Who is Washington’s quarterback? The team is still figuring it out.
By Fred Bowen,
Susan Walsh/AP; Daniel Kucin Jr./AP; Patrick Smith/Getty Images
On top of everything else — the coronavirus pandemic, the team name change and a head coach who is fighting cancer — the 2020 Washington Football Team (WFT) has a quarterback controversy. That’s when a team can’t decide who their quarterback will be.
The best teams in the National Football League (NFL) know who their quarterback is, week in, week out, season after season.
Ask any kid who follows the NFL, “Who is the quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks?” “Russell Wilson,” will be the quick reply.
New Orleans Saints? Drew Brees. Green Bay Packers? Aaron Rodgers.
The WFT? I guess it depends on the week.
The WFT started this season hoping Dwayne Haskins would be its quarterback and leader. Haskins was the team’s first-round draft pick in 2019. He also has a local connection: Haskins played football at the Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland.
Haskins started the first four games of this season (the WFT lost three) and did okay. He threw for 939 yards and four touchdowns. But Haskins mostly threw short passes and did not do well when the protection from his offensive line broke down.
So Head Coach Ron Rivera switched to Kyle Allen for the game with the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday. Allen played for Rivera when Rivera was the head coach of the Carolina Panthers.
Allen got hurt in the second quarter against the Rams, and Rivera switched to veteran quarterback Alex Smith.
Smith’s story is incredible. He was the first pick in the 2005 NFL draft and played 12 seasons for the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs. He was traded to the WFT and played 10 games during the 2018 season.
Smith’s 2018 season ended with a horrible leg injury. For a while it was feared that Smith might lose his leg or even die. Still, Smith worked hard and came back. So if they had a team for courage and never giving up, Smith would be the starting quarterback. No doubt about that.
[NFL teams don’t get very far without a good, healthy quarterback]
So who will be the WFT’s starting quarterback for the rest of the season? Rivera says Allen will start against the winless New York Giants on Sunday if he is healthy.
Allen is no Tom Brady. He started 12 games for the Carolina Panthers last year and threw for 3,322 yards and 17 touchdowns. But Allen also threw 16 interceptions and fumbled 13 times. That’s a lot of turnovers.
Smith has had the most success in the NFL, playing in three Pro Bowls. But Smith is rusty after being out with his injury. Haskins clearly needs work to get better.
The WFT’s quarterback controversy is a problem not because they can’t choose a quarterback, but because none of their choices looks very good.
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