Though it might seem a little unfair given the Redskins 3-1 record, Rex Grossman isn’t surprised about the number of pundits who remain convinced he’ll never amount to anything as an NFL starting quarterback.
Rather than worry about it, he’s chosen to ignore the chatter and concentrate on winning football games.
“[I’ve] been in this league long enough to realize that the fans and the media, they judge week-to-week,” Grossman said. “But generally speaking, as long you're doing your job and trying to accomplish your task and keep getting better, that's all you should focus on.”
Mike Shanahan took a risky gamble going into the season with Grossman and John Beck as his top two quarterbacks. He took it a step further by claiming he’d stake his reputation on them. The entire situation was a head-scratcher, but now it doesn’t seem quite so crazy after all.
With seven turnovers in four games, Grossman hasn’t exactly been the second coming of Joe Theismann, but the team sits in first place in the NFC East and he’s contributed with some big throws and improved decision-making.
There have been some bad moments, as he fumbled away a chance to beat the Cowboys, and nearly cost them a game in St. Louis, but there have also been good ones. He threw for over 300 yards against the Giants, and his fourth down scoring strike to Santana Moss was key in beating the Cardinals.
“I feel like I can definitely get better,” he said. “I’m really happy with a lot of things and just need to clean up a couple of plays per game.”
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Unfortunately, with his track record, it’s those blemishes that overshadow what has been a solid start. It will take a lot for Grossman to overcome the national perception that he can’t be successful, and he’s aware that day might never even come.
“Sometimes you can't avoid [criticism],” he said. “It doesn't really affect me one way or another.”
The remedy lies in the continued success of the team. If Grossman can keep on leading Washington to victories, he’ll receive his just desserts. Just last week, NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said Grossman was playing the best football of any quarterback in the NFC East.
Shanahan didn’t go that far when talking about his starter Wednesday, but he certainly isn’t disappointed with his effort thus far.
“When you find a way to win, it does a lot because it’s not just throwing the football,” Shanahan said. “A lot of things go into being the quarterback of a football team.”
Grossman might take center stage on Sundays, but he keeps a low profile during the week. That’s why he was surprised when he learned of the uproar created by his comments at the beginning of the year on the Redskins chances of winning the NFC East.
“I didn’t have any idea that it was going to be turned into a prediction,” he said. “I was just saying that we have the capability of winning the [NFC] East. It got turned into a kind of big thing so now I own it and it is what it is.”
What it hasn’t done is blown up in his face. Grossman is taking it one game at a time, starting with Sunday's contest against the Eagles.
“Down the line will take care of itself, but it really doesn’t matter if we don’t take care of this game,” he said. “That’s all we’re worried about.”
