Despite stats, Haskins decent in his 1st start
Rookie QB offers hope — though record falls to 1-8
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Inside the ing a 66-yard kickoff return, those field halftime locker room, the Washington goals did little to help Washington on Redskins players noticed a new Dwayne Sunday. The Redskins went into halftime Haskins Sunday afternoon. Their rookie down by nine, despite having more first half quarterback, halfway through his first start, yards, and did little in the second half to get had things he wanted to discuss with his back into the game. wide receivers. This has been a theme for Washington,
Here was what he was trying to do on his one that started when Jay Gruden was the first throws of the game, he said to them, coach and has continued under his replacedescribing the defense, the pressure coming ment, Bill Callahan. Missed chances and his way and the feel for who was open. But mistakes continue to vex the Redskins. As in what did they think? How did it look to their previous two losses, against San them? Francisco and at Minnesota, they kept the
“He looked us in our eye and spoke to us,” game close enough to make the score look wide receiver Paul Richardson said after good, yet never appeared to be in position to the Redskins’ 24-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills. win.
“You need a leader, you need a connection “It’s frustrating,” Callahan said after the like that.” game, calling it “a similar template of how
In many ways, this was Washington’s we’ve been playing in recent weeks.” bleakest loss yet, coming on a frosty field as He lamented the inopportune penalties, a Canadian wind howled through the New incomplete passes inside the 20-yard line Era Field stands and the stadium sound complicated Bills defense reasonably well. grow. He struck them as the most assured and stuffed runs. The failure to score inside system blasted freight train whistles before He knew what was coming. He made the he has been since arriving. the red zone seemed to bother him most. every third-and-long. The defeat followed a right call a lot of the time. None of his passes On Sunday, inside the frigid stadium, it “We’ve worked on it,” he added. “We similar pattern of previous losses, with were intercepted. And later, the Redskins showed. He completed several key passes to focused hard, but we’ve got to go back this mistakes compromising promising offenplayers nodded when asked about him. receivers Richardson and Terry McLaurin bye weekend and really zero in and find a sive drives and keeping opponents on the “I thought he did really well considering — the latter his teammate at Ohio State. He new way, a new plan of attacking the red field longer than they should. the circumstances,” tackle Donald Penn was aided by several big runs from Adrian zone area, because it hasn’t been produc
The Redskins are now 1-8, haven’t scored said. Peterson, who had101 yards by halftime and tive.” a touchdown in 13 quarters and look every “Completely different,” is how guard looked to be doing everything he could to But it was Haskins the Redskins talked bit like one of the worst teams in the NFL. Tony Bergstrom described the way Haskins help the rookie in his first start. And the about most after the game. Callahan said he
But there glowed a hope on Sunday. prepared for this game during the week. Redskins moved the ball more than anyone thought Haskins had “a pretty efficient day,” Their rookie quarterback, starting for the There had been a lot of worry about probably expected. though he would not commit to starting first time, in another team’s stadium, against Haskins going into this start. In the parts of In their two second quarter possessions, him in two weeks against the New York Jets.oneoftheleague’sbestdefenses…anddidtwogamesthathehadplayedbeforetheymoved71and55yards,twiceendingup pretty well. The final numbers won’t show Sunday, he looked overwhelmed, unsure of inside Buffalo’s 15 yard line. Still, they could Haskins, himself, seemed more satisfied this. He was 15-for-22 for 144 yards. He had what to do and every bit of a 22-year-old do little with their success. Already down than he has in the past, saying he was “very no touchdowns. He also was sacked four with 14 college starts. But with starter Case 10-0 after the Bills scored a touchdown and detail-oriented, more laser focused.” times. But in the opinions of many of his Keenum still in the concussion protocol field goal on their first two drives, the Asked if he thought this had helped, he teammates after the game, Haskins’s perafter a hit 10 days before in Minnesota, Redskins settled for two field goals, with a said, “yeah.” formance was cause for optimism. Haskins got to prepare all week as if he sack ending one drive and a pair of failed Then he looked down.
His teammates thought he grew as the would start. The certainty appeared to help runs and a missed pass ending another. “But [we] didn’t win,” he added. “So not game went on. He seemed to read a him, as his teammates saw his confidence Wrapped around a Bills touchdown follow- enough.”