Redskins Halftime Takeaways: Dwayne Haskins deals in domestic duel

The Redskins final preseason battle has reached its midway point, and the Redskins trail the Ravens by a score of 10-7.

There’s never a whole lot to take away from the Washington Redskins final preseason game. Most, if not all, of the starters have been decided by this point, and one week isn’t always enough time for roster hopefuls to gain enough traction.

That said, there have been stellar performances, from both old and new names, for the Redskins in their preseason finale against the Ravens. Dwayne Haskins is the first one that comes to mind, as he found a rhythm midway through the first quarter and drove the Redskins down the field for an impressive touchdown drive, using his arm velocity and quick processing to make plays. He finished the half with 10 completions, 104 yards, and a touchdown on 17 attempts, and he showed that when he’s on a roll, there isn’t a better quarterback on Washington’s roster.

Of course, Haskins’ success wouldn’t be possible without the play of certain receivers. Steven Sims made a spectacular diving catch on Haskins’ touchdown, and the other Sims also had a solid first-down grab (although he dropped two passes). There’s also Darvin Kidsy, who again showed off his ability to gain separation, and Donald Parham finally saw the field at tight end, proving his receiving upside with a 25-yard conversion.

In this duel between domestic D.C. area rivals, Haskins was dealing. But aside from the passing game, the offense was anemic. The running backs totaled 31 yards on 11 carries, and the backup offensive line did no one any favors. Several big plays were taken back due to penalties on the line, and pressure was a normalcy for Haskins, who also showed his ability to run.

The backup defense was average; allowing ten points in a half isn’t ideal, and tackling consistency was a major issue. But there were a select few gems, such as Jeremy Reaves, who led the team with four total tackles on the half, Ryan Bee, who continued to disrupt the interior, and Deion Harris, who batted a pass late in the half. The Redskins trail at the half, but they’ve laid a solid foundation, and now, they can go out in half two and close out the preseason.