Can Taylor Heinicke rekindle his 2020 magic with Ryan Fitzpatrick out?

Can QB Taylor Heinicke still play like he did at the end of the 2020 season?

The Washington Football Team is forced to start QB Taylor Heinicke for Week 2, with Ryan Fitzpatrick out indefinitely.

Taylor Heinicke has been in the NFL since 2015, but only recently made his name known. In 2020, he started in place of the benched Dwayne Haskins in Week 16 and went 12/19 for 137 yards and a TD in a losing effort. Taylor Heinicke also got the start in the Wild Card round with Alex Smith sidelined. He went 26/44 for 306 yards with a TD, INT, and rushing TD. Washington elected to re-sign him after the entire team showed respect for him after nearly knocking the Buccaneers out of the playoffs in the first round.

However, Taylor Heinicke didn't get named the starter for Week 1, and Ryan Fitzpatrick got the nod. After a slow start in the first quarter, Fitzpatrick suffered a hip injury, and Heinicke was called in. He was able to go 11/15 for 122 yards and 1 TD with a 73.3% completion rate. Unlike Fitzpatrick, Heinicke was at least able to move the chains, despite the loss.

Now that Ryan Fitzpatrick is out for at least half the season, can Taylor Heinicke rekindle the magic he had at the end of the 2020 season,, or will he be just another one-trick pony in the NFL?

There's no real evidence to say that Taylor Heinicke won't be a quality starter in 2021. He had some strong outings in the preseason and was once seen as a hot trade target before Week 1. Heinicke was pretty consistent in training camp as well. The Washington Football Team seemed to be taking an approach with Heinicke as if he were a rookie entering the league. He has the potential and talent, but they don't want to rush him. After a decent performance from him in Week 1 and with Fitzpatrick being out, the team should at least throw him into the fire and see if he can hold up for a long stretch.

Entering the NFL, Taylor Heinicke was seen as a good pocket passer who allowed routes to develop before throwing and with accuracy. A weakness was his small frame, but he hit the gym in the offseason and packed on 15 pounds of muscle. His deep ball isn't the greatest, but he doesn't need to rely on it much. Washington has good speed in their skill players, and can play to Heinicke's strengths on the field. Add in an elite defense and Taylor Heinicke should be able to get Washington back into the Wild Card round, barring any other injuries.

He won't put up big numbers every week, but he has the skills to manage the game and not lose it when he has the ball. As long as he doesn't have a losing record if Ryan Fitzpatrick returns, he should remain the starter.