Washington benches Dwayne Haskins in favor of Taylor Heinicke in second half of Week 16 game vs. Panthers

Ron Rivera has seen enough from second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins, as the Washington Football Team made the decision to bench him in favor of Taylor Heinicke in the fourth quarter of their Week 16 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Rivera’s revenge game has not gone according to plan, as the Panthers jumped out to a 20-3 halftime lead. Chase Young and Washington’s talented defense have done virtually all they can, but the offense’s struggles have put the team in a hole. 

Haskins completed just 6 of 15 passes for 36 yards, threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in the first two quarters of action, and the second half for him wasn’t much better. He struggled to see the field, failed to recognize open receivers and then threw passes either high or low when he did see an open man. Haskins also started slow last week during Washington’s 20-15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but he was able to mount a bit of a comeback in the second half. This week, however, he will not get the chance to do so. 

Heinicke has had stints with several NFL teams, and received some playing time with Rivera’s Panthers in 2018 when he played in six games and threw for 320 total yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.