For a week anyway, John Beck and the Washington Redskins should cease to be the laughing stock of football nation. For the second game in a row, the Redskins showed a high-powered offense. For the second game in a row, a Redskin quarterback dazzled. John Beck led the team on four scoring drives completing 14 of 17 passes for 140 yards and a 16-0 lead over the Indianapolis Colts, sans Peyton Manning, by halftime.
And for the second week in a row, a premier team seemed disinterested in the contest. The final score was Redskins 16, Colts 3.
Beck did no damage to Mike Shanahan’s reputation. Any day now, the Redskins Store will offer BECK No. 12 jerseys, once they sell out of the Kelly No. 12 Jerseys.
Malcolm Kelly surrendered his jersey number to Beck during training camp and now wears jersey No. 14.
This will sound terribly morbid, but observing Kelly, who hasn’t been healthy enough to compete or to practice, is akin to a career deathwatch. As if to reinforce the case, Kelly jerseys are on clearance, as are McNabb, Portis and Haynesworth jerseys, for $9.95, was $85.00, at the Redskins Store.
Clinton Portis is the franchise No. 2 leading rusher. I am mildly surprised that his shirt is marked so low.
You CAN be the first in your neighborhood with a Beck Jersey. Order the ANY NAME jersey with BECK and 12 for a cool $110.00.
The football world is over-focused on the quarterback. Yes, they are the single most important player on offense, but they are just one guy. See, I have this quaint notion that 51 percent of the success or failure of an offensive play rests with the line. The quarterback is 25 percent of the play with the last 24 percent on whoever touches the ball last. Um yes, sometimes that’s the quarterback.
That bias is based on anecdotal evidence after long observation. There’s a new metric in town that figures the quarterback’s ration to wins.
ESPN unveils its Total Quarterback Rating (QBR) system this season that rates performance on a 100-point scale. QBR will be a measure of everything a quarterback does and when he does it to win games. QBR will also factor down and distance.
The NFL’s quarterback passer rating measures completions, distance, scores and interceptions against a benchmark of quarterback performance from the 1970s. The QB rating weights a five-yard completion the same whether it is on a third-and-short or a third-and-15.
ESPN hasn’t published QBR with 2011 preseason live data, but they did chart performance for the 2008 through 2010 seasons. Peyton Manning (2009) tops the chart with a rating of 82.3, followed by Peyton Manning (2008) with a rating of 79.7.
Jimmy Clausen, who might have been the Redskins quarterback-of-the-future if Vinny Cerrato still ran the team, ranked next to last with his 2010 rating of 11.7. Clausen ranked just above JaMarcus Russell’s 2009 rating of 10.5. The Redskins dodged a bullet on Clausen.
ESPN says a QBR of 75 and above rates as a MVP performance. Ratings between 65 and 74 should rate Pro Bowl consideration.
Can’t wait to see how Beck/Grossman/whoever comes next figures on QBR.
Best game recaps:
Redskins.com: Beck Shines in Preseason Debut
ESPN NFC East Blog: Observation Deck: Redskins-Colts
NFL.com: Beck impressive in preseason debut vs. Colts
John Keim: Ten observations, Redskins over Colts 16-3
Point after: Expect a tougher test against the Baltimore Ravens this Thursday. The Ravens do not rise to a rival, but they cater to their fanbase by playing the Redskins tough.
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