MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.
Once again, Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan was proven wrong. His failure in picking quarterbacks this season is now complete.
- Jason Reid
- Columnist
Mike Shanahan’s failures with Redskins epitomized in trust of John Beck, Rex Grossman
In changing quarterbacks again before Sunday’s 20-9 loss to the Miami Dolphins here — the Redskins’ fifth consecutive defeat — Shanahan reinforced two points: No one should waste time listening to him, and the Redskins are a wreck at quarterback.
After saying ineffective quarterback John Beck would start against Miami, Shanahan informed the team Saturday he planned to bench Beck for ineffective quarterback Rex Grossman, whose four-interception performancein Week 6 led to Beck becoming the starter.
Shanahan, who has acknowledged that he sometimes lies publicly about major issues facing the Redskins, has shown we shouldn’t put too much stock in what he says nor trust him to make sound decisions about the game’s most important position. His ability to restore the Redskins to greatness — which owner Daniel Snyder hired him to do — is very much in doubt.
Grossman had two more interceptions against the Dolphins, though one occurred after Redskins wide receiver Leonard Hankerson slipped running his route. Grossman’s inexplicable, momentum-changing interception in the fourth quarter was all on him.
To some degree, all coaches manipulate the media, and the truth, especially about quarterback issues. They misdirect in hopes of surprising opponents. The goal is to gain a competitive advantage. It’s part of the coaching gig.
Shanahan risked losing the locker room if he didn’t turn back to the turnover-prone Grossman. Privately, some players were strongly opposed to the initial quarterback change. Beck’s performance only strengthened their opinion.
Problem is, Shanahan has made a complete mess of Washington’s quarterback situation.
Following the loss to Miami, which had only one victory before Sunday’s game, Shanahan was asked to explain his reasoning for the switch.
Predictably, he essentially avoided the question. He alluded to the team’s injuries, and specifically the loss of right tackle Jammal Brown, in determining that “Rex gave us the best chance to win. . . . With the game that Jammal went down, [that] put John in a situation where we had a number of players go down.
“With his experience, I thought it was [in] our best interests to go with the guy that I felt gave us the best chance to win the game. That was Rex.”
Beck took over for Grossman during a game in which two starting offensive linemen were injured, including one for the season. He retained the position after veteran wide receiver Santana Moss went down.
Now, we’re supposed to be believe that Beck, much more athletic and mobile than Grossman, is out because the team’s struggling right tackle is sidelined?
Surely, Beck’s 0-7 career mark as a starter — including 0-3 this season — and his teammates’ lack of confidence in him had nothing to do with the move.
At least Shanahan is consistent.
Mike and Kyle Shanahan, Washington’s offensive coordinator, were the only two NFL people who believed that Beck was capable of being more than a backup. Mike Shanahan compounded his error, saying he would stake his reputation, in large part, on Beck, who has wasted an opportunity no other team would give him since he started four games for Miami back in 2007.
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