Stat corner: Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke
FLOWERY BRANCH -- Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke has taken over for starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, who’s out with a hip injury.
He has completed 59 of 89 passes for 670 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He has a passer rating of 97.7. He next faces the Falcons in a 1 p.m. Sunday game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“He’s progressed very well,” Washington coach Ron Rivera said. “The big thing that Taylor has to understand is that if you’re down by a big deficit, there’s not a 17-point play, you know what I’m saying? So you’re not going to get it all back on one throw.”
The Bills jumped to a 21-0 lead Sunday against the Washington Football Team, and Heinicke was trying to do too much.
“The point being is that you do what’s right because it’s the right decision,” Rivera said. “If a check-down is the right play, then throw the check-down. If the (deep) route is the right play, throw the (deep) route. And that’s the thing that has to be done.”
Rivera doesn’t see a negative connotation in calling his quarterback a “game manager.”
“Because people think you don’t want the guy to make plays,” Rivera said. “There’s a time and a place to make the big play. If you’ve watched the way (Buccaneers quarterback) Tom Brady plays and everybody wishes they had a Tom Brady, but he’s very systematic. He controls the game and controls the tempo, controls the pace, and makes great decisions. And all of a sudden, he’s throwing, big bombs.”
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Falcons’ 2021 schedule features trip to London, January trip to Buffalo
Atlanta Falcons Schedule
Washington FT at Falcons, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m.
New York Jets vs. Falcons in London, Oct. 10 at 9:30 a.m.
Bye Week
Falcons at Miami Dolphins, Oct. 24 at 1 p.m.
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
