Getty Dwayne Haskins made his regular-season debut last Sunday.
Who will be starting at quarterback for the Washington Redskins on Sunday afternoon when they host the New England Patriots?
That’s a good question even the Redskins don’t have an answer to yet.
Jay Gruden on the Redskins QB plan for Sunday: “We don’t have one right now.”
Washington coach Jay Gruden has yet to name a starter for Sunday’s upcoming matchup with New England. As if Gruden wasn’t already on the hot seat, a matchup with the league’s second-best secondary and top-rated defense may not do wonders for his team’s waining confidence.
Regardless of who starts for Washington, New England, in typical Patriots fashion, will be game-planned for any possibility. But just how does New England stack up against all three potential Redskins starters?
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Dwayne Haskins
The likely choice for starting QB, Haskins is a promising rookie with a massive upside. But in his first glimpse of NFL action, it could not have gone worse for Haskins. Sure he completed more than half his passes (9 for 17) and threw for 107 yards in one half of action, but he threw three interceptions.
Who should start at QB for the @Redskins vs. New England?
@DeAngeloHall23 breaks down Dwayne Haskins’ debut and tells you why he should get his first start this Sunday 🎥
While it wasn’t the debut Haskins was looking for, he matches up well against a New England team that showed it struggles to defend roll-out plays. The Buffalo Bills used a few to make New England overpursue in the box, creating seems downfield. Haskins, while not the fastest dual-threat, can still make these plays happen.
Bill Belichick openly praised Dwayne Haskins in his Wednesday press conference, crediting his strong arm and athleticism with his ability to make big plays.
Belichick on Dwayne Haskins: “Big, strong kid. Athletic guy, strong arm, can make a lot of throws.”
Whether Haskins starts or not is still up in the air. But the most likely scenario for the Redskins is for number-7 to be under center on Sunday.
Case Keenum
After beginning the 2019 season as the Redskins starter, Keenum could be relegated to a backup role after an inglorious first four games. Despite completing nearly 70 percent of his passes, Keenum has only thrown seven touchdown passes and four interceptions.
Keenum has only played once against the Patriots — all the way back in 2013 when he was with Houston. Keenum went 15 for 30 in that game with an interception in a narrow 34-31 Patriots win.
The protection for Keenum this season hasn’t been great and Washington is one of just five NFL teams averaging fewer than 300 yards of offense per game. He has been sacked seven times this season as well, including four against the NFC’s top defense in Chicago.
Colt McCoy
There is a third, dark-horse option for the Redskins on Sunday. Colt McCoy, who has been with the Redskins since 2014, was reportedly being considered as a starter for this weekend.
He is finally fully recovered from a broken leg suffered last year and looks ready to enter the Redskins QB competition.
In his lone matchup with New England, coming all the way back in 2010, McCoy outdueled unanimous-MVP Tom Brady in a 34-14 win for the Cleveland Browns. McCoy was accurate going 14 for 19 with 174 yards in the game that defined Peyton Hillis’ career.
Whether McCoy sees action isn’t as far-fetched as it might sound, but he wouldn’t be a bad option for a Redskins team looking for a turnaround.
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