Nope, the Redskins didn’t fire coach Jay Gruden due to an inability to speed up the growth process of rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins. For all the obvious expectations that come with being drafted 15th overall, he continues to be a raw commodity that figures to be spoiled if rushed to produce. And forget about the bullishness of the front office in regard to his potential; Daniel Snyder may be the reason he was plucked from Ohio State after just 14 starts, but even the franchise owner knows the value of patience. No doubt, it’s also preached because of the way he performed well below par in relief last week.
To argue that Haskins stunk up MetLife Stadium would be an understatement. He came in with the Redskins two touchdowns behind midway through the second quarter, and then proceeded to craft what looked to be a good series with two good passes and a nifty scramble under pressure. Unfortunately, he couldn’t finish the job; considering that he had three opportunities to do so from the one-yard line, winding up with a field goal was disappointing at best. And, once the adrenaline wore off, his inexperience showed; everything went downhill from then on.
Haskins would finish the game with a poor nine-of-17 line, including three interceptions, for 107 yards all told. He was also sacked twice en route to posting an abhorrent 26.1 quarterback rating in the 24-3 loss to the Giants. He simply lacks the wherewithal to perform under the klieg lights, and if there’s anything Gruden was guilty of in regard to his progress, it was, in fact, rushing him to the field. The good news is that the Redskins are prepared to go the long route with him, their evident win-now predilections notwithstanding. Interim coach Bill Callahan has even gone on record to note that he could be inactive on game days.
Meanwhile, Haskins is doing all he must do to justify the Redskins’ faith in him. He goes through separate workouts before and after team meetings, not to mention breaks down footage of relevant action with coaches and by himself. As to when his efforts will finally lead to a start is anybody’s guess. “He still has a ways to go,” Callahan acknowledged. “His development is very, very important. There is a very good plan in place for that to happen.” That said, he’s only part of the solution. The rest is up to the very front office that drafted him, and that has seen more than its fair share of futility. He’s no savior, even at his best.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
