ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Football Team will start Taylor Heinicke at quarterback if Alex Smith can't play in the season finale at Philadelphia. It represents yet another unlikely twist in Washington's quarterback carousel this season.
Heinicke replaced Dwayne Haskins in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 20-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers. In two series, he completed 12-of-19 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown.
Washington coach Ron Rivera said Monday that Smith would start if healthy and Heinicke would back him up. Rivera said he was optimistic that Smith would be able to play Sunday. Washington (6-9) could use him; if it wins, it would win the NFC East.
If it loses, the winner of the Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants game earlier on Sunday will be the division champion.
It would help if receiver Terry McLaurin returned as well; he missed Sunday with what Rivera said was a high ankle sprain suffered the previous week. He said McLaurin was in a walking boot Monday. McLaurin's status remains uncertain. Rivera was upbeat about Smith on Monday.
"He was very close last week," Rivera said. "He had an exceptional day on Friday, but it's always how that person feels after a heavy-loaded day."
And on Saturday, Smith's calf still bothered him. They were hoping he'd feel differently on Sunday morning, but he did not.
After going 4-1 with Smith as the starter, Washington lost two in a row with him sidelined. Since Smith arrived in Washington for the 2018 season, the team is 10-5 in games he starts and 6-26 in games he does not. Rivera said Smith has a calming influence on teammates because of his knowledge of the offense and ability to provide reminders to a young receiving crew -- about the play or how to handle various coverages.
"The confidence and swagger he has as a veteran guy," Rivera said.
So it's not surprising at all that Rivera would return to Smith. The surprising turn involves Heinicke. Washington signed him to its practice squad on Dec. 8 because he had experience in offensive coordinator Scott Turner's system. Heinicke played one season with Carolina and two in Minnesota, where Turner's dad, Norv, was the offensive coordinator. But Heinicke spent last winter with St. Louis of the XFL -- and didn't play.
In going with Heinicke, Rivera also went away from Haskins, the 15th overall pick in 2019. Haskins struggled in his three-plus quarters Sunday, completing 14 of 28 passes for 154 yards and two interceptions. It served as a continuation of a season-long struggle. He was benched after four starts and demoted to third string. Haskins returned to second string when Kyle Allen was hurt.
Rivera said he had more "confidence with what I saw from Taylor and the way he controlled the tempo of the game, the decisions he made."
Rivera said he stuck with Haskins last week, despite another violation of COVID-19 protocols that resulted in him losing his captaincy and being fined $40,000, because of how he practiced. Rivera said he liked how Haskins handled the rest of the week in practice after he was photographed without a mask at his girlfriend's birthday party. Because there were more than 10 people present, he needed to wear a mask. Haskins apologized to teammates and discussed the situation in a video call with reporters.
"There was nothing that led me to believe he couldn't handle it, that's why I went with him," Rivera said.
But he finished with Heinicke and will turn to him if needed in a game that dictates Washington's playoff fate.
"He showed patience, he went through his progressions nice and quick so the timing was good," Rivera said. "Do I think he could handle it? Absolutely. He showed what I was hoping to see when he got his opportunity. It wasn't too big."