The Washington Redskins will start rookie Dwayne Haskins in Week 9 against the Bills and it’s about time they made a smart decision.
News around the Washington Redskins has not been favorable of late, not that it often is. Not only is the team entering Week 9 with a dreadful 1-7 record (their one win coming against the winless Dolphins) but the Trent Williams saga took an even uglier turn as his widely reported rift with the team is the result of a misdiagnosed cancer scare. To further that, they handled a possible trade of Williams like a stubborn juvenile, ultimately keeping him in Washington.
This, of course, is just another entry into the long list of questionable decision-making from the Dan Snyder and, more relevantly, Bruce Allen regime. However, Redskins fans should be a bit optimistic in the short term as interim head coach has actually made a good decision for the team. As he announced after practice on Friday, Washington will start rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins in Week 9 against the Buffalo Bills.
To this point, Haskins has appeared in only two games in his rookie season, throwing just 22 passes. He’s completed only 54.5 percent of his throws for 140 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions. In the simplest terms, he’s not been good.
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That doesn’t matter, though. You know what the Washington Redskins aren’t no matter who is starting at quarterback this season? Good. Haskins getting onto the field and performing well or performing awfully isn’t going to move the needle on a lackluster group of weapons, a shockingly bad defense and a downright bad overall situation.
What Haskins coming into the fold now can do, though, is help change that situation moving forward.
In his final season with Ohio State, Haskins lit the Big Ten on fire and set passing records at every turn. The raw tools that he possessed as a passer are what led to him being a first-round pick by Washington. But at the same time, he was a one-year starter playing in a quarterback-friendly college system that did not ask for him to make many NFL-level reads and progressions.
Thus, the learning curve was always going to be big for Haskins at this level. But that’s why he needs to be on the field. Haskins needs to be getting game reps with the first-team offense if he’s actually going to develop in the areas that he needs to for him to be a successful NFL quarterback.
And really, the Redskins current state of affairs makes it the ideal time to now put him in. The season is lost and the eyes should be on the future. Inserting Haskins as the starting quarterback is a move made with that in mind. He gets those reps, gets to work through struggles and gets to develop.
Is it going to be hard to watch at times for Redskins fans? Most likely, probably as soon as his first start in Week 9 against a highly talented Bills pass defense. But that’s okay. This is what the player needs and, subsequently, what the team needs for their investment in a first-round quarterback to work out.
The Redskins have finally made a smart decision by getting Dwayne Haskins into the starting job. Now they just have to stay the course throughout the rest of the season if it’s to remain a smart choice. And whether they have the mental fortitude or logic to do that remains to be seen.