Dwayne Haskins has to prove himself in the second half of the season

The second half of the Redskins season will be Dwayne Haskins‘ big chance to prove himself moving forward. And he has to take advantage of the opportunity.

It took a 1-7 record, a head coach being fired, and a Case Keenum concussion to get Dwayne Haskins to get his first NFL start, but its better late than never. Haskins in previous appearances looked lost, unprepared, and, honestly, like he didn’t belong.

However, after a week of preparation as the No. 1 guy, he went out and was able to possibly change the narrative. He’s not quite there, but perhaps we hit the panic button too soon.

Entering the bye week, Redskins interim coach Bill Callahan declined to name a starting QB. But reports have indicated that the team is expected to move forward with the first round rookie as the starter at least for one more game.

Nothing has been officially announced. Fine. No one should be demanding a starter is named; why give the Jets more ability to prep for you? But whether he makes the official announcement or not, inside the team’s facility, Haskins should be given every indication that it’s his job now.

The Redskins are 1-8 with an interim head coach, and the team’s top two offensive pieces aren’t likely to play for them again this season, possibly ever again. By now, the standoff between Trent Williams and the front office is well documented. And unfortunately, Jordan Reed may have played his final down in the NFL, as he is still dealing with a concussion he sustained back in the preseason.

Also, in a lost season there isn’t much to play for. The goal now should be to give the organization an eight-game sample of just exactly who they’ve invested the future in with the 15th overall pick in last April’s draft.

In Haskins’ two relief appearances, he completed 54 percent of his passes for 140 yards, 4 interceptions, and 0 touchdowns. With each appearance more and more rumors began to leak out, claiming Haskins was running mainly scout team reps and was having trouble completely grasping the playbook. Neither rumor inspired hope for the future of the team’s top prospect.

However, after his first start — where he showed some competence, throwing for 144 yards with no touchdowns or turnovers — Haskins was able to provide a showcase an improved performance. While he didn’t have any “wow” moments, there wasn’t any time he looked completely helpless, and the former Ohio State passer even had some plays in which he was able to show signs of improvement.

Simply put, he looked fine, and that should inspire hope that the young QB will improve each week and eventually reach his full potential.

However, it isn’t that simple.

Washington is facing a similar situation as Arizona did last year. The team is slotted to pick No. 2 overall in this year’s draft if the season were to end tomorrow. And this year’s QB class is much deeper, primarily at the top with the big three. Tua Tagovailoa, Joe Burrow, and Justin Herbert headline this class as the blue-chip quarterback prospects, followed by Jake Fromm, Jordan Love, and Heisman hopeful Jalen Hurts.

You see what I’m getting at? Much like Arizona did with now Dolphins QB Josh Rosen, Washington will have a chance to move on from its young signal-caller after only one season while securing one of the top three passers in this year’s class. This is by no means an abandon ship take with Haskins but rather an argument that every offensive snap taking for the remainder of 2019 should belong to him barring injury.

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It is in no way fair to ask this kid to prove he’s got what it takes to be the guy for the next decade after only eight starts under an interim head coach, but this is where we are.

While it’s unlikely the team run by owner Dan Snyder and Team President Bruce Allen would admit their mistake after only a year, or ever, the situation might demand for a QB to be taken. Just ask the Jaguars who with simple ignorance, put all its eggs into the Blake Bortles basket and missed out on Deshaun Watson and reigning league MVP Pat Mahomes in the 2017 draft.

If Haskins goes out and performs terribly, a team sitting in the top five may have no choice but to select another young passer in the hopes they get it right. Especially if the owner falls in love with a big-name college star. This is all the more reason to give Haskins the keys to the car coming out of the team’s bye week.

It’s time to stick with the rookie for the remainder of the year. There will be some ugly moments, and some bright moments, but what’s most important is the team doesn’t get caught up in the wins and losses, but rather puts all attention on the development of Haskins.

There have been reports that the “football people” in the organization that didn’t want to take Haskins at 15 and that Dwayne Haskins was a Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen pick. We also know that Jay Gruden, who entered the year on the hot seat wanted a veteran who gave the team its best chance to win. Dwayne Haskins wasn’t that.

Through nine weeks of football there are still people in the Redskins building that don’t feel as if Haskins is the long term answer at quarterback. 106.7’s Grant Paulsen confirmed as much early Thursday morning. That’s not good.

Haskins will get to face the New York Jets, a great spot for him to try and create some excitement. He will also get to face the New York Giants one more time, and these are probably the only two games which Washington will be given a chance to win. Besides those two bottom-feeder teams, the rookie will be going up against the likes of the Packers’ much-improved defense, the Cowboys and Panthers defenses that both rank top 10 against the pass, and an Eagles defense that can get to the quarterback in a hurry.

Unfortunately for Haskins, this means there is no soft landing spot. No real point to catch your breath. Instead, it’s going to be full speed ahead. While this is a tall task to ask of any rookie expected to be the franchise savior, Haskins should approach this challenge with optimism. The bar has been set so low that any spark he can provide will stack the chips in his favor. All this talk of Tua, draft bust, and unprepared can be washed away with a couple 300 yard multi-touchdown games.

Next. Dwayne Haskins shows growth in first career start.. dark

Dwayne Haskins has a real shot to show he can be the guy this organization, fanbase, and City needs to restore hope to the once proud franchise. Nothing is written in stone yet, but time could be running short for the former Buckeye.

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