In a recent interview with ESPN, quarterback Rex Grossman was quoted saying,
“We don’t need people saying we’re the best right now, but when it’s all said and done, I really feel like this team’s gonna win the East.”
Is this guy out of his mind? The Washington Redskins ranked close to last in rushing yards, stopping the run, and defending against the pass last season. The only reason that they finished with a high passing total was because their lack of rushing attack basically forced them to throw the football. What the departure ofDonovan McNabb and the failure to pick up another quarterback has done is concede the starting quarterback role to Rex Grossman and/or John Beck. McNabb had a pretty rough season last year, but I would start a struggling McNabb over these two quarterbacks any day of the week. So besides being downgraded significantly at the most important position on the field, let’s take a look at what Washington has done to improve in other areas. At running back, they picked up Tim Hightower, who is coming off a mediocre season in Arizona. The guy had a fumbling problem with the Cardinals and it has already been reported that he is having problems holding onto the football in training camp. Ryan Toraindid pretty well last season while filling in for Clinton Portis, but no one expects too much more out of him than what he has shown he can deliver. At receiver, the Skins resigned an aging Santana Moss, along with picking up Donte Stallworth andJabar Gaffney. These receivers have proven to be decent 2nd and 3rd receivers, but in no way shape or from does adding them make the team a force to be reckoned with in the AFC East. On the defensive side, the Redskins have done a few things to improve, like adding Safety O.J. Atogwe and Defensive Tackle Barry Cofield, along with a ton of other players to add depth. This should get Washington out of the bottom 5 defenses in the league but it still just makes them mediocre. Regardless of their minor improvements, I still think that Rex Grossman is talking out of the side of his neck when he says that they will win the division. Even if he came out and said that they had a good shot to contend, I would still question his sanity. Grossman is a guy who has been blessed with too many fortunate opportunities in his life, like being the starting quarterback in a Superbowl. Everybody knows that Superbowl XLI featured an unstoppable offense (Indianapolis) against a immovable defense (Chicago). His meager 165 yards, 2 INT’s, and 2 fumbles in the spotlight proved that he was expendable and no one heard from him again until last year when Donovan McNabb was benched. So yet again, fortune has struck and Rex Grossman thinks he is good at what he does. Hopefully he does not join ESPN after his deceptive career comes to an end because it is those kind of predictions that get you immediately ejected from the studio. Anyways, not that any comparisons need to be made to prove that Grossman is a moron, but I will positionally rank Washington against the other teams in the NFC East.
Quarterback
Eagles (Michael Vick) Cowboys (Tony Romo) Giants (Eli Manning) Redskins (Grossman/Beck)
Runningback
Eagles (LeSean McCoy) Giants (Ahmad Bradshaw) Cowboys (Felix Jones) Redskins (Hightower/Torain)
#1/#2 Receivers
Giants (Hakeem Nicks) Cowboys (Miles Austin) Eagles (DeSean Jackson) Cowboys (Dez Bryant) Eagles (Jeremy Maclin) Giants (Mario Manningham) Redskins (Santana Moss) Redskins (Anthony Armstrong)
Defense
Eagles Giants Cowboys Redskins
I am very sure that these rankings are accurate, maybe Jackson and Austin could be switched, but the point is that Rex Grossman could not be farther off base when he told reporters that the Redskins will win the NFC East.