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Ron Rivera is not yet prepared to announce his Week 17 starter.
Taylor Heinicke was benched in favor of Carson Wentz after the Eagles’ 37-20 loss to the 49ers on Saturday. “We’re going to study the tape, we’ll discuss those things, and I’ll make a decision next week,” Rivera said. “I will also arrive early, because whoever starts will have the opportunity to make it work.”
Wentz entered the game after Heinicke lost a fumble and threw an interception on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions, allowing the 49ers to extend their advantage to 30-14.
Heinicke was the backup quarterback at the beginning of the season, but once Wentz was placed on injured reserve in October, he played well enough to keep his job.
“It was a circumstance,” Rivera remarked. “I mean, when the game reached that point, the last thing you want is for them to tee off on you. And not because I desired to… It was an opportunity to see where Carson stood, and he did a good job despite being thrown in there. He stood tall in the pocket, made a few of quick decisions, got the ball out swiftly a couple of times, and threw solid balls, according to my estimation.
Before leaving the game in the fourth quarter, Heinicke passed for 166 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
I think he played fairly well. “Many of these occurrences were not necessarily his fault,” Rivera stated. “To attribute all of his turnovers to him would be extremely difficult. I’d like to believe that those weren’t his concerns, but we could have done a few things better.”
As the No. 7 seed, the Commanders, who are 7-7-1 and in fourth place in the NFC East after Saturday, still control their own postseason fate. If they win their final two games against the Browns and Cowboys in Weeks 17 and 18, they will make the playoffs. However, a single loss might allow the 7-8 Seahawks or Lions to leapfrog them.