Has a NFL quarterback opened a season to more derision than the Washington Redskins starter Rex Grossman? Grossman can enjoy the last laugh, for a week, after his 305 yard, two-touchdown performance while leading Washington to a 28-14 win over the New York Giants. But, was Rexy’s sexy performance a fluke?
Known as “Wrecks” by the time he left the Chicago Bears, Grossman spent a year’s hiatus in Houston before following offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to Washington in March 2010. His hopes for the starting position were dashed when the Redskins traded for six-time Pro Bowler Donovan McNabb that April.
The McNabb debacle in Washington created the narrative of Grossman as a joke. Mike Shanahan’s decisions about the position and his curious way of explaining them made him, his team and the quarterbacks a nationwide laughingstock.
Sports radio’s Colin Cowherd picked the Redskins to lose 14 games this season because Shanahan was considering either Grossman or untried John Beck at starting quarterback over the better regarded McNabb. That popular perception was overly harsh for a team that has hovered around seven or eight wins per season since 1993. But, was it overly-harsh for Grossman? Can he be elite under the Shanahan system?
Don’t bet the rent money on it.
Over his eight-year career, Grossman averaged 180 yards per game while completing 54.4 percent of his passes for 42 touchdowns, 40 interceptions and 25 fumbles. In his first game appearance for the Redskins, when coach Shanahan inserted him in the Lions game while mumbling while mumbling something about the two-minute offense, Grossman fumbled on the first play. Ndamukong Suh recovered and returned it for a touchdown. Cue the laugh track.
The narrative hid the fact that Grossman passed for 1,189 yards, nine touchdowns against four interceptions and four fumbles in the last three games of the season. The Giants game was Grossman’s fourth straight with 300-yards.
Grossman insists that Kyle Shanahan’s offense provides his best chance to restart his career. That is why he accepted the Redskins’ offer of a vet minimum, one-year contract. With key injuries along the defensive line, linebacker corps and secondary, the Giants were little more than a preseason opponent. Healthier defenses will be tougher challenges for Washington and Grossman, especially after opposing teams have enough game video to study the Redskins’ tendencies. Some things are already exposed.
Grossman avoided interceptions, but he lost the ball on a fumble and he took four sacks. Fans pay attention to a quarterback’s completion percentage—60 percent or better is the standard. Coaches and smart bloggers know that a complete passing game demands receivers who catch 60 percent or better of the passes targeted to them. Only two Redskins receivers, WR Santana Moss and TE Fred Davis, met that standard.
Jabar Gaffney was three for seven and Anthony Armstrong was two for six of the passes thrown to them. Thus, eight of Grossman’s 13 incompletions are attributed to the pair. Washington and Grossman need more from them to be in the top half of quarterback ranking.
Look for Grossman to have the best stat line of his career with Washington. Until we know how the other pieces perform, we just cannot say how high is up. Grossman can be a starter on your fantasy team with the right match-up. In real life, I project him for 220 yards per game, 19-20 touchdowns while completing a shade under 60 percent of his pass attempts.
That could make a nice season for Grossman and his team, if he does not fumble his chance away.
