The Washington Commanders are making another switch at quarterback, as Carson Wentz replaced Taylor Heinicke under center in the fourth quarter during their Week 16 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Down 30-14, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera felt like a change needed to be made, and Wentz received his first snaps since Week 6 back on Oct. 13.
And it didn't take long for the move to pay dividends as Wentz hooked up with Curtis Samuel on a 20-yard score, capping off a 12-play, 82-yard scoring drive.
Heinicke completed 13 of 18 passes for 166 yards, two touchdowns and one interception before being benched. The Commanders turned the ball over on back-to-back possessions before the switch, with Heinicke being hit from behind and fumbling on one drive, and then throwing an interception on the next. Those two turnovers led to six points from San Francisco.
Rivera hinted earlier this week that a quarterback switch could be coming.
"I think the biggest thing, more than anything else, is sticking with Taylor and what we're trying to establish," Rivera said, via Richmond.com. "(A switch) is something that obviously is talked about, obviously out there.
"It is something that, you know, to be quite frank, I do have to think about at some point. But if we can continue to get back on track and play the way we've played and do things that we've done, then we'll stick with where we are."
Heinicke entered Week 16 with a 5-2-1 record as the starter. Wentz is 2-4.
