Sports // Texans

Case Keenum wins Redskins' starting QB battle

WASHINGTON - Case Keenum stood at the podium Sunday wearing a spikeball shirt and bragged about his ping-pong prowess. Despite having just been officially named the Washington Redskins' starting quarterback, this was just another day for the eight-year NFL veteran. Keenum has been here, done that.

There's very little that's new for Keenum when it comes to the NFL. He's been a starter and a backup, on teams both good and bad. He's been cut, picked up and traded. This is his sixth team in eight seasons.

All of that experience - positive and negative - was valuable for Keenum as he competed for the No. 1 job with the banged up Colt McCoy and first-round pick Dwayne Haskins. Coach Jay Gruden made it official Sunday, announcing Keenum as the Week 1 starter against the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I'm excited, I really am," Keenum said. "I don't take it lightly. The opportunity, the position I'm in . . . I've been there before and I know it's a tough job and there's only 32 of them. I'm very honored. . . . I'm excited to continue to earn the right to be the leader for this team, to be the quarterback of this team.

"I always draw on past experiences. That's what makes us who we are. We learn from those things. I've learned from what I've done well in the past and I learned a lot more from what I've not done well. That goes with everything. . . . How you prepare. How you practice. How you treat people. How you come into the building after a bad day. . . . Every little thing I do has been something I've done in the past and learned from whether it was me or somebody else."

The news shouldn't come as a shock. McCoy hasn't practiced in nearly two weeks as he continues to heal from the broken leg that ended his 2018 season. Gruden has acknowledged they rushed him back too soon and he may not be available for a couple weeks into the season. Haskins has shown flashes of brilliance, but he is still a rookie that makes rookie mistakes and is still getting a full grasp of the NFL.

Keenum seemed like the safest choice for a team built to win by running the ball, playing great defense and minimizing turnovers. That was the Alex Smith recipe that led the Redskins to an initial 6-3 record last year. In three preseason games, Keenum has completed 16 of 30 passes for 213 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

Gruden said this is not a look-over-your shoulder situation. Keenum is considered the starter for the season with one obvious caveat - he must get results.

"You've got to produce, without a doubt," Gruden said. "We anticipate Case producing. He produces, he's got nothing to worry about. Moving forward we intend on Case being the guy.

"Case has come in here and picked up the offense extremely well, had great confidence and command over the team - they both have. At the end of the day, I think we have great confidence that Case can lead us to a win against Philadelphia."

Keenum will make his Redskins season debut on the site of one of his biggest let-downs. The Eagles torched the Minnesota Vikings, 38-7, in the 2018 NFC championship game with a Super Bowl berth on the line. Keenum, who took over Minnesota's starting job in the second game after Sam Bradford was injured, could barely describe the experience and it clearly still haunts him. Those Eagles went on to win a championship. Sept. 8 will be the first time Keenum has faced them since.

"I remember the feeling I had walking off that field," Keenum said. "I don't know if I can put it into words. I've used it and I plan on continuing to use it. It's not a good feeling to get that close to what you dream of, what everybody dreams of and to not be able to get to that next step when it's one step away. It was tough. It was tough, but I'm definitely motivated."

There wasn't much reaction to the news from teammates in the locker room. Receivers and running backs were comfortable with both he and Haskins and the biggest change in the next few weeks will be how the reps are handled. Keenum will get the first team work, but Gruden wouldn't detail how the fourth preseason game will be handled. Haskins and Jalan McClendon are likely to get the most work.

There is a feeling that Keenum's experience - both the good and the bad - is a positive. He understands the pressure that comes with the job and has won a playoff game - something the Redskins haven't done since 2005.

"He's really just been consistent," running back Chris Thompson said. "He's been getting better every day. Getting a better understanding of our offense and the guys he has around him. It's well deserved. Honestly, I feel like it doesn't make much of a difference [having it made official]. It's more for everybody on the outside . . . not having wonder anymore what's going to happen Week 1. For us, we've been working with both guys and I'm going to continue to work with both him and Dwayne. It doesn't really change much."