Now the Real Work for Haskins Begins
Dwayne Haskins was officially named the Washington Football Team’s starting quarterback on Wednesday when head coach Ron Rivera announced his decision via a Zoom meeting with reporters.
HOT READ: Dwayne Haskins is Officially QB 1
Make no mistake; this was always going to be Haskins’ job, but he was challenged repeatedly in the offseason and, each time, he rose to the challenge.
Now, the work begins.
It has been anything but a normal offseason in the NFL. And it has been especially difficult for someone like Haskins, who not only has an entirely new coaching staff but didn’t have the opportunity to work closely with the new staff throughout the offseason.
Then you add in Washington’s dearth of offensive playmakers, and you can see the skepticism regarding Haskins and his ability to break out in 2020.
Now, a lack of weapons does not fall at the feet of the promising second-year passer. He does have his former college teammate, Terry McLaurin, one of the most promising young wide receivers in the league.
McLaurin and Haskins have already shown they have a special chemistry on the field, which has been evident at times this summer in training camp.
Steven Sims showed promise last fall. He returns, but will he get off to a fast start in a completely new offense?
Washington lacks a proven commodity at tight end. One promising aspect of training camp has been the connection between Haskins and Logan Thomas. The former Virginia Tech quarterback moved to tight end a few years ago and is beginning to thrive in his new position. He could be a key safety valve for Haskins this fall, particularly in the red zone.
Adrian Peterson returns to the backfield. One of the greatest running backs of all-time, Peterson is still a capable starter. J.D. McKissic should fill Chris Thompson’s old role as the third-down back and receiver out of the backfield.
Rookie Antonio Gibson could be an X-factor for Haskins this season. A hybrid running back/wide receiver, offensive coordinator Scott Turner loves Gibson’s playmaking ability, which he has shown bursts of this summer.
Rivera has said all the right things about Haskins since taking the job in January. But he also made it a point to say this was a competition and would gently challenge Haskins any time he was asked about the young quarterback.
Instead of complaining, Haskins quietly responded. With all of the quarterback drama Washington has dealt with in its recent history, his maturity and competitive spirit were refreshing.
Rivera had nothing but positive words for Haskins on Wednesday and compared his commitment to Haskins with one he made to a young Cam Newton a decade ago.
Washington fans will certainly breathe a sigh of relief, seeing the quarterback and head coach sharing the same message.
This is not a make-or-break season for Haskins. What Rivera and Turner want from Haskins is continued growth on a weekly basis. That’s exactly what he did in 2019, and there is no reason to believe he won’t follow the same formula this fall.
Haskins deserved the starting gig. And, most importantly, he earned the job.
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Bryan Manning writes about the Washington Football Team for 'Washington Football' and contributed to All Hokies on SI.com as well. He has covered the NFL, MLB, NBA, college football and college basketball for almost 10 years for various outlets such as Bleacher Report, SB Nation, FanSided, USA Today SMG, and others. For his day job, Bryan works in engineering for a major communications company.
