MINNEAPOLIS — The Washington Redskins wanted rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins to sit at least a couple of weeks more before putting him in a game. But they didn’t have a choice but to play him Thursday night against the Minnesota Vikings.
Haskins opened the second half as the quarterback, because starter Case Keenum was placed in the concussion protocol. Keenum, who was sacked on his second-to-last play, was later ruled out for the rest of the game.
Redskins interim coach Bill Callahan said he’s not sure yet who will start at quarterback in Week 9 against the Buffalo Bills. He said if Keenum is healthy he will start, but if Keenum is unable to play because of the concussion, Haskins would start and Colt McCoy would back him up.
“It’s a Thursday night game, so we have time to see where Case is at this point,” Callahan said. “I do believe Case is our quarterback, and it’s all based on how he comes out of the protocol. But if we were playing next week and he was fine, Case would be our starting quarterback, no questions asked.”
Haskins finished 3-of-5 for 33 yards and an interception and also was sacked twice for a loss of 18 yards. The Redskins went on to lose 19-9.
Haskins, the 15th overall selection of this year’s draft, had not played since replacing Keenum in a Week 4 loss at the New York Giants. In that game Haskins completed 9 of 17 passes for 108 yards and three interceptions.
Thursday, he completed 1 of 2 passes on his first series, but the Redskins went three-and-out for the first time all night. After leading the Redskins to a field goal on his second drive, Haskins sailed a pass high and was intercepted on the team’s next series.
Keenum completed 12 of 16 passes for 130 yards in the first half. The Redskins had to settle for two field goals, though, as Keenum and the offense failed to convert twice inside the 10-yard line. The Redskins trailed, 13-6, at halftime.
Haskins’ development has been scrutinized all season, and the team has faced questions about why he hadn’t been playing. It was known that the coaching staff wanted another player with the 15th overall draft pick. But Redskins sources say Haskins has been energized the past two weeks since the team fired coach Jay Gruden. He has taken first-team reps when Keenum was unavailable to practice.
Interim coach Bill Callahan has said the Redskins wanted Haskins to keep sitting and learning while they prepared him to play. The coaches have said they have a package of plays ready in case he was needed sooner.
Source : ESPN
