Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins may have passed the test, but failed the pop quiz that mattered more.
Haskins heard the drumbeat of change over the past week after a four-turnover loss and responded with a respectable effort statistically versus the Baltimore Ravens. His 32 of 45 for 314 yards and a 90.4 rating plus no turnovers and his first career rushing touchdown would earn an A on many report cards.
But one play undermined the afternoon. It was fourth and goal with Washington trailing 28-10. Washington needed three scores and probably would only get a couple more possession so scoring there was critical.
Related
Coach Ron Rivera could have kicked a field goal, but later said he wanted to test Haskins’ situational awareness. See if there was a killer instinct that might ignite a late rally.
Instead, Haskins threw a dump-off pass and Washington lost 31-17.
What was Haskins’ thinking? The ball has to go into the end zone or Washington gets nothing. Even if receivers were tightly covered, it has to go into the end zone. Throw one up for grabs and hope Washington gets a lucky catch or a pass interference penalty. But to throw it short?
Haskins said the Ravens zone coverage gave him no openings so he threw it short hoping somehow the play would end up a touchdown. It wasn’t even close.
That’s not the mentality Rivera wanted to see. It’s not what wins games. And, Haskins will be measured by it.
"The ball's gotta go into the end zone or it's be put into a position where it can get into the end zone," Rivera said after the game.
Related
"This is something that he's gotta learn. If he's gonna be a starter in this league and contribute to winning football games, he has to understand and develop. This is part of it. This is part of the growth," Rivera said.
Really, Haskins wasn’t as good as the stats suggest, partly because Baltimore went to soft coverage in the second half with a big lead. It’s called garbage-time stats. The 39-yarder to Terry McLaurin in the final moments to set up a touchdown was a nice throw, but it only impacted those gambling on the game. Baltimore’s defense had Haskins controlled when it mattered.
It was a growing pain experience for Haskins, Rivera and Washington. But, it was an ugly one as Washington fell to 1-3 which remarkably still has them tied with the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East lead. Washington has some winnable games in the coming weeks. Either Haskins shows his mettle or 2021 is the real opponent.
Rick Snider has covered Washington sports since 1978. Follow him on Twitter: @Snide_Remarks