Just yesterday, we noted the rumors that Washington Redskins back-up quarterback Rex Grossman might see action at some point of the year. Redskins Hog Heaven even put forth the thought that Washington needed to see how Kyle Shanahan’s offense worked when run by a quarterback more familiar with it than McNabb. Today’s news that Mike Shanahan is doing just that still hit like a punch in the face.
Are the Shanahans reading our stuff?
We are not going to rail against Rex. If Michael Vick can get a second chance, Grossman should have one. We just don’t expect much.
Grossman cannot deliver the same game-by-game performance as McNabb and expect to keep the starter position. I want to see a 20 percent improvement over McNabb’s per game numbers. That means that over the next three games, or however many he plays, Grossman must complete 70 percent of his passes, for 911 yards, throw at least four touchdowns with no more than three interceptions. It would help if the Redskins beat the Cowboys.
A loss to Dallas with Grossman as starter would be an epic marketing disaster for the Redskins.
Shanahan said in his announcement press conference that third-string quarterback John Beck could start a game so that the team could evaluate his performance. Beck joined the team in the discredited Cerrato-Zorn regime. No offense to Mr. Beck, but nobody sees him as the answer to the ‘Skins quarterback needs, which Redskins Hog Heaven has consistently said is not the most pressing for this team (See Line, Offense, and Receivers, Wide).
So I’m going to go ahead and just declare any game that Beck starts as an exhibition game.
I’m also going to go ahead and give Shanahan credit for for decisiveness and for the clarity of his position. It’s an improvement over the Detroit fiasco. That’s a plus. It shows that he learns from mistakes. The minus is that the high profile Super Bowl quarterback we expected to build a team around, and gave up two draft picks to get, might not be with the team next year. Shanahan told McNabb that his place with the Redskins was not guaranteed next season.
We need those draft picks, dammit. Shanahan, who snookered Dan Snyder out of extra draft picks in the Clinton Portis for Champ Baily trade, was himself taken by Andy Reid on McNabb.
McNabb comes in for a share of the venom that’s sure to be heaped on the Redskins. He was on a pace for a personal best for yards completed, but he hasn’t been as low as one touchdown per game since 2003. That’s less than Jason Campbell last year or this year. In an up and down season, Campbell’s QB rating is consistent (84.4) with his performance in his last two seasons with Washington.
Who’s deciding things on this team?
Point after: So, Kyle won the argument with Dad about McNabb. What happens if Kyle is wrong and Grossman sucks? Does that mean that Kyle is fired for an OC more in line with the coach?
Every player on the Redskins roster better understand that they, too, are on notice.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
