Washington Football Team had an adventurous day to say the least.
It started with Dwyane Haskins calling out sick. Haskins was going to be inactive but when the news broke, it put his benching back to the top of this team’s news day.
The Haskins saga provide for fireworks than the Washington offense in their 30-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Kyle Allen would get the start and, with the exception on the one touchdown drive, he was largely ineffective before he got hurt on a crushing hit by Jalen Ramsey.
Enter Alex Smith. Smith was playing for the first time since suffering an injury to his leg that would eventually threaten his life. Smith was constantly pressured during his 9-17 for 37 yards performance.
Head coach Ron Rivera doesn’t want his teams giving up sacks but he tried to put a silver lining on Smith being sacked by Aaron Donald. “ “Well that was good to see, to be honest, now you know he could handle it,” said Rivera. But Smith’s feel good story can’t mask the fact that Washington only conjured up 108 yards total offense. They were hampered by a non-existent running game and the Rams ability to get to the quarterbacks from 8 sacks. The offense looked lost. It was supposed to be head and shoulders better because the other quarterbacks supposedly knew the playbook better than Haskins.
Rivera has said that if Allen is healthy he will start against the New York Giants. “If Kyle [Allen] is ready to go, Kyle will be our starter.” If Washington can’t win the division then ask yourself the question is Allen the future? Is it Smith? Rivera has already let us know that the future isn’t Haskins.
Also lost in all the talk about the quarterbacks is the defense’s inability to make enough plays. Goff had an efficient 21-of-30 for 309 yards day. The Rams were never challenged. They weren’t even made to feel uncomfortable on offense. Each week the defense struggles more and more and they need their share of fixing also.
Washington looks as lost as they ever have been. This season was supposed to be a learning season yet Rivera pulled Haskins after four games because he felt like the division is winnable. This is the mistake Washington has made in the past and it seems like a new regime is falling into the same trap.
Unless the organization comes up with a plan for the future and follow that plan, today will be one of many rough ones for the organization.
