WFT Turning Point: Where Did The Washington Football Team Lose In Cleveland?

Why did the Washington Football Team lose in Cleveland? It's easy to blame Dwayne Haskins completely but there's more to the picture.

The Washington Football team's loss against the Cleveland Browns marks their first losing streak of the season, losing 34-20. After last week's game, head coach Ron Rivera's focus was on getting quarterback Dwayne Haskins to calm down and incorporate some patience when assessing his reads, while also getting him off to a better start to games. This week they were successful as a staff in getting him off to a much better start; unfortunately, Haskins committed four turnovers in the process.

In a loss like this, where offensive coordinator Scott Turner called his best game of the season but was thwarted by five offensive turnovers, at what point did Washington lose the game?

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The five turnovers are the reason, but it is important to note that Washington had a three-point lead going into the fourth quarter. At that point, Washington had committed three turnovers already and managed to have the lead. That was a testament to their defense being able to mitigate the damage that Washington's offense had caused to that point, as Cleveland started many drives already in Washington's territory.

The fourth turnover of the game is the turning point of this week's game. It came in the fourth quarter, immediately following a Browns touchdown drive that gave them a 24-20 lead. Unfortunately, the narrative continues for Haskins, who had his worst performance yet, arguably his worst as a starter. As good of a start he had, it came crashing down quickly, ending the game with three interceptions and one fumble lost. The fourth turnover also went after a very questionable offensive pass interference on receiver Terry McLaurin on the drive's first play, which cost Washington 15 yards.

It was a rough drive from multiple aspects that culminated in a turnover and a 14-point defeat. Even though it seems like an impossible feat, Washington hopes that they turn things around next week against the Baltimore Ravens to prevent a three-game losing streak. 

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Jamual Forrest has been a freelance sports journalist for four years, covering the Washington Football Team and can be heard as a co-host on The Hog Sty Network's "The Hog Sty" podcast. Additionally, Jamual contributes to The Hog Sty Network and SB Nation's Hogs Haven. You can follow Jamual on Twitter at @LetMualTellit and see his Washington Football Team film breakdowns here.