A year after the Donovan McNabb experiment flopped more than a fish out of water, the Redskins may very well be trying to ruffle the feathers of Redskins fans even more.
One way or another, Mike Shanahan may look back on this season as the true turning point in his career and his legacy. It’s been a long time — 15 years — since he had John Elway and Terrell Davis leading him to Super Bowls.
A firing in Denver was due and Dan Snyder thought he was the man to finally cultivate his locker room of big contract, high profile free agents into a Super Bowl contender.
Mike Shanahan may very well be tying his legacy to John Beck if he names the 30-year-old his starter.
You all know what happened next. McNabb and Shanahan and his son, Kyle, never really saw eye-to-eye. McNabb was demoted to third string. He finally was shipped out to Minnesota.
Albert Haynesworth, another guy Shanny inherited, was dubbed lazy and sent to New England.
Would it shock anyone to see those two guys flourish in their new cities?
Anyway, back to Shanny. Instead of securing a quarterback who can win now, he elected to bring back Rex Grossman and have him battle for the starting spot with John Beck. Beck could very well be the guy to lead the Redskins.
Wait…John Beck? The same guy who was the Dolphins second round pick in 2007. The same guy who hasn’t taken a snap in three — count ‘em — three seasons. The same guy who is now 30 (as of Aug. 21).
Maybe he will be the next Kurt Warner. Maybe, he’ll be the NFL version of Jamie Moyer. History, however, suggests otherwise. And, so does his performance in Friday’s 16-3 win over the Indianapolis Colts without Payton Manning.
Beck led the Redskins to scores on their first four possessions, but three of them were field goals. And, quote frankly, Tim Hightower had a lot to do with the offense. All Beck did was act as a caretaker. He went 14-of-17 for 140 yards and zero TD or picks. Granted, not turning the ball over will make any coach happy. And, his completion percentage was through the roof.
Still, this was a preseason game against a team that clearly doesn’t value the preseason. (Although, Beck may have done as well against the Eagles defense this week.)
It is just one preseason game from a guy with no body of work other than pulling splinters out of his ass. Yet, Shanny is potentially pinning his reputation and legacy to this guy. Let’s face it, if he goes with Beck and the Redskins have yet another putrid season, the shine will have tarnished. Shanahan could be unemployed and unemployable after doing nothing since the days of Elway.
Honestly, Beck seems like nothing but a whiner after reading quotes in a Washington Post story. It’s the classic, “It’s somebody else’s fault,” line.
It wasn’t him. It was the Dolphins who “strung me along.” It wasn’t him. It was the Ravens fault.
Beck needs to shut up and play like he talks. Otherwise, he’ll be on the scrap heap forever and Shanny may be right next to him.
John understands life as an NFL player battling for a roster spot and accepts the challenge to control and do what he needs to do to give his best performance.
You will not find another player prepare harder, these few years he’s been riding the bench I guarantee you John has been preparing in the shadows relentlessly for an opportunity to play. I guarantee you he is not wasting his time whining, but preparing to be better than he was the day before.
I hope you are right as he seems like a decent guy. Just wondering about Shanny’s ability to turn him into a playoff-caliber QB.
Why are sports analysts and so-called football experts so near-sighted with their assessments which seem to be driven by an irrational need for instant gratification?
Do sports writers have to talk a lot of sh*t to get people to read their articles?
Building a new team from the ground up takes several seasons and requires a lot of patience. Everybody, seems to be freaking out because the Skins didn’t draft or sign a QB.
Did anybody stop to consider that maybe all of the pieces just aren’t available so the Skins are just working with they have and what they can get right now?
Football teams are constantly making adjustments even when they’re getting things right. Why are so many people prepared to judge Mike Shanahan’s entire career based on a few decisions he made in the off-season?
Thanks for your comment and opinion. Yes, it does take awhile to rebuild a team. But, overlooking the QB position a year after moving to get McNabb doesn’t seem right. As far as tying his legacy to Beck, all I’m saying is Shanahan’s reputation is being knocked down a few pegs. If he doesn’t get the job done in DC, he’ll always be the guy that won bc of Elway. He had Jay Cutler in Denver, yet never really had that team at a championship level IMO.
Wow… can’t believe how short-sighted and narrow minded this assessment is. First, you’re obviously a Philly homer, so nobody is surprised by the bashing of a division rival. But I think most readers would at least expect a qualified, rational and objective assessment… unless… perhaps… you’re not qualified to make such an objective assessment???
You said… “Maybe he will be the next Kurt Warner. Maybe, he’ll be the NFL version of Jamie Moyer. History, however, suggests otherwise. And, so does his performance in Friday’s 16-3 win over the Indianapolis Colts without Payton Manning.”
Umm… how does the absence of Peyton Manning have anything to do with Beck’s performance or command of the offense? Does Manning play defense now too? I mean… the least you could do is spell Manning’s name correctly.
Rather than wasting my time by going line-by-line refuting such nonsense and drivel, embarrassing you even further, perhaps you could share with your readers a truly objective assessment from a far more qualified analyst.
NFL.com – “Beck shows command of ‘Skins system”
John Beck could be an effective starting quarterback for the Redskins. The fifth-year pro was exceptional directing the first-team offense against the Colts. He showed an excellent command of the system, completing 14 of 17 attempts for 140 yards and leading the Redskins to scores on each of his four possessions. Beck frequently located his second and third reads in his progressions. His pocket awareness, anticipation and accuracy were better than anticipated, and he also flashed enough athleticism to be a credible threat on the perimeter. Granted, the effectiveness of the Redskins’ run game — Tim Hightower and Roy Helu combined for 171 yards on 20 carries — allowed Beck to work comfortably off play-action fakes inside and outside of the pocket. Given his superb execution and production during his first appearance as the starter, it is easy to see why Mike Shanahan is willing to stake his reputation on the unheralded Beck.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8219a2b2/article/beck-shows-command-of-skins-system-browns-mccoy-sharp