Yahoo Sports Dwayne Haskins ran for 108 yards in 2018, but Stephen A. Smith thinks he's more of a runner than a passer
It’s getting less absurd by the day to wonder if ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith says incorrect things about football to get people to pay attention to him.
Friday, the outspoken ESPN personality said that he believed Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins was more of a running quarterback than a throwing quarterback. The comment came during a discussion about quarterbacks likely to be taken in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft. Both Haskins and Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray are in the running to be the first quarterback taken in the draft.
In which Stephen A. Smith says that Dwayne Haskins is “more of a runner than a thrower.” pic.twitter.com/Gtowi8y0Pp
— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) February 8, 2019
“He’s bigger,” Smith said of Haskins when comparing him to Murray. “He can make all the requisite throws on the NFL level. He played for a big time program at Ohio State. I just find him to be more of a runner than a thrower. I could be wrong about that but that’s what I find.”
Yes, you are very, very, very wrong about that, Stephen A. Smith.
Haskins threw for 4,831 yards in the 2018 season with the Buckeyes. He rushed for 108 yards. Yes, college football statistics rules mean that sacks are accounted for in a quarterback’s rushing totals. But Haskins didn’t leave the pocket very often in his only season as Ohio State’s starter. He posted just three games with more than 10 rushing yards. His highest rushing output of the season came in a 15-carry, 59-yard effort against Maryland.
Murray, on the other hand, ran a lot for Oklahoma. He rushed for 1,001 yards and averaged seven yards a carry. So if Smith wanted to make a running over throwing argument for Murray, he’d have a much better case there. Though Murray also showed he was an excellent passer in his Heisman-winning season.
Smith doubled down on Twitter Friday afternoon.
Why? Because I believe what I believe? I know Haskins is a baller. That he threw for 50 TD’s last year. But I view his athleticism as more of a plus (I.e. scrambling outside the pocket, etc.) I don’t view him as an ideal pocket passer, nor the runner than Kyler is. Period! https://t.co/9u6GZxnuYg
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) February 8, 2019
Haskins is bigtime. I know this. And I’m not saying he CAN’T pass. But I view him the way I view him. Just an eye-test thing. Im not talking statistically. Make of it what you will. https://t.co/9u6GZxnuYg
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) February 8, 2019
In case you needed another reminder, Haskins threw for nearly 5,000 yards in 2018 and rushed for just over 100.
The latest in a string of football gaffes
In December, Smith said he thought TE Hunter Henry would make an impact for the Los Angeles Chargers against the Kansas City Chiefs. Henry missed the 2018 regular season with a knee injury. He also said that LB Derrick Johnson would be tasked with covering Henry. Johnson played for the Oakland Raiders at the start of the 2018 season before being cut.
Somehow, those weren’t the only two mistakes in his train of thought.
In January, Smith said that Kareem Hunt, the released Chiefs running back caught on video kicking a woman, played for the Saints.
While those two incidents are clearly fact-based mistakes, Smith can at least try to excuse his Haskins comments away as an opinion. But the facts don’t back up that opinion at all.
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
Follow @NickBromberg on Twitter
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