After more than three disastrous quarters, Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins was benched in favor of 28-year old Taylor Heinicke against the Carolina Panthers.
Haskins got the start in place of the injured Alex Smith Sunday, but struggled mightily from the onset. Three first half turnovers helped put Washington into a 20-3 halftime hole.
After a three-and-out on the opening drive, Haskins lost a fumble on a strip sack. Despite solid play by Washington’s defense, Haskins never got the offense going, throwing two interceptions before halftime.
Haskins was 14-of-28 passing for 154 yards, two interceptions and a fumble lost before his benching. His day ended on a 4th-down-2 sack in the fourth quarter.
Henicke initially signed with Washington’s practice squad on Dec. 8. He had familiarity with both head coach Ron Rivera and offensive coordinator Scott Turner from his time in Carolina in 2018. Turner was also Heinicke’s quarterback coach for two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.
Heinicke was signed to the active roster on Dec. 20 following the injury to Alex Smith.
The benching for Haskins culminated a tumultuous week for the quarterback that started with headlines of him attending a maskless party Sunday night. He violated COVID-19 protocols, leading to him having his captainship stripped as a well as a hefty fine by the team.
Still he had the opportunity to right the ship, but it was not in the cards with a dismal performance. Now the question is has Haskins taken his last snap in Washington Football Team uniform?
