Dwayne Haskins Benched in Washington, Kyle Allen to Start Against Rams

Dwayne Haskins Benched in Washington, Kyle Allen to Start Against Rams

CINCINNATI — Former first-round pick Dwayne Haskins has been benched by Washington head coach Ron Rivera. Kyle Allen will start at quarterback this week against the Rams according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 

Washington is 1-3 this season. They lost to the Ravens 31-17 on Sunday. 

Haskins was the 15th overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. He's completed 89-of-146 passes (61%) for 939 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. 

Haskins has been demoted to third-string according to Tom Pelissero. That means veteran quarterback and former Pro Bowler Alex Smith will back up Allen this weekend against the Rams.

Allen made 12 starts for Rivera and the Panthers in Carolina last season. They went 5-7 with the 24-year-old under center. He completed 330-of-489 passes (62%) for 3,322 yards, 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions last season. 

Allen is familiar with the Washington offense. It's similar to what he ran in Carolina last season. They have some winnable games on the schedule, which is why Rivera made the move. 

Washington only plays one team—the Rams—with a winning record over the next six weeks. They play the Giants twice, host the Cowboys at home, plus they go to Detroit on Nov. 15 and host the Bengals on Nov. 22. 

This week could be a challenge for Washington, but there are certainly some winnable games on their schedule. Expecting to go 3-3 (minimum) over the next six weeks is a realistic expectation for Rivera and the rest of the Washington brass.

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