The 2022 NFL season is one marked by parity: 26 of the NFL’s 32 franchises have at least three wins, tied with the 2018 season for the fourth-most teams with at least three wins through the first eight weeks of a season all-time. What that means is halfway through the regular season, almost every team still has a shot to compete for a playoff spot.
The Washington Commanders are one of those teams that is squarely in the hunt for one of the NFC’s three wild card spots at 4-4, thanks to their three-game winning streak with victories over the the Bears in Chicago (12-7 in Week 6), the Packers (23-21 in Week 7), and the Colts in Indianapolis (17-16). Quarterback Taylor Heinicke, the team’s primary starter in 2021 who took a backseat to offseason trade acquisition Carson Wentz to begin the season, has rallied the Commanders to come-from-behind triumphs in their last two games starting in place of the injured Wentz.
Star wide receiver Terry McLaurin raved about the life Heinicke has breathed back into Washington and himself since the Old Dominion alum stepped back into the starting quarterback role.
“He plays every game like it’s his last game, and he brings a lot of energy to our offense and our team,” McLaurin said Wednesday on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football. “He’s the kind of guy you just want to make plays for.”
The Commanders had lost 76 straight games down by more than one score in the fourth quarter. That didn’t matter thanks to Heinicke and McLaurin, who made the game-changing play in Indianapolis last week. Trailing by six with 41 seconds remaining at the Colts’ 34, Heinicke showed the highest level of faith in McLaurin. He uncorked a deep ball to his wideout down the left sideline despite former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore in coverage and a step in front of the receiver. On a 50-50 ball that could have swung both teams’ seasons, McLaurin made the play for his quarterback, wrestling the ball out of Gilmore’s grasp to put the Commanders on the 1-yard line. Heinicke put the Commanders on top with a quarterback sneak on the very next play.
Heinicke’s energy has brought two of Washington’s best playmakers, McLaurin and running back Antonio Gibson, back to life. Gibson, their third-year running back, has hauled in receiving touchdowns in each of the quarterback’s two starts, the longest streak of the running back’s career, after only having…
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