Redskins: QB Dwayne Haskins focused on fundamentals ahead of preseason debut

Quarterback Dwayne Haskins will get a chance to show what he has learned in training camp thus far on Thursday when the Redskins face-off against the Cleveland Browns in the team’s first game of the preseason.  The rookie from Ohio State will be focused on the fundamentals of the position as repetitions in camp have been limited.

The last time Dwayne Haskins stepped onto a football field in a real game setting was when Ohio State played the University of Washington in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.  The supremely talented quarterback finished the day with an efficient 257 yards passing and 3 touchdowns in a 28-23 win for the Buckeyes.  He finished his final year in college with 4,831 yards passing and 50 touchdowns.

Haskins would go on to be selected by the Washington Redskins with the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.  The rookie quarterback will get his first taste of game action as a professional when the Redskins face-off against the Cleveland Browns in just a few days.

During a press conference on Monday, Haskins was asked by a team insider if there were specific situations that he is handling better since the start of training camp, and what they were.

Per the Redskins team website, he specifically stated that he has focused on “figuring out the whole operation.”  He went on to say that he has gotten better at basic fundamentals such as “hearing the play, calling the play, getting to the line of scrimmage, checking protection, checking a run call, getting to the right spot, making the right progression, and putting the ball where it is needs to be.”

While focusing on the finer details of the quarterback position, Haskins is still in the midst of a quarterback competition in training camp with veteran’s Case Keenum and Colt McCoy.  The primary concern for Haskins is the lack of practice repetitions available in training camp.  While the competition is necessary in determining who can lead the team to the most success, Haskins must first learn the nuance of the position before having hopes of starting Week 1.

In the game against the Browns, Haskins will most likely not have to face Cleveland’s best defensive players including LB Christian Kirksey, DE Olivier Vernon, and DE Myles Garrett.  However, he will have to show the organization that he is comfortable in taking the next step of his progression to being the eventual starter for the Redskins at some point.  The offensive coaching staff will expect him to do well in the simpler aspects of the position like protecting the ball, managing the game clock, and being able to command the huddle.

Fans of the Washington Redskins will most assuredly be clamoring for Dwayne Haskins to start the season over both Case Keenum and Colt McCoy.  While Haskins is currently listed as the third quarterback on the team’s first depth chart of the new season, he will most likely see a heavy dose of action as the preseason goes on.  He will face many challenges, and to fans chagrin, he might even throw an interception.  This is to be expected of any quarterback and Haskins is no different.  The best thing that he could do in the preseason is to act like he is the team’s Week 1 starter as every repetition will be meaningful.

If the Redskins have hopes for a successful 2019 season, it might be in the best interest of Dwayne Haskins for the team to start Case Keenum or Colt McCoy at quarterback.  While Haskins is indeed the future at quarterback, let him focus on the fundamentals of the position so he can be great when the time is ready.