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Dwayne Haskins Was Set Up To Fail

Trey Daubert / NFL / March 3, 2020

The Washington Redskins have the 2nd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. There is a real conversation with what they should do with that pick. There is only one problem. Does anybody have a clue how good Dwayne Haskins is? Whether you like or dislike Haskins is irrelevant. There is no denying that Haskins was set up to fail.

The former Ohio State product was put into an impossible position to succeed. I’m not trying to defend Haskins. It’s more like the truth. Haskins wasn’t ready to play as a rookie. Urban Meyer said so himself. Smart teams let that kind of quarterback sit for a year. Mediocre teams change course midseason and give that quarterback a week notice before he takes over in Week 7. Then there are the Redskins.

Imagine walking into this situation. The owner forces a pick onto a coaching staff that didn’t want him. The starting job gets given to Case Keenum and in the middle of Week 4, Dan Snyder buzzes down to the sideline and directs Haskins into the game. Haskins was given no reps with the starters during the week of practice. He had zero warning he was coming into the game. Haskins threw 3 interceptions against the Giants and went right back to the bench.

You try succeeding in that scenario. Jay Gruden got fired midseason. How many rookie QB’s go through that? For what it’s worth, Haskins ended the season on a strong note. 47-60, 7 TD’s, 1 INT. That was against Green Bay, Philadelphia, and the Giants. Not a bad end to the season given all the turmoil Haskins endured.

Stephen A Smith Boxed Dwayne Haskins Into The Ultimate Stereotype And Couldn’t Have Been More Wrong

Josh Rosen wasn’t given a fair shake. Rosen had it better than what Haskins dealt with. Haskins got Dan Snyder, getting thrust into his debut mid game with no prep, and saw his head coach get fired. His best weapon was 4th round pick Terry McLaurin and 75-year-old Adrian Peterson. Regardless of what you think of Dwayne Haskins, he has been given an impossible mission. He deserves a chance to prove himself in a stable environment with Ron Rivera.