LANDOVER — You’ll have to forgive Redskins rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins for taking a selfie with Redskins fans to celebrate the last-minute drive that led to the field goal by Dustin Hopkins in a 19-16 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Ghost Town Field.
After all, those moments are few and far in between.
The last time, in fact, the Redskins (2-9) won a game at the stadium that purports to be their home field was a 20-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 21, 2018. Since then, those Redskins fans who have shown up here have watched their team lose nine straight by a combined score of 263-111.
So you never know when Haskins might get another opportunity.
Never mind that his team needed him on the field to close out the final seconds of the game, forcing backup quarterback Case Keenum to put his helmet on and go out on the field to take the victory formation snap.
“We were looking for him,” Redskins interim coach Bill Callahan said after the game. “I think he thought the game was over… I don’t laugh at it. We’ll address that.”
I think Haskins (13 for 29, 156 yards, one fumble, one interception, three sacks) thought he won the game all by himself, and his work was done.
“I was so hyped up I thought the game was over,” Haskins told reporters after the game. “I’ll get it next time.”
That’s optimistic.
Haskins dismissed the notion that he didn’t meet his responsibility as the Redskins’ starting quarterback to finish the game because he was posing for photos with fans, saying the game was “over” when he was doing that.
In fact, he pretty much dismissed everything — the selfie, the victory formation, the missed receivers throughout the game, which he chalked up to being “pretty banged up.” He apparently was referring to his right wrist. When asked how it was now, he answered, “I’m good.”
So I guess since he is “good,” those overthrows will become receptions.
As John Belushi would have said, it wasn’t “over” when he was looking for Redskins fans to high-five in the stands at Ghost Town Field before he stopped to take the selfie.
That wasn’t easy. First, he had to find Redskins fans to celebrate. As usual, there weren’t many in the stands
Who knew that there were Detroit Lions fans willing to travel to Landover, Maryland, to watch their woeful team play? They announced a paid attendance of 57,754, but in reality there were about 25,000 in the stands, and about 10,000 of them appeared to be Redskins fans.
They were treated to a rare Ghost Town Field win.
Haskins almost dedicated the win to long-suffering Redskins fans. “I bet it means a lot,” he answered, when he was asked what the win meant to Redskins fans. “There are Bullis fans (the Potomac private high school where Haskins attended, along with owner Dan Snyder’s son) and fans from other high schools in the area that go to games. It’s surreal to me because growing up in this area, I know how important it is for us to win football games.”
I’m not sure how Haskins knows this, since the Redskins have been 137-189-1 since Snyder bought the team in 1999, when Haskins was two years old growing up in New Jersey.
“Now I am part of this and the guy running the show, it means that much more to me to get the win at home,” he said.
He may be the guy running the show. He just isn’t the guy closing the show.
“I do it for my family and the people supporting the Redskins,” he said.
At least this is better than an apology after a loss. Redskins fans have heard plenty of those.
Last Monday, following Washington’s 34-17 loss to the New York Jets, Callahan apologized to the Ghost Town Field fans. “I feel bad for our fans,” he said. “Our fans come to the game and expect a quality product to be put on the field and it wasn’t displayed yesterday and that’s what eats at me. That’s what bothers me. I feel I let our fans down in that respect and it falls on my shoulders. I accept that.”
And we heard several apologies from fired head coach Jay Gruden over the years.
“It’s brutal, it’s brutal,” Gruden said after the 31-15 Monday Night Football loss earlier this year to the Chicago Bears. “We are giving everything we have. We’re not producing, we’re not playing good enough at home. We’re not giving these guys a reason to use this home field advantage….Something has to be done, we have to do a better job at home.”
I’m not sure Sunday was a better job. But it was a win. No apologies needed.
Next time — selfies for everybody!
⦁ Hear Thom Loverro on 106.7 The Fan Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings and on the Kevin Sheehan podcast Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• Thom Loverro can be reached at tloverro@washingtontimes.com.
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