Part of a young quarterback’s development is eliminating denial and taking on self-assessment. After throwing three interceptions in a loss to the Cleveland Browns, Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins denied staring down his receivers on Sunday.
After watching himself on film, Haskins had a different tune Wednesday. He admitted to “definitely” staring down his receivers.
The Browns did a great job in zone coverage against Haskins, and his eyes guided defenders to the football.
Before Week 3, Haskins had did fairly well protecting the football in the first two games with no interceptions. But, against Cleveland he struggled mightily, throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble late. He should have had five turnovers if not for a brilliant play by his wide receiver, Isaiah Wright, that jarred the ball from Denzel Ward’s grasp after Haskins floated a pass directly at the Browns cornerback.
Haskins’ first interception was more on his predetermination to throw at tight end Logan Thomas despite great coverage by the Browns defense. On his second interception, Haskins stared down his receiver Dontrelle Inman guiding Browns linebacker Malcolm Smith into the path of the throw. For his third, he again glued his eyes on Inman before BJ Goodson uncut the pass for the pick.
Immediately after the game, Rivera said he’s sticking with Haskins despite the turnover-plagued game. But the following day, Rivera admitted there’s a “cut-off point” to supporting Haskins as the starter.
It’s hard for players to hide from the film and that was the case for Haskins. Now, Washington hopes the second-year QB will learn from his mistakes and continues his development. His understanding and admittance to his mistakes in Week 3 shows growth and maturity, but his on-field performance matters most.
