Linebacker Brian Orakpo summed up the past two years around Redskins Park like they were nearly the last two decades.
“We’re the Washington Redskins. We get all kinds of turmoil,” he said. “Inside the locker room, outside, coaches, all that. You just gotta deal with it and keep fighting.”
Exhibit No. 1,087,423: Rex Grossman starting against Dallas on Sunday. Coach Mike Shanahan is testing whether Redskins fans will accept Grossman as the 2011 starter so Washington can jettison Donovan McNabb.
Sorry, fans will accept replacing the franchise name Redskins with Reds before taking on Grossman.
Shanahan will be most remembered in his first season for installing an ill-fated 3-4 defense, trading quarterback Jason Campbell to Oakland as its starter for a bag of balls, mishandling defensive diva Albert Haynesworth and double-talking over McNabb’s benching against Detroit. The fourth-smallest crowd in FedEx Field history on Dec. 12 proved fans are losing faith in Shanahan.
Now it’s another round of self-inflicted drama by playing Grossman at Dallas. Notice it’s a road game because Shanahan has heard the warning, “Don’t try this at home.”
If Grossman plays well in the final three games, Shanahan could trade McNabb despite a recent contract extension that was essentially a glorified option clause for PR before a “Monday Night Football” game. That is, if Grossman re-signs. He’s a free agent and a fast finish might cause another team to pursue him.
McNabb says he’s healthy, though players aren’t always honest about their status as Shanahan recently noted. McNabb comes off a 100.7 passer rating and a late touchdown against Tampa Bay that should have tied the game. There’s no significant falloff in his play to merit benching.
But Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan have obviously not meshed with McNabb despite trading for him in April. This was their guy, yet it hasn’t been what they hoped. Grossman, however, was with Kyle Shanahan in Houston last year. The coordinator wants someone more in tune with his system in hopes it might actually work. Washington currently ranks 27th in the NFL in scoring.
Sounds like the Shanahans are searching for a scapegoat.
The Redskins offense has more problems than McNabb. Granted, he has thrown 15 interceptions, but the offensive line has been sketchy all season. The running game has seldom been effective and there’s still no consistent second receiver.
The playcalling has sometimes been perplexing, like abandoning running back Ryan Torain in the second half against Tampa Bay after gaining 158 yards in the first 30 minutes.
McNabb is very popular in the locker room and stands. He drew boos at a recent Washington Wizards game, but that will be nothing compared to those at FedEx on Jan. 2 greeting Grossman. That is, if anyone comes to the game. Washingtonians love a good quarterback controversy, but the public’s not embracing this one. They’re hating all options.
Coach Shanahan is risking the Burgundy Revolution’s wrath. Ask Vinny Cerrato how that went.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
