As long as Kyle Allen is healthy, he will remain Washington’s starting quarterback.
Head coach Ron Rivera made the announcement after the game on Sunday and then again at his Monday press conference on Zoom.
Allen left Sunday’s 30-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams late in the second quarter after taking a hit on his arm near the sideline. He was cleared to return to the game, but Rivera kept him on the sideline out of “an abundance of caution.”
The Rams sacked Washington quarterbacks eight times on Sunday, and the defense wasn’t doing the team any favors, either.
The coach was impressed with what Allen was able to bring to the offense in the early part of the game, especially on the touchdown drive.
“I thought he made good decisions,” Rivera said. “He delivered a good ball for the most part. Unfortunately, the next time we got another drive going he got knocked out of the game. But, again, it’s what we’re looking for. He managed it well. We’ll see how things go if he’s healthy and ready to roll Wednesday and see how it goes this week.”
Alex Smith replaced Allen in the second quarter, his first game action since his gruesome leg injury in November of 2018. He finished the game and in the second half did not get one first down, was sacked six times and was held to a total of -6 yards. Not the best, but the fact that he was out there at all was a win.
“He felt good,” Rivera said on Monday. “I was pleased. I was excited for him. He went out and had a good time. It would’ve been a lot better if we could’ve protected a little bit more. But, I thought he handled it well.
“I thought he made some good decisions. He made quick decisions, he got the ball out of his hands. It was tough. You’re playing from behind, and the other team knows it. They change their approach, and that’s tough. I thought he handled it very well.”
Dwayne Haskins, who started Washington’s first four games, stayed home Sunday after becoming ill with a stomach virus before the game. Rivera acknowledged that last week was tough for the second-year quarterback after being benched, but he liked what he saw from Haskins on Friday.
“Friday, he came in, was attentive in the meetings, did a nice job coming out to practice, did his mimicking in terms of standing back and watching, going through some of his actions, watching the plays,” he said. “That’s what I expect, for him to continue to learn and grow.”
