The final preseason game sure didn’t settle the Washington Redskins’ quarterback dilemma. John Beck was steady but not splendid. Rex Grossman never left the sideline against Tampa Bay on Thursday. Chalk it up as another draw.
Whoever began the game as the slight leader in coach Mike Shanahan’s mind probably remains so. Maybe the winner is Grossman; nearly every starter on both teams didn’t play. Perhaps it’s Beck and he simply needed the work to get ready for the Sept. 11 opener vs. the New York Giants.
Neither Grossman nor Beck won the job outright over the last month. But neither lost it, either. Both were decent during the preseason, sometimes exceptional and never awful.
Was Beck’s final start good enough to separate him from Grossman? Not really. If Shanahan wants to start Beck, it’s a personal preference. That’s a coach’s right but not a compelling reason to win over divided fans.
Beck was 10-for-21 for 108 yards and one interception with a measly 43.4 pass rating against Tampa Bay before perhaps the smallest Redskins home crowd since 1965 at RFK Stadium. He fumbled a snap on the 2-yard line, nearly threw an interception for a touchdown and was picked off in the end zone.
But Beck also threw some decent balls. Ironically, the best might have been an incompletion in the end zone on which rookie receiver Niles Paul might have turned the wrong way on a laser in the corner.
Beck showed some nice counterpunch against the Bucs’ pass rush. That was one of the bigger questions given his sparse experience. Sure, Beck faced a second-string Tampa Bay defense, but he still saw some pressure, so his reaction was important.
Too bad Beck’s throw off his heels into the end zone resulted in an interception near halftime. It put his decision making in question and tainted his night overall. Beck underthrew Paul in the corner when he probably should have thrown it away.
Rollouts have consistently been Beck’s strength; for instance, he threw a nice 22-yarder to Logan Paulsen near halftime. But can he produce in the pocket? Overall, it was a nice effort when he dropped back, but it’s not Beck’s strength.
Beck benefited from excellent field position most of the night and generated only 10 offensive points. The touchdown came on a 2-yard drive that needed three plays. Sure, Beck was surrounded by spare parts at receiver and running back, but he didn’t score enough points regularly during the preseason.
The preseason was never a Sonny-Billy debate. It was about which quarterback at least would seem competent and not make the Redskins a national joke. Beck and Grossman managed such. Indeed, they outplayed many low expectations. Maybe they even convinced fans the season isn’t lost even though the Redskins have two passers who few teams would consider starting.
After cutting 27 players by Saturday, Shanahan must pick his passer by Wednesday. He probably already has.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
