Dwayne Haskins has forgettable preseason debut for Redskins

Washington Redskins rookie QB Dwayne Haskins had a forgettable debut against the Browns in Week 1 of the 2019 NFL preseason.

Remember when New York Giants fans — and football fans in general — questioned GM Dave Gettleman’s decision to select Duke’s Daniel Jones over Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft?

Yeah, it was brutal.

Giants fans were ready to boycott the season and even next-generation Big Blue supporters have been openly critical of Jones at training camp practices this summer.

And then came Thursday night’s preseason opener against the New York Jets. Jones went 5-for-5 for 67 yards and a gorgeous 12-yard touchdown pass to Bennie Fowler. As for Haskins? He had a night he’d like to soon forget.

It’s amazing how quickly player narratives can shift. Haskins, who went 8-for-14 for 117 yards and two interceptions, looked overmatched and unprepared to start at this point in his development. That’s not a criticism, either; rookie quarterbacks need experience and benefit from time on the bench.

During the run-up to last April’s draft, it was Haskins who was viewed as the prospect who was better equipped to step in and compete against NFL defenses because of his physical traits. If nothing else, his cannon of an arm will get him out of trouble. And while that may still be true, his first exposure to the league didn’t exactly go well.

To be fair, rookie quarterbacks naturally have jitters in their first start. Haskins settled down as the game went along and he did make some encouraging throws that were good examples of his immense upside.

But here we are, just one preseason game into the summer, and the NFC East-quarterback-arms-race from the 2019 NFL draft may have tilted in the Giants’ favor.