Groundhog Day on Halloween

Photo Courtesy of NFL.com

With 1:50 left in the game against Detroit yesterday and down only six points, Mike Shanahan benched Donovan McNabb for...Rex Grossman? Yes you read that correctly. While we here in Philadelphia are familiar with the sight of McNabb on the sideline with his hands on his hips looking to the sky for answers, this still comes as a shock to anyone who even remotely follows football and will inevitably cause some commotion in the Washington locker room.



The last time we saw Rex Grossman he was fumbling away an opportunity to win the Super Bowl with Chicago. Since then he has been a backup, most recently in Houston and now in Washington. Shanahan's response to why McNabb was benched was because he felt Grossman knew the 2-minute offense better than McNabb. While the 2-minute offense has never been McNabb's bread and butter, I'm still not buying it. Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan worked with Grossman last year in Houston, so there is a possibility that Grossman may have an edge in knowledge of this particular system, but why now with the game on the line? At least give Donovan a chance, seeing as how you traded a 2nd round pick to acquire him.

Luckily for Redskins fans, Donovan has always been a class act and a true professional and he has gone through a benching before. However, the locker room may be in the midst of a revolt in light of this decision. After everything Shanahan put Albert Haynesworth through in the offseason and his attitude that he's the guy on this team, not any of the players, don't be surprised to see players start to comment on the situation in support of McNabb. This is the best quarterback this organization has had in atleast a decade, if not longer.

While Donovan certainly hasn't been lighting up the scoreboards this season (he was 17 of 30 for 210 yards 1 TD and 1 Int before being pulled), was Rex Grossman really a better option? What has Grossman shown in his previous opportunities that he can take a team on his back and lead them to a victory. He hasn't played a meaningful game in 3 seasons and what does he do in his first play? Coughs it up and it's ran back for a touchdown. Donovan certainly has his flaws, but Rex Grossman? In the words of Ocho Cinco, "Child Please!"