The Redskins are trying out a new quarterback today, but everybody is on the hot seat.
When Redskins coach Mike Shanahan announced that Donovan McNabb will effectively be shut down for the year, he said it was not just the quarterback position that he would be evaluating.
“When you are talking about putting an offense together you are talking about a lot of different people -- you are talking about an offensive line, receivers -- a combination of people to make something go," Shanahan said. "It’s a combination of evaluating all those people.”
Of course, the man directly under the microscope is Rex Grossman, who will be trotted out at the quarterback spot.
By now you should know who Rex is: An eighth-year pro. He made it to Super Bowl XLI, where he threw a fourth quarter interception for a touchdown that helped Peyton Manning get his first big game win. We last saw Grossman in action in the last two minutes of the Detroit game, when he fumbled a ball that was run in for a touchdown.
You could be forgiven for not thinking that this is the quarterback that will cure Washington’s offensive awfulness. But when Grossman faced the press this Friday, he had big expectations for himself:
"I'm totally motivated to go out and prove not only to them, but myself and my teammates that I'm a bona fide starter in this league and can lead this team to a championship one day," he said.
The chronically inconsistent Dallas Cowboys defense will give Rex a fighting chance. After strong showings against the Giants and Lions, the Dallas D gave the Philadelphia Eagles miles of big plays in their 27-30 loss last week. Terrence Newman and the Cowboy secondary ceded five pass plays of 20 yards or longer and a 56-yard gash by running back LeSean McCoy.
On the Cowboys sideline, the receiving corps is very thin. Roy Williams has been hampered by a groin injury and may sit this one out. They are already down star wideout Dez Bryant, who is gone for the year with a fractured fibula, and his replacement, Kevin Ogletree, who was placed on injured reserve this week.
