On Sunday, the Washington Football Team made the move from sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins to placeholder Kyle Allen, who lasted less than 30 minutes before being replaced by Alex Smith.
That Alex Smith.
The one who shattered his leg against the Houston Texans in 2018, after a 6-3 start to his first year in Washington. The same Smith who declined amputation and fought for his life, surviving 17 surgeries. The same guy who is lucky to walk again, much less play football at the highest level.
If his return to the gridiron seems like the feel-good story of the year, that’s because his comeback has been marketed for months. We know that Smith is universally liked by the owner, staff, teammates, and fans. We know that he says all the right things, leads by example, and usually puts his teams in a position to win.
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That’s what makes it perfect. Maybe too perfect.
The Backstory
In May, ESPN released a heart-wrenching E:60 special on Smith’s battle, which showed how close he was to death after this injury. There’s no way to watch that story and not cheer for the guy, who is one triumphant return away from a Hollywood blockbuster.
Note: they don’t make many E:60 specials about third-string quarterbacks.
In August, Smith made his return to Training Camp, where it was interesting to watch the team’s coverage of Smith on social media and the team’s website. Even after Haskins was named the starter, Smith still got way more coverage than a backup quarterback normally gets.
Note: coaches hate distractions and quarterback controversies unless they serve a larger purpose.
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Through the first four games of the season, Haskins struggled to perform and lost the confidence of his new coaching staff. After he failed to convert a key fourth down vs. the Baltimore Ravens last week, his goose was cooked.
His lack of development helped get Jay Gruden fired. New coach Ron Rivera signed a long-term deal but has no interest in wasting time on somebody else’s mistake.
Quarterback Drama Returns to D.C.
After Rivera benched Haskins and talked up Kyle Allen giving the team a better chance to win, a team announcer Julie Donaldson was already looking at the end goal:
Note: Donaldson is one of the team’s top marketing outlets. This tweet advances the narrative.
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Throughout the week, unnamed sources told the media that Haskins doesn’t prepare adequately, isn’t liked by coaches, brags about his personal stats after a loss, and recently unfollowed the team on Instagram. Apparently, he could be traded before Halloween.
Note: the names and faces change in Washington, but the tactics for destroying a player in the media never do.
That brings us to Sunday, where Allen got the start and He managed the offense (9-for-13, 74 yards) before taking a nasty hit from a Rams defender:
Enter Smith, who played his first NFL down in 693 days.
With his wife and family watching from the COVID-19 deserted stands and the TV commentators armed with quotes (after having interviewed him this week), Smith threw his first passes, took his first hits, and left the game healthy after the final whistle.
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Note: TV commentators don’t usually interview backup quarterbacks and there was almost nobody in the stands at FedExField.
To be clear, it was an amazing moment for anyone who loves sports or has a beating heart. So what if he finished with nine completions for only 37 yards. Smith proved a lot of people wrong, myself included, and deserves every accolade that he gets for this courageous comeback.
Maybe this is just an example of life imitating art, but it feels like this made-for-Hollywood moment was the plan all along. It’s a convenient way to get disaffected fans back on board, distracting from the Haskins fallout and another losing season.
Or maybe this should be taken at face value: an amazing comeback story that we deserve in 2020.
More Questions Than Answers
Looking ahead, Smith will get a chance to own the QB1 job if Allen gets injured again or plays poorly. The problem is protection.
Before being benched, Haskins was sacked 13 times in three games. Allen was sacked twice on Sunday and got wrecked on an ill-fated scramble out of the pocket. Smith was sacked a whopping six times, bringing the team total to 21 sacks in five games. No quarterback will make it to the season’s finish line under those conditions.
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If the team is done with Haskins, then he should be off the roster as soon as possible. If Scott Turner can’t scheme ways to keep his remaining quarterbacks safe, then Smith’s comeback story is destined to end with a thud.
Brian Tinsman has covered D.C. sports since 2011, both from the team marketing and skeptical fan perspectives. Tweet your criticisms @Brian_Tinsman.