Ron Rivera seems to have his finger on the pulse of his team and what's best in most situations. The most absurd move of the year in Washington might be Rivera's decision to sit Taylor Heinicke. It's on the field. This franchise has a lot going on off the field.
This move by Rivera seems tone-deaf. After being dominated by the hottest team in football, it was like a knee- jerk reaction. They have won eight in a row. Washington isn't the only one. Heinicke had a good game against the 49ers, as he completed over 72 percent of his passes and threw two touchdown passes. The Commanders were in this game going into the fourth quarter down by 7 points.
Washington put up 20 points against the Niners, which is the most San Francisco has allowed during this eight-game winning streak. There are no moral victories in the National Football League. When you can't say Heinicke was the reason your team lost, it's ridiculous to bench him. Washington was defeated by a better team.
It's even more puzzling that his teammates don't care for him. The same thing has happened with Wentz returning to Philadelphia. He doesn't relate to players in the locker room. Rivera, who won a Super Bowl for the Bears in the 1980s, knows how important it is for the locker room to be respected.
It seems like Rivera was looking for a reason to get him on the field. Heinecke is better than him. Is the offense going to get better with Wentz in charge? Before the 49ers game on Christmas eve, he hadn't played in over a month. The Bears beat the former No. 2 overall pick in the middle of October. He passed the ball 55 percent of the time and had a 66.3 passer rating.
If this is Rivera's answer, they should pack it up now. In the past, placing your fate in the hands of someone else has not worked out well. Jim Irsay can answer that question. Indianapolis needed just one win to make the playoffs last season, but collapsed in the final two weeks of the season. Irsay Wentz left after one year.
The Commanders don't have a lot of viable options at the quarterback position, but that doesn't mean they don't have a good one. He was very good in Philadelphia, but lost the locker room. He didn't have it with Indy, and it's the same in Washington. If there is a way to screw this up, the silver lining is that it could be the difference between a win and a loss.
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