Washington Coach Ron Rivera Doesn't Rule Out Rotating QBs In Playoff Game

Washington quarterback Alex Smith showed considerable rust in Sunday evening's game in Philadelphia against the Eagles, throwing a pair of interceptions in the team's 20-14 win.

Smith was coming back off a calf injury that cost him a couple of games, and in his absence, the team went with now unemployed quarterback Dwayne Haskins and third-stringer Taylor Heinicke.

Washington is set to host Tom Brady and Tampa Bay on Saturday evening, and some now wonder whether coach Ron Rivera will rotate Smith and Heinicke in the lineup at the QB spot.

“It’s something we seriously have to look at,” Rivera said, via JP Finlay of NBCSportsWashington.com tweeted out.

Rotating quarterbacks never seems to work out, but if Smith is not 100 percent, Rivera owes it to his team to give them the best chance to win.

Heinicke played in relief of Haskins in the Washington loss to the Carolina Panthers two weeks back, going 12-for-19 for 137 yards and a score in the 2013 setback.

One day after Heinicke came in for him, the team released Haskins, a former first-rounder.

As for Smith, another week of rest and getting his calf muscle back up to speed is important for the club. Rivera said that he believes the veteran quarterback showed some good things in the 20-14 win that clinched the NFC East.

"I thought he had his moments," Rivera said.

"The first drive was what we were looking for. The drive before halftime was excellent. There were a couple things that happened, that unfortunately, you say you wish he could have stepped away from that."