Redskins should carry on with Dwayne Haskins for the rest of 2019

He wasn’t supposed to start in Week 9, in the team’s eyes. But now that he has, the Redskins have to keep Dwayne Haskins in the starting lineup for the rest of the year.

Rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins was far from perfect in his starting debut with the Washington Redskins. In a 9-24 road loss to the Buffalo Bills, Haskins completed 15 of 22 pass attempts for 144 yards, and he struggled to consistently move the offense. At times, he still looked uncomfortable, his order of operations in the pocket is still very clearly a work in progress, and his mechanics suffered as a result, leading to periodic inaccuracy.

Haskins still showed a great deal of room for improvement in his first career start, but he also displayed tangible growth from his last on-field appearance. Haskins was more careful with the football this time around. He didn’t turn the ball over once, and he displayed better command at the line of scrimmage, something he struggled with against the Giants and Vikings. There’s still a long way to go; it’s a process, after all. But Haskins displayed tangible progression on the field on Sunday, and the Redskins would be irresponsible to interrupt further progression.

The Redskins should name Haskins the starter for the rest of the season, now that he’s assumed the job due to Case Keenum‘s concussion. Haskins doesn’t necessarily give the Redskins a better chance to win, as opposed to other quarterbacks, but the Redskins are 1-8 after their most recent loss. Getting the best chance to win from either Keenum or Haskins is irrelevant and arbitrary. Winning is no longer the primary directive in 2019. Development is. And Haskins has shown repeatedly that he benefits from on-field reps, and he’s starting to find his way in the fast-paced NFL.

If Washington reverts back to Keenum, it will be a futile move that accomplishes nothing, and risks eroding the confidence of Haskins, who’s already been turned away from twice this season, after stints of mid-game action. Kevin O’Connell and Bill Callahan have already stated how Haskins is starting to display more urgency and detail in his preparation approach from week to week. If they bench him once again, as opposed to giving him more opportunities proportionate to his progress, when there is nothing to lose, then they risk wasting valuable time that could be spent on catalyzing development.

Callahan said in his post-game press conference that Washington emphasized the operational functions of the quarterback position to Haskins in Week 9, and Haskins responded by showing better command at the line in Buffalo. The Redskins can capitalize on this development by naming Haskins the starter moving forward early, and giving him the bye week to prepare for a much lighter matchup against the 1-7 New York Jets.

The Jets game will allow Haskins an opportunity to build on his growth in the operational sphere, grow more comfortable with the NFL’s pace and on-field application, and ultimately transition into a more substantial role in the offense. It’s an inevitable conclusion for the team’s No. 15 overall pick, and if Washington instead treads around Haskins development, under the guise of wanting to win in a winless season, then they’ll only be sapping away time and resources, with no positive results.