Three takeaways from Washington Football Team’s 31-17 Week 4 loss
By Ian Cummings
No. 1 – Dwayne Haskins improved, but still has a ways to go
Ron Rivera made sure Dwayne Haskins knew improvement was needed after Week 3. Rivera was public in stating that there was a cut-off point with Haskins if he didn’t show growth. But reciprocating that statement, another truth became clear: As long as Haskins did show tangible growth, he’d be safe.
Haskins did just that in Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens. He wasn’t perfect, and he still wasn’t as proactive as you’d want your franchise quarterback to be. But there was progress, and that alone helped reinforce his security as the starting quarterback.
Haskins’ footwork was much better this week, and his overall process seemed to be smoother. He didn’t panic as often in the face of adversity, save for a rough 18-yard sack in the second half, and overall, he responded to Rivera’s challenge well.
Haskins finished the day 32 of 45 for 311 yards. It was the first 300-yard game of his NFL career, but in the weeks to come, there’s more he can improve upon. The intermediate-to-deep passing game is still almost nonexistent, and Haskins can still do a better job extending plays when there’s nothing there.
Next. Washington loses to Baltimore Ravens 31-17 in Week 4. dark
But the baseline necessity from Haskins in Week 4 was mechanical improvement, and evidence that he’d held himself accountable for his mistakes in Week 3. Based on his modest progression, we can assume that was the case. Now, let’s see if he can keep trending up.