What a great time to be a Shanahan. Uneventful training camp. Making right personnel moves with young players who may stick for a few years instead of flaming out with “proven talent” to “win now.”
The NFL world does not know what Mike Shanahan is up to. They’ve largely written off the Redskins largely because they see Washington’s quarterback situation as a mess. Meanwhile, they have overlooked a beefed up defensive front seven. The offensive line may have jelled and could be serviceable as long as the starters are healthy for 12 games. Both the offense and defense have a year under Shanahan’s schemes and are better for it.
Most of all, Kyle Shanahan acts as if he has no bad choices at quarterback. “Both give us a good chance to win games,” said Kyle in a Washington Post interview. “I’m hoping one of them separates themselves from the other to make it a little easier on us.”
John Beck vs. Rex Grossman excites no one in or out of Washington. That may explain why the Steelers and Colts defenses were tepid in the preseason games. The Baltimore Ravens should be a better test.
While there is no true Redskins-Ravens rivalry on the players’ part, there is a Baltimore antipathy towards Washington. It’s historic, predating the Civil War. It’s also cultural. The DC Metro rivals Baltimore in influence in Maryland. Listen to Baltimoreans making Baltimoron statements about DC and you get the sense that somebody has in inferiority complex.
So Ravens fans egg on the team to beat the Redskins and the team responds to it. This year, that’s a blessing. Neither Beck, nor Grossman, but especially Beck, have been pushed to the limit by opposing defenses. Expect that to change Thursday.
Lavar Arrington believes that whoever starts for the Redskins against the Ravens is the starter for the season. The third preseason game is veteran tune-up for the regular season. That makes sense to me, but I still don’t know how to read Mike Shanahan. He says he hasn’t made up his mind at quarterback and will not name a starter until just before the opener against the New York Giants.
We learned last season to ignore what Shanahan says about his quarterback and to watch what he does. It would be just like Shanahan to alternate Grossman and Beck to start the next two preseason games to keep everyone guessing. It is Grossman’s turn to start against Baltimore.
In the real season, both Beck and Grossman can perform somewhere between the Alex Smith and Mark Sanchez level. Smith was the 21st-ranked QB in the league last season. Sanchez was ranked 27th. Donovan McNabb was ranked 24th with this offense and he threw for more yardage than Smith or Sanchez. McNabb did that in 13 games while Sanchez appeared in all 16.
Moving the ball was never a problem in Shanahan’s offense. The problem was touchdowns, whoever was at quarterback. There is more to the problem than quarterback. That is something I hope the Shanahans are working on while the rest of us waste our time on Beck vs. Grossman.
This is Washington. I know a stealth strategy when I see one. It’s working. Darren, my Bloguin colleague covering the Dallas Cowboys on thecowboysnation.com, projects the ‘Boys will sweep the ‘Skins because Mcnabb is gone and “the team is in shambles.” Shanahan could win five or six games before people figure him out.
Points after: Here are a couple of tidbits from washingtonexaminer.com –
“[Jim] Haslett says even though Perry Riley has performed well in the preseason games, he is still not ready to unseat Rocky McIntosh for the starting job.”
That’s the strongest endorsement yet for McIntosh. The ‘Skins re-signed Rocky to a one-year deal. That is no sign of long-term confidence. It is motivation for Rocky to perform. The Redskins are using him at inside linebacker this year. Inside plays to his strength more than on the outside where he was sometimes a coverage liability. Rocky was Washington’s second-leading tackler in 2010.
Mike Sellers practiced at his old Fullback-H-back roll instead of tight end. The Examiner says Sellers will play tight end and H-back in the first half against Baltimore and play fullback in the second half.
The Examiner says the move could squeeze Keiland Williams off the roster, but Sellers, age 38, is swimming upstream against the tide of the Redskins youth movement.
Former Redskin Albert Haynesworth pleaded No Contest to a misdemeanor assault charge Monday according to The Washington Post and other news outlets. The plea allows Haynesworth to avoid a trial on sexual assault charge that was set to begin today. Do you even care anymore?
Haynesworth is with the New England Patriots now. His availability may have factored in his plea. He had been fighting the charge up to now.
Homeboy (Alexandria, VA) Josh Wilson says all the right things. Washington’s newest cornerback acquired from Baltimore says the Ravens have a great fan base but that Redskins fans top them. He attributes that to the longevity of the fan relationship to the ‘Skins.
Expect to get booed in Baltimore, kid.
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