ASHBURN — After being named the Washington Redskins’ quarterback for the rest of the season earlier this week, Dwayne Haskins said Wednesday he was very excited about the opportunity, but added there’s “more work to be done” in order to become the passer he envisions moving forward.
Haskins will get his first home start Sunday against the New York Jets. The 22-year-old said he feels more comfortable in the offense since his first appearance of the year, a Week 4 loss against the New York Giants.
“I felt comfortable with the playbook before, it’s just now seeing the reps for the first time, seeing them live,” he said. “It’s different when you just hear the plays and talk about the play and never really went through the play live before. Now that I’m able to get multiple reps … it makes the plays a lot easier to go execute.”
Drafted 15th overall in April, the Ohio State product is coming off his best game as a pro. He earned his first start Nov. 9 against the Buffalo Bills, throwing for 144 yards with no turnovers.
Though he failed to score a touchdown, Haskins displayed a solid grasp of the playbook. He avoided the types of mistakes that plagued him in two earlier appearances against the Giants and the Minnesota Vikings.
On Sunday, Haskins will have a large number of friends and family at FedEx Field. The 22-year-old went to Bullis high school in Potomac, Maryland and recalled how he used to attend Redskins games back then.
“Of course being able to play at home and being from this area means a lot more to me than it would for another guy,” he said. “Just being able to play in front of my family, play in front of the fans that have been watching me since I was 15 years old, means a lot to me.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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