The Commanders became the first team of the 2022 season to beat the Eagles, knocking off their division rivals 32–21 on Monday Night Football. The victory not only lifted Washington to a .500 record, but also marked the third win in four games for the team with backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke under center.
Heinicke, a 2015 undrafted free agent, hasn’t been perfect in his starts this year, but has managed to make key plays down the stretch in each of the wins. That aspect of his game is something that prompted Commanders star receiver Terry McLaurin to praise the quarterback after the road upset Monday.
“Taylor Heinicke is a guy who plays every play like it’s his last, man. He gives us a chance to win football games just the way he wills, the way he plays. His toughness, he’s willing to fight for the extra yards... I think we rally around him, honestly,” McLaurin told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt postgame, per Yahoo’s Jori Epstein. “We’re just so lucky to have a guy like that who has taken his opportunity and ran with it since he came with us in Tampa a few years ago. He just gives us a chance to win and the heart he plays with I feel like is infectious. I’m really happy to play with a guy like that who is gritty, you know what I mean? It’s dirty, it’s nasty. You love playing with guys like that because they elevate the guys around them.”
