With starting quarterback Carson Wentz facing potentially a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a broken finger in his throwing hand, the Washington Commanders will now likely return to being a Taylor Heinicke-led offense.
On the "Take Command" podcast, former NFL tight end Logan Paulsen and Craig Hoffman have a breakdown of what this change in personnel means for Ron Rivera's team as they sit at 2-4 on the year and how offensive coordinator Scott Turner will have to adjust his offense to work with a quarterback with a different skill set.
Of course, one of the benefits of Heinicke's return to action is his familiarity with the offense.
"I think that Heinicke, to his credit, really understands Scott's vision and how the concepts are supposed to work," Paulsen said. "You get a guy who knows the offense, understands the timing of the offense, and understands based on certain looks where the ball is supposed to go. And that is huge, that is huge for an offense."
Having said all that, the physical limitations of Heinicke present an added challenge to Turner and the type of plays the offense can run.
"I like what he did at the position [during last season], but some of those throws in the middle of the field, I think back to the Green Bay game last year where he's sailing the bender on all-go," Paulsen said. "And gets Terry [McLaurin] almost smoked over the middle field just cause he doesn't have the arm torque to the get the ball there."
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Paulsen said he thinks Heinicke has improved and "has something to him," but the physical limitations will be an issue that will have to be managed because it is unknown if Heinicke can drive the ball down the field to Washington's speedy wide receivers.
Another problem: Heinicke, like Wentz, holds the ball for a longer than average time by NFL standards. And that has been a big problem for the Commanders as they have struggled in pass protection through the first six games of the season. But one Heinicke can move around more has a bit more of the "Houdini" in him and can help avoid pressure.
One aspect the backup might bring to the offense is rather than Wentz who has at times looked for a touchdown on every play, Heinicke may simplify his game by attempting to get the ball into Washington's playmakers' hands more often, as McLaurin and Curtis Samuel have sometimes not seen enough consistent touches.
Overall, the Washington offense will lose the downfield throws with Wentz sidelined, but there is the possibility that the "down-to-down consistency is a little bit more efficient and the offense is a little more efficient," Paulsen added.
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