By all accounts, Washington Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins had a subpar rookie season. The question then becomes, was it solely his fault?
Leading up to the 2019 NFL Draft, Haskins' name was a polarizing one, frequently praised by NFL pundits. After all, he did throw for 50 touchdowns at Ohio State in one season—a rare feat. Despite the eye-popping statistics and media hype, he fell to the Redskins at No. 15 overall in the draft. Kyler Murray and Daniel Jones were selected before him. Word had spread that Jay Gruden—the Redskins' head coach at the time—wanted Jones, not Haskins, to be their signal caller. On draft night, Haskins was shown laughing at the announcement the New York Giants had taken Jones instead of him. Between Gruden preferring a different quarterback, and Haskins believing the Giants would call his name, things were already off to a terrible start.
The offensive weapons surrounding Haskins, or lack thereof, did not help matters for his rookie development. Terry McClaurin, an explosive wide receiver selected in the third round of the same draft, was the only clear-cut playmaker. Beyond him, the wide receiver talent was hit or miss. In fairness, the group consisted of three rookies, one of whom was McClaurin. The oft-injured Paul Richardson and Trey Quinn were of no help due to their injuries.
At the tight end position, long-time veteran Vernon Davis was on the decline. Injury-riddled but ultra-talented Jordan Reed did not see the field after receiving a concussion in a preseason game. Jeremy Sprinkle, used primarily as a blocker, showed minor signs of improvement here and there. Hale Hentges, an unknown name, looked good in the very few snaps he played, but not in a game-changing way.
At running back, Derrius Guice was supposed to be the workhorse. Instead, he saw limited playing time with even more injuries to his young NFL career. Insert 34-year-old Adrian Peterson, an unequivocal future Hall of Famer. Peterson continued to defy his age as he rushed for 898 yards and 5 touchdowns, while surpassing multiple records in the process. He was the lone bright spot at the position. The once-explosive Chris Thompson was a shell of his former self. He, too, had an unfortunate knack for catching the injury bug.
So, when considering all that happened during the 2019 season, is Haskins still to blame? Magic 8-Ball says...
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