Washington Football Team optimistic about Alex Smith in Week 15

The Washington Football Team intends to vie for a playoff spot over the next three weeks. Of course, to do that, they’ll need a quarterback.

First, the Washington Football Team‘s quarterback was Dwayne Haskins. Then it was Kyle Allen. Then it was Alex Smith. And then, in the second half of the team’s Week 14 win against the 49ers, it was Dwayne Haskins again.

It was the first time since Week 4 that Haskins had seen the field for legitimate game action, but Haskins didn’t look much better than he did before his benching. While Haskins had a couple good throws, his mechanics were still very inconsistent, and his poor footwork led to a few inaccurate passes, including a near interception.

Veteran passer Alex Smith wasn’t any better than Haskins on Sunday, completing just eight of 19 pass attempts for 57 yards and a pick. But few will debate the notion that Smith is the best available quarterback for the Washington Football Team right now. He’s limited, but his comeback bid has undoubtedly energized the roster, and his experience provides a baseline security for the offense’s execution as a whole.

With that being said, Smith suffered a calf injury in the team’s Week 14 win, and his status is not guaranteed for the team’s next game against the Seattle Seahawks. However, in a report on NFL Network, Tom Pelissero stated that Washington “feels pretty good about Alex Smith’s chances of playing on Sunday”.

Pelissero specified that Smith had suffered a calf strain in his right leg against San Francisco, and he also detailed Ron Rivera’s plan for Smith in the lead-up to the Seahawks game, stating: “The plan going into this week is, they’re gonna take it easy on Smith in practice. He needs rest more than he needs reps right now, but they’re optimistic that they’re gonna get him to Sunday.”

Optimism, of course, does not equate to conversion, and Smith’s calf injury will be tricky; the right calf is the muscle Smith uses to push off when passing. Smith is known as an incredibly hard worker, and he will no doubt try to be ready for Sunday. The fact that the team has high hopes is encouraging, but an injury of this nature is unpredictable, especially for quarterbacks.

If Smith can’t go, Dwayne Haskins will start in his place, and the team will likely elevate either Taylor Heinicke or Steven Montez from the practice squad to serve as his backup. Such a situation would present a crucial opportunity for Haskins to show growth mechanically, though his stint in Week 14 wasn’t inspiring on that front.