Column: It wasn’t easy, but the Redskins get in the win column in 2019

Terry McLaurinMaybe the Redskins aren’t the worst team in the league after all.

Washington capped off a hectic week by beating the Dolphins to get their first win of the season under interim head coach Bill Callahan 17-16.

Run the football

When Bill Callahan took over last week he said he wanted to be more of a running football team and grind out games. He didn’t disappoint as he gave the ball to Adrian Peterson and let him do the rest.

Peterson carried the ball 23 times for 118 yards. He eclipsed the 100 yard mark for the first time since week 16 last year.

The Dolphins were giving up 175 yards a game and the Redskins attack rushed for 145.

Terry McLaurin

Terry McLaurin is a star in the making. The rookie continues to have a very good season.

Quarterback Case Keenum connected with McLaurin on two touchdown passes, bringing McLaurin’s total to five in five games played this year. He finished with four catches for 100 yards and his fourth was perhaps his biggest.

Backed up at their own one yard line late in the game, McLaurin hauled in a 32 yard reception from Keenum on 2nd and 10 giving the Redskins some breathing room.

McLaurin is a threat and is on his way to becoming a number one receiver.

Sacks and turnovers

For a second straight week the defense created turnovers and put some pressure on the opposing quarterback, Josh Rosen.

Rosen didn’t have the best of days. He was intercepted twice and sacked five times. He threw for only 85 yards before being benched for Ryan Fitzpatrick, who led the comeback and was a two-point conversion away from winning this thing.

Dwayne Haskins

Case Keenum didn’t have a great day, but did enough to get a win.

Bill Callahan wants to run the ball and try to win games that way. If that’s the case, what would be the harm in getting rookie Dwayne Haskins ready to play? The season is lost, so now it’s about finding out if he is the future of this franchise.

If they decide he isn’t, then next April the team needs to figure out if they are going to draft a quarterback with what will most likely be a high draft pick.

There are 10 games left in this season, the rookie should get to start a majority of them.

George Wallace

George Wallace is the WTOP sports director. He began at WTOP on Christmas Day of 2000.

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