Should Taylor Heinicke be Washington starting QB for the rest of the season? He certainly thinks so

For Taylor Heinicke, the third time was the charm.

After starting and losing two games—first with the Carolina Panthers in 2018 in Week 16, and then with the Washington Football Team last year in Wild Card round against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—Taylor Heinicke can finally say, "I'm a winner."

Well, at least he can say it until next week.

Taylor Heinicke: Washington's QB1?

In the post-game interview with Michael Irvin, the Hall of Famer asked Heinicke:

"Do you believe, with the job that you've done here, that you have earned the right to start at quarterback for the Washington Football Team the rest of the year?"

The quarterback promptly answered:

"I do, and I have confidence that I can do it. So if those guys in the locker room and the facility believe in me, that's all that matters, and I believe they do."

And to justify why he believes he deserves the starting role, Heinicke explained he has preparing for years to be a starter in the NFL:

"Even as a backup, I prepared every week like I was the starter."

Can Heinicke be a starter in the NFL?

That is a tricky question to answer. Heinicke's numbers suggest he cannot.

First start:

Falcons vs. Panthers, December 23th, 2018

Pass Attempts: 53

Pass completions: 33

Pass yards: 274

Pass average: 5.2

Touchdowns: 1

Interceptions: 3

Passer rating: 58.2

Rush attempts: 3

Rush yards: 33

Rush touchdowns: 1

Second start:

Buccaneers vs. Washington, January 9th, 2021

Pass Attempts: 44

Pass completions: 26

Pass yards: 306

Pass average: 7.0

Touchdowns: 1

Interceptions: 1

Passer rating: 78.4

Rush attempts: 6

Rush yards: 46

Rush touchdowns: 1

Third start:

Giants vs. Washington, September 17th, 2021

Pass Attempts: 46

Pass completions: 34

Pass yards: 336

Pass average: 7.3

Touchdowns: 2

Interceptions: 1

Passer rating: 99.6

Rush attempts: 4

Rush yards: 6

Rush touchdowns: 0

Analyzing the numbers, Heinicke is a below-average QB. But it is important to contextualize the games.

In his first start, Heinicke did not have an offensive line to help him. He started because of an injury to Cam Newton. During the game, Heinick briefly left the field with an injury. Coincidentally, his backup was Kyle Allen, the same backup he has in Washington. Considering the jitters of the first start and the non-existent O-line, Heinicke could not have had a good game.

The second start was even trickier. Heinicke was named the starter midway through the week and was about to face the soon-to-be Super Bowl champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by Tom Brady. Taking everything into account, the QB had a pretty decent out. He wasn't expected to have any sort of impact and cause one of the biggest upsets in NFL history. Guiding the WFT to an honorable defeat was a significant accomplishment.

The third start, the first win, raises more questions than answers. At the beginning of the game, Heinicke over-floated too many passes and missed some open targets in the middle. But after calming himself, he did a decent job, especially on Washington's last touchdown drive. His passes to JD McKissic and Ricky Seals-Jones were perfect.

So can Heinicke be Washington's QB1? Yes, he can.

But should he be? Fortunately Ron Rivera will have plenty of time to evaluate before making a decision.