Washington Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman looks down the line during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. Grossman had 112 yards passing and one touchdown in the Redskins‘ 34-31 loss. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)Speaking of Rex, he at least has a track record in the NFL (with the Chicago Bears and, late last season, with the Redskins). So we have a fairly good idea what he’s capable of. Beck’s ceiling, on the other hand, is more of a projection — Shanahan’s projection — and the big question is: How much of that projection is rooted in reality? The coach and his offensive-coordinator/son, Kyle, are obviously high on him, but is that faith justified or is it merely wishful thinking?
We’ll know soon enough. In 16 days, the Redskins will be playing real games, and one of these gentlemen will be their starting quarterback. Since training camp began, we’ve been waiting for the best man to win, waiting for somebody to grab the job by the throat, and, well, we’re still waiting. Statistically, Beck (99 passer rating) and Grossman (92.3) aren’t just close, they’re in flip-a-coin territory (though Shanahan will probably use other tiebreakers).
Whichever way Shanny goes, his choice will be a hotly debated. Which just goes back to what I was saying at the beginning: Quarterback competitions are overrated. You’re much better off having somebody like John Elway.
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Dan Daly has been writing about sports for the Washington Times since 1982. He has won numerous national and local awards, appears regularly in NFL Films’ historical features and is the co-author of “The Pro Football Chronicle,” a decade-by-decade history of the game. Follow Dan on Twitter at @dandalyonsports –- or e-mail him at ddaly@washingtontimes.com.
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