Mike Tomlin Has Honest Message For Dwayne Haskins After Panthers Game
Dwayne Haskins made his first preseason start for the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 34-9 loss to the Panthers on Friday night. And while his squad was mostly playing backups against Carolina’s starting unit, this disappointing loss wasn’t exactly the redemption the former first-round pick was hoping for.
Haskins finished the game with 108 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 9/16 passing. His first half was far more brutal through, logging just 24 yards and an interception on 3/9 passing (first-half passer rating 2.8).
Head coach Mike Tomlin addressed his third-string QB’s performance after the game.
“Like the rest of us, I didn’t think it was enough varsity work from him,” Tomlin said, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “It wasn’t the type of performance he wanted or we wanted. But such is life.”
Haskins echoed his coach’s sentiment.
“It was a tough one,” the former Washington starter said. “I wanted to play better. I know we wanted to do better as a team. Just have to watch some film, prepare and get ready.”
After he was cut by the Washington Football team at the end of the 2020 season, Haskins signed a one-year deal with the Steelers in January.
While the former Ohio State standout doesn’t exactly have the best reputation when it comes to work ethic and off-field issues, Haskins said he believes he’s making strides in the right direction.
“I feel like I’ve done a great job just showing that I’m coachable,” he said. “Showing that I’m wanting to learn, wanting to get better. Just trying to put things on film that are something that I can showcase what I can do. The first three games are something I’m rather proud of and of course how we started is something I wanted better of.
“Best thing I can do is just hope that what I’ve done throughout preseason, throughout training camp is enough body of work to showcase and show how much I’ve improved.”
With final cuts quickly approaching, Haskins will hope he’s done enough to secure an official roster spot.
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