NFL
By: Ryan Cooley
Head coach Ron Rivera announced Wednesday that Dwayne Haskins would no longer be the starting quarterback. Kyle Allen will be under center Sunday against the Rams with Alex Smith backing him up. This decision comes after a rough four games from the Ohio State product. Most fans expressed their displeasure with Rivera’s decision. Most feel Haskins didn’t get a fair shot at proving he could be the guy in Washington.
Here are four reasons why Haskins was benched.
Development
This word had been used a lot when talking about Haskins this season. It was clear after his first few games in 2019 that Dwayne would need a substantial amount of time to develop into a successful NFL quarterback.
However, no one seems to talk about the development of the other 52 players on this team. Rivera mentioned one thing that stood out to me in his press conference. He said, “one thing a lot of people don’t see is the frustration on the sidelines of the other players as well. I look at that, I see that, I feel that. The guys want to win.”
At what point does the development of one player become more essential than the development of everyone else. Yes, the quarterback is the most important position on a team. However, that does not mean you can ignore every other position.
Winning the Division
Another common theme in Rivera’s press conference was the emphasis on winning. No one expected Washington to compete for a championship this year. After four weeks, they are only half a game from being in first place. There is a good chance the winner of the NFC East will only finish around .500. If Kyle Allen can come in and win 2-3 games in the next four weeks, Washington will have a legit opportunity to win the division.
As I mentioned earlier, Rivera said many players were frustrated with losing. It is crucial that Rivera does not lose the locker room. Continuing to play a quarterback that is not helping the team win can lead to players becoming irritated and lose respect for the head coach.
Haskins Has Struggled
There is no way around it, Haskins has been bad. His 47.2 grade from Pro Football Focus is worst among all starting QBs. His inaccuracy and head-scratching decision-making shows he is not ready just yet.
There was one play in particular late in the fourth quarter on a fourth and goal from Baltimore’s 13. Haskins threw the ball four yards which resulted in a turnover on downs. In this scenario, Washington was down multiple scores and Haskins should have thrown it in the end zone. It wouldn’t have mattered if it was intercepted because it was fourth down. The whole game, Haskins seemed to play it safe and took very little chances.
At the end of the day, he must play better. He is not in an ideal situation with his lack of a supporting cast. However, at some point, the excuses need to stop and he needs to play at a higher level.
New Regime
An important note is that Rivera did not draft Haskins. Rivera does not owe anything to him and he will/should put the best players on the field. As of now, that is Kyle Allen. We see new head coaches come in and replace players all the time. Just two years ago, Kliff Kingsbury ditched Josh Rosen after he drafted Kyler Murray. Rivera has a vision for this team and it may be different than the old regime’s vision.
Kyle Allen knows Scott Turner’s offense as he was in Carolina for three years. Rivera said in the press conference that it wasn’t fair that Haskins didn’t have OTAs and a preseason to learn the new system. He also said this will give Haskins a chance to have a better understanding of it and not be pressured.
Overall, this may not mean the end of Haskins in Washington. If he has the right attitude and works hard to better himself, Rivera may give him another shot. I understand many fans are frustrated but know Rivera is doing what is best for the team. The players are tired of working hard and that not resulting in a win. Whenever there is a complete turnover in a front office and coaching staff, you need to expect growing pains and this is exactly what is happening now.
