Consistency is key for Washington Football Team’s Dwayne Haskins

Dwayne Haskins has put together a good training camp. However, there are still some things the Washington Football Team’s quarterback must continue to refine, to make himself a franchise QB.

Following a turbulent rookie season, Dwayne Haskins is in a “prove it” year. Whether or not that’s fair that to the young quarterback, it is the position he finds himself in.

Ron Rivera has been persistent about not naming a starting quarterback. Following the team’s practice at FedEx Field, he said he wouldn’t name a starter until Week 1.

However, this is Haskins’ job. He has received every first-team rep in camp and he’s shown steady growth throughout camp, per Rivera. Because of this, Haskins will be the starting quarterback on Sept. 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Haskins has shown some significant signs of improvement. He is much more confident than last year. He knows that he belongs and is this team’s quarterback. In his media availability, Haskins has even mentioned his goal of being a team captain.

When Rivera received the job in January, everyone wanted him to immediately name Haskins as the starting quarterback. Rivera did the exact opposite, saying that Haskins had to win the job and there would be an open competition. There were even rumors that the team would take Tua Tagovailoa at with the second overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to replace Haskins. That proved to not be the case.

Haskins responded well to Rivera’s comments. He put together workouts with fellow second-year wide receivers, Terry McLaurin, Kelvin Harmon, and Steven Sims. He worked out with some of the game’s best: Cam Newton, Odell Beckham Jr., and Antonio Brown. Over the offseason, Haskins lost over 10 pounds. He is in the best shape of his life and looks to take the starting quarterback job and never look back.

The second-year quarterback has also shown some signs of growth throughout training camp. In the beginning, he struggled. Rivera commented on his inconsistency with having his feet and eyes in line with what he was thinking.

However, as the weeks progressed Haskins significantly improved. He made some jaw-dropping throws that displayed his elite arm talent. The last week and a half of camp, he put together a stretch of really solid practices. Just like his rookie year, Haskins improved as he got more reps.

Haskins has had a good camp. JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington said that Haskins can make some throws that not many in the NFL can make. He fits it into the tightest of windows and you’re left wondering how he was able to complete it.

With that being said, it hasn’t been without its flaws. Finlay said when Haskins misses he misses badly. And when Haskins misses, it often turns into turnovers. There were several notable ones during practice.

At camp one day, Haskins threw a pick-six to Landon Collins, almost threw back to back interceptions to Jimmy Moreland who intercepted the second pass. At the practice at FedEx Field, he had an interception against Ronald Darby where Rivera said Haskins “got too greedy.”

When Haskins misses, he tends to miss high. This could be due to inconsistent footwork leading to airmails on some of his passes. This issue may seem small, and yes, as Allen Iverson famously said, “we’re talking about practice”, but Haskins can’t make these crucial mistakes in the games.

Let’s think back to Kirk Cousins. Cousins would make some jaw-dropping throws throughout the game. He would fit the ball into the tightest of windows. When Cousins was on, he looked like one of the best in the league.

However, Cousins would always have that one throw. That one throw where it would airmail just a little over his receiver and then, boom, a game-changing turnover. These plays were one of the many reasons Cousins didn’t get a long term contract in Washington.

Haskins could suffer from the same issues. He has looked good in camp. He has shown some real promise. The potential for Haskins is extremely high. He can be as good as he wants to be. But one bad throw and, boom, a game-changing turnover.

To be this team’s franchise quarterback, Haskins has to cut down on the really bad misses. If he can hone his fundamentals just a touch more and become more consistent, he will take the mantle as Washington’s franchise quarterback.

For this franchise’s sake, I hope he does. The number of different quarterbacks used during the Dan Snyder era is too many to count. Haskins has the potential to finally be the guy. I hope he takes it. If he takes a huge step this year, he could accelerate the timing of the team’s rebuild.

To do that, however, he must become more consistent. And the game against the Eagles will be his first test to prove he can be just that.