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          TD strike by Dwayne Haskins gives Washington early lead at Cleveland

          • John Keim, ESPN Staff WriterSep 27, 2020, 05:45 PM
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              John Keim covers the Washington Commanders for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2013 after a stint with the Washington Post. He started covering the team in 1994 for the Journal Newspapers and later for the Washington Examiner. He has authored/co-authored four books. You can also listen to him on 'The John Keim Report', which airs on ESPN Richmond radio, and follow him on Twitter @john_keim
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          Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins threw a 17-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter for the first time this season, connecting with Dontrelle Inman against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. It was Inman's first touchdown catch since Dec. 30, 2018.

          It capped a second consecutive solid series for Washington, which had fallen behind 17-0 in each of its first two games. This time, Haskins looked to his left and moved his eyes and feet back to the right seam to find Inman for a 17-yard strike. Haskins completed six of his first nine passes for 71 yards as Washington went to an up-tempo attack on its first two possessions.

          Inman, though, drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the touchdown when he flexed his muscles with cornerback Denzel Ward right by him.

          Haskins and Inman connected again late in the third quarter to give Washington a 20-17 lead. This time, it occurred on a third-and-goal from the Cleveland 11-yard line. Inman got cornerback Terrance Mitchell to lean slightly to the outside, allowing the receiver to cut back to an opening inside. Haskins delivered one of his best fastballs of the game for the score.

          It bailed Haskins out of what was nearly a disastrous first-down play from the 2-yard line. On a first-down handoff to running back Antonio Gibson, the ball slipped from Haskins' hand and resulted in a fumble that Haskins recovered at the 11.