Burgundy & Gold Reaction: Week 7 Takeaways – McLaurin Dominates

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November 1, 2022

by David Earl

Terry McLaurin Thrives with Taylor Heinicke

This late-game catch by Terry McLaurin is an absolutely ridiculous reception as Stephon Gilmore is not only better position on the ball but is fully secured with both hands. The stripping away of an apparent interception and hauling the pass in for a reception fully displays the level of player McLaurin is today. As some concerns have been raised that defenses might be figuring out Terry, we may need to dig a little deeper than that assessment. Let’s take a step back and look at the events leading up to this fantastic reception that helped win this game for Washington. When Washington first traded for Carson Wentz, many saw his arm strength and McLaurin’s downfield speed as a match made in heaven but, outside of a play or 2, that was not the case early this season. Whether it was Scott Turner‘s play design to stretch the field as much as possible or Wentz just wanting to push the ball downfield, this ultimately took away from Terry McLaurin‘s best attribute as a wide receiver. McLaurin is the type of receiver who is a great route runner and likes to get the ball in space.  He thrives in the intermediate passing game, which is Heinicke’s strongest attribute. Last week on the podcast we talked about what Taylor would bring to this team as a starter vs Wentz – not only talked about his limitations but his effectiveness inside 20 yards. This is when I proposed that McLaurin is best suited with Taylor Heinicke as the quarterback, and not because Wentz was a bad player. Sunday showed just how lethal McLaurin is in the quick passing game and how it best sets up the occasional play downfield as we saw late in the first quarter. It’s a shame Heinicke’s arm strength is what it is because what ended up being a contested ball could have been an easy touchdown. Is Taylor the answer for this team? Most likely no, but he does make these games exciting and he just continues to find a way to win.

As Rick Snider and many fans elude, Taylor Heinicke is just a gutsy player who just knows how to win. Even though many of his games are not pretty, Taylor is 7-3 in his last 10 starts, which we cannot simply dismiss. Defenses will do as they did last year in crowding the underneath zones and focusing on stopping the run.  They’ll dare Taylor to push the ball downfield, but he still seems to find a way. Even if McLaurin cannot bail Heinicke out when he’s forced to make deep throws his arm cannot always hit, his legs moving out of the pocket often can. Taylor can clearly beat defenses in many ways, but it’s always been a tendency to force a throw that has continued to haunt him the most. Although Carson Wentz was never a distraction or a locker room problem, what Heinicke brings to this team as a leader is just immeasurable. Despite the frustrating lack of urgency in the offensive play calling, he brings an energy and vibe to this team we just don’t see with Wentz. I personally will not waver on the idea that Wentz is the better quarterback but the intangibles Taylor brings cannot be denied. He is certainly well ahead of Wentz in this perspective. So while Terry McLaurin definitely thrives with Taylor at the helm, where would Taylor be without him? These two have developed such great chemistry that, unless this team completely falters the next few weeks, Ron Rivera may be a fool to go back to Carson Wentz when healthy. Besides, the terrible play of Washington’s offensive line and Carson’s lack of mobility may prevent a switch anyway. This clip below is just one of many examples of what this team has in the trenches, and it is not good.

Is the Defense Improving?

The weaknesses in the linebacker group are still present, as they still struggle in coverage and the run defense has not improved nearly enough. Where we have seen better results lately is Jamin Davis, who seems to have found his role. Benjamin St-Juste solidifies the outside cornerback role, and the safety position seems to have settled in with a rotation of Kamren Curl, Bobby McCain, and Darrick Forrest. The defense has been far more disciplined with young players like Jamin Davis playing with more aggression but without the tendency to over-pursue that we saw early on. Probably the biggest noticeable turnaround has to be Davis – he’s become a much more instinctive defender, especially against the run. The clip below is a good example of just not Jamin Davis reading the play well but also Curl hitting the gap with a good form tackle. Furthermore, the pass rush has become more consistent and disruptive in the last few weeks and Chase Young nearing a return only bodes well for this unit. Jack Del Rio has overcome his critics with a much-improved game plan each week and continues to play to the strengths of his young players while not trying to force them into a scheme. Granted, we have watched this defense play against subpar offenses the last few weeks, one of which was Green Bay and a noticeably hampered Arron Rodgers, so these next 2 weeks will be telling. With the high-powered offenses of the Vikings and Eagles next up in back-to-back games, Ron will soon see this defense’s true colors, whether it’s the same old defense from the beginning of the year or if this defense has actually taken that step forward.

In Closing

Admittedly I have felt little optimism for this organization and my passion slowly drained (thanks for that Dan) but there have been a few bright spots on which to focus. Although Jamin Davis is certainly a bust of a first-round pick considering the middle linebacker position for which he was drafted (that’s on Ron), he has transitioned into his new role nicely and has showed progress in recent weeks. While there is still an upside in him improving his pass coverage skills, his instincts as a run defender and pass rusher have come a long way. The speed and athleticism were always there but now he’s building a football IQ that most believed he would right before our eyes and these next 2 weeks will be his litmus test. Darrick Forrest‘s maturation as safety has allowed Jack Del Rio to use Kam Curl in many roles within his defense, and that has yielded many positive results. Offensively, Taylor Heinicke is what this team needs behind an offensive line that won’t be much more than what we see today. His mobility and pocket presence gives this offense a shot on every down and, as mentioned earlier, has awakened a key foundational piece in Terry McLaurin. The running game is still not nearly consistent enough but the combination of Antonio Gibson, especially as a wide receiver, and Brian Robinson Jr have shown flashes of potential. Although I don’t think this offense will ever sniff top 10 or 15 status, they could be just good enough to win games down the stretch provided this defensive growth isn’t fool’s gold. For a full game recap click here.