Dwayne Haskins will get another shot as Washington Football Team's starting QB, subbing for Alex Smith on Sunday
Dwayne Haskins is back in the saddle.
The Washington Football Team has ruled starting quarterback Alex Smith out for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks as the 14-year veteran continues to heal from a calf strain that knocked him out of last week’s contest.
It means that Haskins, the 15th pick of the 2019 draft, will get a shot at redemption nine weeks after getting benched as the starter.
Haskins opened the season with a victory over Philadelphia, but he and Washington lost the next three games as the offense sputtered, prompting coach Ron Rivera to make a change in hopes it would ignite the team for a pursuit of the NFC East title.
Kyle Allen took over as starter before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Smith reclaimed the starting job, pulling off a dramatic comeback from a broken leg he suffered in 2018. Smith posted a 4-1 record as the starter, and Washington leads the beleaguered NFC East with a 6-7 record.
During his first stint as starter, Haskins threw four touchdown passes and three interceptions and struggled with accuracy. Rivera said he wasn’t giving up on the Ohio State product but believed he could benefit from learning behind a veteran, because he hadn’t had a traditional offseason to learn the system.
Smith left last week’s game against San Francisco in the final minutes of the second quarter. He said the calf strain was not related to the break in his leg, which required 17 surgeries to repair.
Haskins took over and completed 7-of-12 passes for 51 yards. Washington’s offense struggled, scoring only three second-half points. But the team won thanks to a fierce defense, which accounted for 14 points.
Washington holds a narrow lead over the Giants for the division lead with three games remaining. Seattle (9-4) is in a dog fight with the Rams and Cardinals for the NFC West crown.