Quarterbacks need to be confident. But do they need to be this confident? “We’re fine being the sleepers right now,” Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman said Tuesday in an interview with Comcast SportsNet. “You know, we’re just waiting in the wings, ready to take over the NFC East.”
Grossman may not even win the starting job — he’s in a position battle with a guy who hasn’t thrown a regular-season pass since 2007 — yet he’s confident in his team winning the division — something the Redskins haven’t done since 1999.
“Nobody’s talking about us,” Grossman continued. “That’s right where we want to be. You look at us from top to bottom out here, there’s a bunch of great players. And we don’t need people saying we’re the best right now, but when it’s all said and done, I really feel like this team’s gonna win the East.”
Grossman should be able to recognize an elite team. He led the Bears to the NFC North title and a Super Bowl appearance in 2006. But he did that with a defense that allowed just 15.9 points a game, while the Redskins let up 23.6 points and had the 31st-ranked defense in yards allowed last year.
The quarterback’s comments are shocking because no one else believes Washington will compete in one of the toughest divisions in the league. While the Eagles added Pro Bowl free agents, Washington’s biggest offseason changes were getting rid of former Pro Bowl players Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth.
But what is Grossman supposed to say? Should he say the Redskins are the worst team in the NFL and will draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the top pick in the 2012 draft?
The fans may think that’s what the future holds for Washington, but a quarterback needs to believe in his teammates — even if no one else does.
– Jeffrey Tomik
