Clarke Judge: Oft-dissed Grossman again defies critics to prevail...

[COWBOY-KILLA-]

Just a little something to get people pumped up for the season!! Rex

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/15531815/oftdissed-grossman-again-defies-critics-to-prevail

Oft-dissed Grossman again defies critics to prevail

By Clark Judge

CBSSports.com Senior Writer

Sep. 5, 2011

Tagged as erratic, Grossman says 'Just take care of the ball consistently and I'll be fine.'

It's hard not to like Rex Grossman, and I don't mean as a quarterback; I mean as a competitor.

He wasn't supposed to open the season as the Washington Redskins' starter; John Beck was. But look who Mike Shanahan named Monday ... and it wasn't John Beck. Grossman not only beat out the former BYU quarterback; he beat the odds, and let's hear it for perseverance.

Grossman was told more than once this summer that Beck would emerge as the starter, but he wasn't told by the people who matter -- coach Mike Shanahan and his son Kyle, the team's offensive coordinator.

So he plugged away at the job, winning it when Beck faltered in the last week of preseason, and good for him. Every time you think the guy is gone for good, he somehow reappears.

The backup to Donovan McNabb in 2010, Grossman waited until the last three games to start ... then played well. So he was 1-2. In one of those losses he rallied the Redskins to near victory by throwing for 322 yards and four touchdowns in a 33-30 defeat to Dallas. More important, he pumped life into an offense that had none.

That was the knock on McNabb for most of the season, but let's be fair: He wasn't experienced in the system, and he quickly seemed at odds with Kyle Shanahan. In the end, that not only handcuffed him; it finished him.

By contrast, Grossman was experienced in Shanahan's offense, having spent the previous year with the assistant coach in Houston, and the familiarity paid off when he stepped in and played. It looks as if it just paid off again.

"I've only started three games with [shanahan]," Grossman said last month at training camp, "but it helped just sitting in meeting rooms for two years and listening to him coach Matt Schaub [in Houston], and what they're seeing and what he wants him to do ... and then going through the whole Donovan thing, and then finally getting a chance to play. And I thought I played pretty well."

He did. But that was last year, this is this year, and Rex Grossman has to prove himself all over again -- maybe not to his coaches, but to millions of disbelievers everywhere -- and tell me you haven't heard this before.

"I know I'm going to be productive," he said. "It's just a matter of playing smart and not having those three or four bad plays. Just take care of the ball consistently and I'll be fine."

Of course, it's "those three or four bad plays" that have handicapped Grossman throughout his career. When he led the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl in 2006, he had to fend off critics who complained that he committed too many turnovers -- which he did. Five times that season he had three or more interceptions, including four vs. Arizona, and he wound down as the season wore on, turning the ball over 16 times in Chicago's final nine games.

But he also had 10 touchdowns and three interceptions in the Bears' first five starts, all of which they won. That was forgotten by January when Grossman was forced to demonstrate he was more than a quarterback prone to costly mistakes (he had 20 interceptions that season) and carried by one of the league's stingiest defenses.

He didn't, of course, losing Super Bowl XLI when he committed three turnovers, including an interception that Kelvin Hayden returned 56 yards for the clinching touchdown.

I listened to Grossman in the days preceding the Super Bowl week and was impressed how he handled questions during contentious sessions with reporters, with the besieged Grossman holding his ground against an army of critics. In the end, the army won, crushing him for untimely mistakes in Super Bowl XLI because, well, he was an easy target.

But what his critics forgot was that Chicago's defense couldn't stop Peyton Manning and, if nothing else, was equally culpable for Indianapolis outscoring its opponent 23-3 in the last three quarters.

Nevertheless, doubt and criticism are as much a part of Grossman's resume as his height and weight, so, when in doubt, fire away. Only what we sometimes forget is that resilience is, too, with Grossman just offering a reminder.

"Going back to [the University of] Florida, I understand that quarterbacks need to be held to a higher standard and always need to compete," he said. "That's how I was brought up in college, even if you were the obvious guy. If you did something wrong you were out. I've had that same mindset going through all competition.

"When you look at 2006, that was an interesting time because I feel like the media can be extreme to embellish everything -- embellish how good you are, embellish how bad you are. In that season I had some of the best games of my life and some of the worst games of my life, so I got extremes. At some point you just get numb to [criticism] and learn that it's better not to have emotions to outside opinion."

He proved that down the stretch in 2006, and he will have to prove it all over again. Only, as I mentioned this summer, I don't know that Grossman or Beck is as critical to what happens to Washington as, say, Tim Hightower or Ryan Torain is. Because in Shanahan's system -- and I mean Mike -- it's the running backs, not the quarterbacks, who carry the offense, with skeptics urged to consult Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway. He didn't win a Super Bowl until Shanahan paired him with a decent running back and rushing attack.

