Will Kyle Allen be an improvement over Dwayne Haskins? originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
In large part Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera benched Dwayne Haskins because he took too many sacks and turned the ball over too many times.
Based on the 2019 season, those numbers might not get any better with Kyle Allen as quarterback.
Ron Rivera made his first big move as Washington's head coach by benching Haskins, and it's been reported that some off-field practice habits went into the decision.
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But on the field? It's hard to envision Allen having significantly more success than Haskins.
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Let's be clear on one thing: Allen knows the offensive system backward and forward. He played for Rivera and offensive coordinator Scott Turner the last two season in Carolina and started 12 games.
Allen found great success in his first four games with the Panthers, but after that, the wheels came off. Just look at the numbers.
The sacks and the turnovers really stand out, and that doesn't even mention that Allen fumbled 13 times last year and lost seven of them.
An honest look at Haskins doesn't reveal great statistics either. In four games this year he completed 61 percent of his passes for four touchdowns and three interceptions. He also fumbled twice.
The suggestion here isn't that Haskins' play demanded he stay on the field. It didn't. But the idea that Allen will come in and light it up doesn't seem rooted in reality either.
Want some other predictions for Washington's Week 5 game against the Rams?
- Antonio Gibson will again lead in touches for the Washington backfield. He might even break a long one this weekend as Allen will do a better job of getting the ball to RBs through the air.
- Chase Young gets back on the field and gets back in the sack column. More than once.
- The weather could be a factor in this game with heavy rains expected as the remnants of a hurricane works north. Watch for low scores and maybe a repeat of the 2019 loss to the 49ers.
