Washington Football Team: Studs and duds from 2020 opening win

Dud No. 3 – QB Dwayne Haskins

Again, I don’t want anyone to freak out here, because Dwayne Haskins did have his good moments, especially down the stretch in the second half. But Haskins’ solid work in the offseason convinced a lot of people that he’d hit the ground running in 2020, and that didn’t quite happen.

Haskins did manage to avoid turnovers, which would have been the last thing this offense needed. But his stat line against the Eagles was barely modest: 17 completions on 31 attempts, 178 yards, and a touchdown.

Haskins performed admirably in several phases. He used his legs to get first downs when he had a chance. He effectively fulfilled the “game manager” role and didn’t waste any of the opportunities given to him by the defense. And he reportedly gave an impassioned speech at halftime, fulfilling his duty as a leader and helping to springboard the team’s second-half comeback.

As a leader and a facilitator, Haskins did enough to help the Washington Football Team win, but as a quarterback, his play was too inconsistent, and he may not be so lucky further down the road, when the defensive line undergoes a regression (Which they’re going to — they’re not going to have 128 sacks on the year).

When the defense doesn’t play as well as it did on Sunday, Haskins will need to be more refined and more authoritative in leading the team to success. Some of that should come with time, as he’s still building chemistry with his receivers and still gaining confidence in his role. But he made many believe he was ready for this, and in the first half, he wasn’t.