Ron Rivera and his Washington Commanders coaching staff have to face the heat behind the decision to start Carson Wentz at quarterback over Taylor Heinicke after the team’s 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns. The comments from a Browns linebacker added fuel to the fire.
Browns linebacker Reggie Ragland said Cleveland was able to get a beat on Wentz because he plays the same way regardless of the system.
“We looked at a lot from the beginning [of the season] and last week. But every system he’s been in, they’ve played the same way with him. He has that long, kind of slow release. So you can get a good break on it and make something shake,” Ragland said, per Tramel Raggs of the Washington Post.
Ragland’s initial comment was damaging enough. But what he said as he continued may be more startling for Commanders fans to hear.
“If you know football, you know [Wentz] has a slow release. And you know Heinicke gets the ball out fast. Like some of the guys I know on the [Commanders], they would’ve preferred Heinicke because they know he gets the ball out. You can see it on film too though. They play different with each quarterback,” Ragland continued.
Wentz made his first start since Week 6 when he broke his finger. He completed 16-of-28 passes for 143 yards. He also threw three interceptions and was sacked thrice against the Browns.
The loss dropped the Commanders to a 7-8-1 record, leading to the team getting eliminated from playoff contention. A scenario that head coach Ron Rivera was unaware.
Ragland’s claims about how some of the Commanders players felt about the quarterback have not been confirmed. However, they’re not surprising. Heinicke appeared to win over the locker room during the nine games he started in Wentz’s place.
Players, including team captains Jon Allen and Terry McLaurin, have been vocal about Heinicke’s impact on the team. Even with the Commanders struggling, some were puzzled by the decision to switch back to Wentz. Commanders tight end Logan Thomas made his thoughts known publicly.
Hindsight is always 20/20. Rivera will have a difficult task living down his decision to choose Wentz over Heinicke.
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