Washington Football Team quarterbacks: Three scenarios for 2020

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LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 22: Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Washington Football Team scrambles with the ball in the first half against the New York Giants at FedExField on December 22, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /

Dwayne Haskins

If Haskins is not the primary signal-caller for Washington Football Team in 2020, it means he either got hurt or his play was lacking. Both would be troubling for both the player and franchise. It is possible that one of the other quarterbacks could play well enough to soften that blow, but it would be a blow nonetheless.

Ron Rivera has said the right things about Haskins, and there is no reason to suspect the new coach would bail on last year’s first-round pick without overwhelming evidence that he could not handle the job. Haskins’ rookie season had ups and downs, but he was clearly trending up toward the end. He showed expected growth with repetition and experience.

Haskins’ assets are obvious. He has an outstanding arm. He has good size. Though not a runner, he is athletic enough to move in the pocket. He was productive in college. Insanely productive, in fact, and playing against high caliber opponents in the Big 10. Finally, from the outside looking in, Haskins appears to have good leadership qualities. He says the right things. There have never been indications that his teammates or coaches do not like or respect him.

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But there is a flipside to all of those assets. For a player with such arm talent, Haskins does not look like the most natural passer. His movement can be stiff. His decisions can be slow. These are all things that a good QB coach can improve, and a great many young QBs need some time before they look comfortable in the pocket. Whenever you see a player like Russell Wilson or Pat Mahomes — who just seem to step into the league already moving and thinking like a ten-year vet — it is easy to forget that most QBs struggle for a couple of seasons before seeming to get it.

Haskins’ extraordinary 2018 campaign for Ohio State was his only year starting. For every Cam Newton, who proved that one great season in college can equate to a noteworthy NFL career, there is a Mitchell Trubisky, whose rocky road in the Windy City seems to be cautioning that the opposite is equally likely. Does anyone remember Akili Smith?

And though he played against top-flight competition at The Ohio State University, Haskins was also surrounded by it on his own sideline. All five of his starting offensive linemen in 2018 have either played professionally, or will have once Thayer Mumford joins the league in 2021.

We all know how good his receiver Terry McLaurin is. And McLaurin was not the top receiver on that Buckeyes team. Parris Campbell, now playing for the Indianapolis Colts, was. The third receiver on that team, K.J. Hill, is currently in camp with the Los Angeles Chargers. In other words, Haskins may have been tested by some NFL-caliber defensive players in college, but he was surrounded by even more NFL talent on his own offense.

The most likely scenario for Haskins in 2020 is that he shows measured improvement. The Washington Football Team has minimal proven talent at the offensive skill positions, but at least Haskins has experience throwing the ball to the likes of McLaurin, Steven Sims Jr., Trey Quinn, Jeremy Sprinkle, and Hale Hentges. Since timing and trust between a QB and receivers are vital, this gives him a leg up on Smith and Allen. Haskins only started for half of last season, so it is reasonable to expect mistakes — at times, ugly ones. But he should also balance that with some impressive moments.

Haskins had a 1:1 touchdown to interception ratio in his rookie year and a 76.1 passer rating. Those are poor numbers, but as noted, they were improving as he played more. We should expect significant upticks there. A passer rating in the high 80s and a TD:INT ratio approaching 2:1 are reasonable goals. If he achieves that, he should not risk getting benched, even if this does result in many wins.

The expected improvement in the defense should keep more games close. That means that several games — perhaps a lot of games — will come down to decisive drives and plays in the fourth quarter. This, ultimately, is where Haskins will prove his mettle. A bad decision or silly turnover in the first quarter is erased by a clutch twelve-yard conversion in the fourth. Maybe the best-case scenario for Haskins in 2020 is three or more drives in the final two minutes to pull out close wins. Regardless of statistics, that will help solidify his position as the long-term starter for Washington Football Team.

Worst-case scenario? I think you know it. Haskins shows little improvement through the first six games. The team has yet to win, or perhaps has eked out a win against an injury-depleted Giants team in mid-October, and Coach Rivera pulls the plug, opting to turn to…

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