The news swept through Redskins Nation today that Mike Shanahan was going to name Rex Grossman as the starting quarterback like a California wildfire. The news was confirmed by Shanahan this afternoon when he said Rex had beaten out John Beck in a close competition between the two.
Is Rex Grossman the Right Starter?
The stats the two quarterbacks put up in preseason show Rex having an advantage.
- Grossman’s numbers: 34 for 53 for 407 yards, two touchdowns, an interception, and two sacks…his quarterback rating was 92.3.
- Beck’s numbers: 30 for 48 for 356 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions, and four sacks….his quarterback rating was 74.7.
Going into his third year in the system, Grossman looked really comfortable this preseason and does have three starts to his credit from last year as well. Beck had an uphill battle to fight in this process as he was dealing with a shortened evaluation time frame in which he basically only had six weeks to show what he had. It should also be said that Beck played more with the second string in the preseason, an obvious disadvantage as well.
I have openly supported the idea of John Beck being the starter this year based on the thought process that we all know what Grossman brings to the table, which is the exact opposite of what we can say for John Beck, as he has not seen live game action since 2007. On the other hand, Grossman has a history of being a game-managing quarterback who did guide a strong defensive team to a Superbowl appearance a few years ago with the Chicago Bears in a system that relied heavily on the running game and a special teams unit who put points on the scoreboard.
I expect the Redskins to have a top-ten defense this upcoming season, and the offensive line looks like they are a better unit for the zone-blocking scheme that will open up holes for the running back trio of Tim Hightower, Roy Helu, and Ryan Torain. The true key to this season will be if the Redskins can win the battle in the trenches and stay healthy in the process. That does not mean I believe the Redskins will go to the Superbowl this season, but I do believe they will win more games than they lose this year and will shock some teams in the process.
I doubt we have seen the last of John Beck, but for now, the Grossman era has begun in DC; only time will tell if it’s the right decision or how long it will last.
What do you think Redskins Nation…Is Rex Grossman the Right Starter for the Redskins?
