Washington Redskins quarterback Case Keenum knows that he put the team in a great position to beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. He also knows that he’s partly responsible for the loss as well.
All-in-all, Keenum was a bright spot for the Redskins, leading them to a 17-0 lead in the first half before the Eagles could get settled into the game. He completed 10 of his first 12 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. In the end, his final stat-line was not quite as impressive, but still great: 30-for-45 with 380 yards and three touchdowns. The major number that matters here is a ‘1’ in the loss column, something that Keenum knows he had an opportunity to prevent.
The quarterback has to give a lot of props to his offensive line, as well, who was routinely questioned throughout the offseason with the absence of Trent Williams — Washington only allowed one sack on the day, which Keenum blamed on himself.
Aside from a missed deep ball to rookie wide receiver Terry McLaurin in the second half — which would have been the second 70+ yard connection between the two had Keenum not overthrown the ball — the veteran QB had an impressive game. There were not high hopes for him to produce above-average stats in Washington, but his first game with the Redskins should inspire a lot of confidence.
With rookie QB Dwayne Haskins waiting in the wing, ready to step in as soon as Keenum proves unworthy, the veteran signal-caller has very little margin of error to start the season. On Sunday he was better than expected, and he gave the Redskins a chance.
He may not be one of the best QBs in the NFL, but at least we know he can still hold his own when given the chance.
