and Todd offered their analysis as well.

Chris said:

There has been a lot of criticism, concern, and frustration about Scott Turner’s play calling. This shows that execution may be a more significant factor than we think. With more game experience and film work, Taylor has the opportunity to take what he has done so far to an entirely different level.

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It absolutely proves a lot has been left on the field... and if these had all been hit, the concerns would absolutely be lessened.

My personal criticism of Turner had a lot to do with play calling in a game management sense, but had these been executed the feeling would have absolutely been different... that point is not lost on me.

SilentThreat said:

It absolutely proves a lot has been left on the field... and if these had all been hit, the concerns would absolutely be lessened.

My personal criticism of Turner had a lot to do with play calling in a game management sense, but had these been executed the feeling would have absolutely been different... that point is not lost on me.

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I find the analysis very hopeful. I firmly believe that Heinicke has the skills, the smarts, and the dedication to improve.

What all this film tells me is that this offence has the potential to be pretty good once Heinicke gets some more game experience - assuming he and the QB coach are looking at these things.