For the second time this season, Washington Redskins rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins was thrown into action in a game where he wasn’t expected to play, due to an injury to starting QB Case Keenum.
In relief, Haskins played two quarters, and he looked largely mediocre and unready for the moment against the Minnesota Vikings, going 3-for-5 for 33 yards with one interception and two sacks. After the game, interim coach Bill Callahan said that Haskins “did his best” after playing on short notice, but going forward, he wouldn’t be making any changes at the QB position, assuming that Keenum is healthy enough to play. If Keenum is held in the concussion protocol, Haskins would start over Colt McCoy next week.
In the few weeks since Haskins last saw some game action against the New York Giants, a few reports have come out of practice claiming that the rookie was starting to show some strong developments, and he was gaining control of the offense. Veteran running back Adrian Peterson said on Thursday night that he was impressed by how Haskins handled the transition, saying that he never saw the rookie get rattled. However, it still was a lackluster performance from a player who the Redskins have high hopes for. Many fans in Washington likely want to see their future franchise quarterback on the field and giving them hope, but Haskin’s inability to conduct the offense on Thursday night was troubling. It’s starting to look like Jay Gruden was right, and Haskins does indeed need a lot more time to develop. If that’s the case, then the Redskins better hope that Keenum is good to go nine days from now.
