Anyone watching Thursday night’s preseason game between the Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals could tell that both of these teams looked much improved from a week prior.
Dwayne Haskins, in particular, seemed to make a marked jump from Week 1, showing an impressive adeptness at recognizing blitzes at the line of scrimmage and adjusting his coverage to pick them up and protect himself. ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky — a former quarterback for the Detroit Lions and analyst on Get Up — broke down video of Haskins 55-yard touchdown pass to Robert Davis and pointed out exactly what it was that Haskins got right on the play, and why it should be encouraging going forward.
The hard count allowed Haskins to read the Bengals veiled defense, and his blitz pickup adjustment gave him time to sit in the pocket and allow his crossing receivers to break open downfield. The arm talent that we’ve all heard of was then given a chance to shine, and the rookie delivered a beauty downfield to put Washington on the board.
As these type of highlights become more present, look for the nation’s attention to turn to Washington. The Redskins have something special in Haskins, and the football world is starting to realize it.
