Falcons HC Arthur Smith said for this week, Taylor Heinicke will be the starting quarterback.

— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) November 1, 2023

Former Vikings QB Taylor Heinicke

Back in 2016, Taylor Heinicke was climbing up the Vikings QB ladder and into fans hearts with great preseason play and a little bit of healthy offseason hype. But that changed when he severed two tendons in his foot, after kicking in the glass pane of a door to his friend’s apartment.

But, he recovered and showed promise in the 2017 preseason, especially in a game-winning drive vs the San Francisco 49ers that got fans all hot and bothered. Nonetheless, he was waived a few months later, before he would eventually catch on with the Washington Commanders, where he started 24 games between 2021 and 2022.

This isn’t the first revenge start Heinicke has gotten vs his former team. He started last year vs the Vikings, for the Washington Commanders, and it didn’t go as well as he’d hoped, completing 15/28 passes for 149 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT in a 20-17 Minnesota victory.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Like when Washington Commanders QB, Taylor Heinicke, got his Kirko Chainz on after a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. Some found it funny. Others, like Vikings cornerback Kris Boyd, found it “lames”. Said Boyd: “[Heinicke] couldn’t hold Kirk [Cousins’] jockstrap.”

Stop trynna fucking be us…Lames…He couldn’t hold Kirk jockstrap!! Find your own trend!…Y’all shit don’t even look like y’all having fun enjoying it.. https://t.co/ubGcoSrRtb

— kris boyd™ (@kris23db) November 15, 2022

Teammates Fully Bought in on Kirko Chainz

This social media outburst from Minnesota Vikings cornerback, Kris Boyd, is yet another example of just how much this team is rallying around their quarterback, Kirk Cousins. They believe in him and support him in a way he has never seen during his career.

Not only did Cousins struggle to get into Mike Zimmer’s good graces, during their four seasons together, but Jay Gruden and Kirk Cousins butted heads in Washington during his past football life.

Obviously, Kirk should get plenty of credit for the new type of leadership role he’s taken on this season. But new head coach, Kevin O’Connell, deserves just as much. It’s difficult to lead a team if your coach doesn’t value that leadership. That’s why KOC came in and made it immediately clear that this is Kirk Cousins’ team. Thus, everyone else has followed.

New and Improved Kirk Cousins

This new supports system has empowered Cousins in a way that has him playing with more guile and confidence than ever before. I mean, have you seen some of the highlights in Buffalo? Kirko Chainz is unpredictable. He might tuck and run, maybe he’ll float around the pocket before delivering a strike down the field under pressure.

Hell, this new version of Kirk might even throw a no-look, cross-field dime to Cris Carter Justin Jefferson falling out of bounds.

Some of the best throws of Kirk's career against the best defense in the NFL: pic.twitter.com/HvPkFDISjm

— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) November 14, 2022

Talk about numbers all you want. This version of Kirk Cousins delivers the only numbers that matter. Wins.

Kris Boyd is already receiving some heat on Twitter for his comments on Heinicke but I’m on his side. Taylor Heinicke can’t hold Kirko’s chainz or his jockstrap and copying an airplane celebration isn’t going to make them a good football team.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan