Only a little-used journeyman passer can save Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan’s season and reputation. Shanahan arrived last season as a rushing guru who could turn anyone into 1,000-yard runner. Hall of Famer John Elway, Jake Plummer and Jay Cutler supposedly were proof Shanahan could produce quarterbacks, too.
Well, it hasn’t happened here yet.
Twenty-one games into his Washington tenure, Shanahan still can’t figure out who’s the quarterback. And he probably won’t for another year. The Redskins benched Rex Grossman despite a 3-2 start. John Beck will start against Carolina on Sunday in what’s expected to be another short-term move.
This is becoming comical.
Shanahan decided the answer at quarterback wasn’t Donovan McNabb after trading for him last year. McNabb didn’t last the season. It wasn’t Jason Campbell, who was traded to Oakland after Shanahan’s arrival. With the Raiders, Campbell was better than any of the Redskins’ passers before he was injured Sunday.
It wasn’t Rex Grossman, who had more turnovers than touchdowns in going 4-4 since last season.
Now it’s John Beck. In six months, it will be someone in the first round not named Andrew Luck.
Maybe Grossman deserved a little longer to correct his play, though few seem upset that Beck is starting. Still, Grossman felt jilted over what he considered just one bad game. Of course, it was a whopper; he threw four interceptions before getting benched in the 20-13 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday. Grossman must never look at stats because he’s the NFL’s second-lowest rated passer.
“I do think they were good performances,” Grossman said. “The frustrating part is they should have been great.”
Fans were simply hoping for mediocre production and no turnovers. Instead, Grossman posted a 66.5 passer rating with nine interceptions. After he threw for four touchdowns in the 2-0 start, he managed only a pair in a 1-2 run that could have been 3-0 with a touch more red zone success.
Shanahan clearly lost faith in Grossman, forcing the coach to make the risky move. If Beck fails over the next month — and he should be given a month to assess his potential fairly — then where do the Redskins go? Do they find a street free agent? Can they return to Grossman after issuing him this note of no confidence? That move might cause massive no shows at FedEx Field and seems like Shanahan’s last option.
Shanahan took a big risk in not drafting a quarterback, and a third of the way into the season it’s a bust. Shanahan mistakenly believed Grossman and Beck could thrive under his coaching. In fact, Shanahan said he would bet his reputation that Grossman and Beck would play well.
Now it’s one down, one to go behind a battered line and with a tough schedule coming up. Maybe Beck will play well, but it’s a long shot.
“I’ve been saying this since day one — you’ve got to prove yourself,” Shanahan said.
If this move fizzles, Shanahan might depart by 2013 even though he has rebuilt the franchise into a professional outfit with a solid defense. He wouldn’t be the first coach bemoaning quarterback ills.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
