Redskins Halftime Takeaways: Dwayne Haskins eases into action

At the half, the Washington Redskins trail the Buffalo Bills by a score of 17-6.

The Washington Redskins weren’t expected to win today against the Buffalo Bills, but with the Bills being a relatively mistake-prone team, in spite of their 5-2 record, there was a chance for Washington to stay in the game and compete.

With one half over, the results are mixed. The Bills have had a fairly easy time dictating the game so far, and Washington has gotten in their own way a little too often, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But although the score isn’t close, there have been some promising signs for Washington, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

At the half, a check-up on the top storyline of the day is required. Dwayne Haskins didn’t tear it up in the first half of his first start, but he succeeded in minimizing mistakes, and displayed a better command of the offense, something he’d struggled with in past games. The Redskins did a nice job of easing Haskins into action, and he finished the half with five completions and 57 yards on eight attempts.

Haskins, of course, had a great deal of help from Adrian Peterson, who notched over 100 yards in the first two quarters, for the 11th time of his career. Peterson was breaking big run after big run, showing a spryness that was reminiscent of his peak form. At one point, Peterson logged over 60 yards on three consecutive carries, leading the offense down the field single-handedly. Peterson accumulated 123 yards from scrimmage on 11 touches in the first half, routinely taking matters into his own hands.

In the second half, the Redskins will have to pass more in order to keep the deficit at a manageable level. It’ll be more valuable experience for Dwayne Haskins, who is showing signs of progress, despite a score that is fairly unforgiving. The defense will have to shore itself up as well; they’ve allowed 17 points in one half to a Bills offense that averaged 19.1 points per game coming in. If they can reset and recalibrate, perhaps Washington can make this a bit more competitive.