"In Denver," Grossman said, "that was all you heard -- Clinton Portis and somebody else and somebody else. Hopefully, we can have a running game like that. If we [do], it makes the quarterback's life a lot easier.

"I know Kyle's philosophy is to be aggressive downfield, and if it's not there to check down. Those are the things that I like to do -- play-action and go deep -- and if that's not there, hit the intermediate route. And if that's not there, just throw it away, or get it down to the back, and live to fight another day. That's what it's all about."

Grossman made headlines last month when he predicted the Redskins would win the NFC East. People laughed then, and I joined the chorus because, frankly, I like Philadelphia in a runaway as much as everyone else.

But I'd be careful when it comes to Rex Grossman. I never thought he'd win this job, and he did, and there's a lesson there: Namely, never underestimate this guy, no matter how steep the odds. Yes, he can make too many mistakes, and, granted, he commits errors that leave you confounded. But he never goes away.

And that's what Rex Grossman is all about.

[Atlanta Skins Fan]

Here's a great quote from Grossman:

"Kyle's philosophy is to be aggressive downfield, and if it's not there to check down. Those are the things that I like to do -- play-action and go deep -- and if that's not there, hit the intermediate route. And if that's not there, just throw it away, or get it down to the back, and live to fight another day. That's what it's all about."

This is what we saw from Grossman this preseason, and what we did NOT see from Beck.

[Red8Rex]

This is a great and a remarkable day in the transformation of the Washington Redskins. I always knew Beck would make a good backup to the gunslinger himself, mark of the Red8, a one Rex Grossman.

---------- Post added September-6th-2011 at 02:00 AM ----------

I still don't have my mind made up on Beck.... I still need to see some more before I know if he's starting material or not. I've always been a Redskins fan but I watched a lot of the Bears in 2006 and I would say the Redskins offense is better than what they had going on... Thomas Jones is better than Hightower, Torain and Benson about equal, but I think the we have the Bears beat at all other skill positions at Grossman's disposal.

[Santana_89]

Even if he weren't on the roster I would wish Rex well the media would have you believe he was the worst qb in the history of the NFL. Rex seems like a really nice guy and more importantly a good teammate. The guys speak very highly of him yes I know they are unlikely to come out and throw him under the bus. However there's a clip on CSN Washington

entitled Shanahan , Moss, Hightower, and Davis on Grossman starting qb for the Skins 9/5

I was also reminded of a video from training camp this year on the day Rex arrived and one particular clip featured Trent Williams going over to him and giving him a bear hug of sorts. Seems like the players believe in him and since they know him far better than I ever will. I'll trust their opinions/insight. Rex really does have an golden opportunity to make his critics shut the hell up. I certainly wish him a good week of pratice and a helluva game come Sunday.

[Kindred]

Those are the things that I like to do -- play-action and go deep -- and if that's not there, hit the intermediate route. And if that's not there, just throw it away, or get it down to the back, and live to fight another day. That's what it's all about."

Unleash me baby. I see you out there. Wetting those pants.

[iMeast]

Excited to see the Sex Canon unleash the dragon this Sunday live at Big Jack. Good times are ahead my friends.

HTTR

[MusicCitySkin]

Great article.

I feel really proud of Rex right now. This is his second chance to make a splash in this league and not join other QBs that were highly touted out of college but didn't live up to expectations initially and were either run out of the league or had to finish their careers as backups.

Rex has fought and clawed his way back to opening day starter, and I think that is commendable considering all the jokes and criticism thrown his way ever since he came into the league. The fact that he has everyone believing in him again is remarkable. Kudos, Sex Cannon.

[ArmchairRedskin]

I agree that it's the "play-action then go deep" thing that was the main factor. If you go deep, then intermediate or to the back, just get it to somebody. Beck kept keeping the ball and taking sacks. He played scared and wasn't getting positive yards. Gotta be more aggressive. The run game will set that up, as a QB you gotta be able to hurt the defense when it does.

[Buck812]

Personally I think it should have been Beck though I dont feel as strongly as I did about it not being McNabb last year. It was very obvious that McNabb was a horrible decision from the begging but this one here I will take a wait and see stance however, I think Beck will take over at some point early in the season.

[S.T.real,lights,out]

Great post. Very happy to see that Rex won the job. And if he can limit the TO's i think him/we will have a good season. Hail!

[Commander Adama]

Rex knows what he needs to do, and I am hoping he does it.