Homer: Spotlight on John Beck versus Cam Newton

[themurf]

(photo by Brian Murphy)

When the Washington Redskins take on the Carolina Panthers this weekend, they will do so with a change at quarterback.

After throwing four interceptions against Philadelphia, the Rex Grossman experiment has been put on hold indefinitely in favor of John Beck.

Interesting enough, although Beck came into the league in 2007, he’ll be making just his fifth NFL start – one less than Panthers rookie Cam Newton.

So it’s safe to say no one really knows what to expect from the fifth-year pro when he leads the burgundy and gold onto the field in Charlotte.

Beck has never thrown for more than 177 yards in a game and his teams are winless in games he’s played in (0-6), but the biggest thing going for the 30-year-old is simply put – he’s not named Rex Grossman.

Chalk this one up to change for the sake of change, because Grossman reverted back to the norm and went from “game manager” to “offensive anchor.”

Rather than leaning heavily on a potent ground game and utilizing The Rex Cannon sparingly, the coaching opted to roll the dice and put the ball in Grossman’s hands.

Nine interceptions and two fumbles later, even Mike and Kyle Shanahan have to admit that maybe that wasn’t the greatest idea.

Now Redskins fans get to see what Beck can bring to the table.

“I thought John did a good job with three of our starters out in the fourth quarter against Philadelphia,” said head coach Mike Shanahan. “To come in a situation when they knew we had to throw the football – he had nine first downs. [We] could have attempted a field goal on the one. He took us down the field, a 75-yard drive for the touchdown. He impressed with that. [We] put a lot of pressure on him in that situation.

“I like the way he has been practicing the last few weeks,” Shanahan added. “He’s done a good job in practice and I think he deserves the opportunity for us to see what he can do.”

Unfortunately for Beck, who will be making his first start since his rookie season with Miami back in ’07, he’ll do so without several key members of the offense.

Tackle Trent Williams, guard Kory Lichtensteiger and tight end Chris Cooley are all out of the lineup, meaning protecting the quarterback might be more challenging than usual for Washington.

For better or worse, the head coach doesn’t seem to be overly concerned about using an unknown commodity at quarterback and protecting him with a patchwork offensive line.

“I think a big plus for John is his mobility,” Shanahan said. “He can make plays with his feet. He has a good command for the offense. I think he feels more comfortable with it now than he has since he’s been here. So now he’s going to get his chance.”

If Beck is interested in seeing a dual-threat quarterback in action, all he needs to do is watch the film on Newton.

Only Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has more rushing touchdowns than Newton’s six scores this season, meaning the Redskins will have their hands full any time the Auburn standout has possession of the football in the red zone.

“He’s a big guy that’s hard to get down,” said defensive coordinator Jim Haslett of Newton. “It’s kind of funny when you watch the tape. You see guys hit him and they kind of bounce off. You kind of wonder, does he know he’s getting hit? That’s a big guy.”

Beck and Newton both have the ability to extend a play with their feet, but they also have something else in common – they both throw interceptions more often than touchdowns.

While the offensive coaches will spend the bulk of this week trying to concoct ways to keep Beck upright, the defense will definitely have its hands full with Newton.

The Heisman Trophy winner might have struggled to complete passes during the preseason, but Newton threw for more yards in his first two NFL starts (854 yards) than Beck has racked up in his entire career (676 yards).

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[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

As much an unknown quantity as Beck is, with him being pretty much akin to a rookie in pro terms; my biggest fear for him is what's in front of him Sunday.

I half get the coaching staff's notion that flipping the line completely is gona' cause more misunderstanding than not; but Brown was a PB standard LT for 4 years in NO, missing only 6 games and starting every other; whilst Locklear was almost exclusively a RT up in Seattle. Throw in Montgomery looked a shadow of the player that played at center Sunday when he switched to guard; with a complete clown at center who not only looked bad in pre-season against scrubs, but who got called for two false start penalties (from a center. The guy who STARTS the darn play off); and I fear Beck could be running for his life. And with both the OC's tendency to get away from the run at crucial times; and now the only side we've been able to run well on, the left being decimated by injury; I can't see a run game there to help him out.

Good luck John. Made up for you that you've finally gotten your pro chance after such a wait. But may God go with you when you step out onto the field in this O.

Hail.

[skins island connection]

Beck now has the golden opportunity to prove to the Redskin fans that he deserves to be on the team. After Grossman's weekly downward progression, something had to be done, and now's his chance to shine.

At least it is against Carolina; even though we aren't supposed to under-rate ANY opponent, they are a good match-up for a newbie, and hopefully a good confidence builder, because pickin's are slim right now regarding qb's, and we really need Beck to step up to the plate, or scrimmage line, whichever cliche you prefer...

[The Dude]

Beck's going to dominate. His accuracy and mobility are going to carve up a very pedestrian Carolina defense.

[authentic]

Beck's going to dominate. His accuracy and mobility are going to carve up a very pedestrian Carolina defense.

I'm optimistic about this game, but I'm not sure if i feel this^^ good.. ...What concerns me is Charles Johnson vs Locklear. Johnson is a darn good player, hopefully he doesn't have a field day against our Oline.

[Gurgeh]

I hope we don't go on the all-out Blitz against Newton. One of the mistakes people made with him at the start was trying to confuse him with blitzes, instead it seems you're much better off just covering the receivers. And while he can certainly run with the ball, when the Panthers are outside of the redzone he tends to stay in the pocket and throw. When they get close to the goal line it's a different matter and he's very hard to stop.

I think Newton will end up with more passing yards than Beck, but I still see us winning the game providing the OL holds up.

[sideshow24]

I'm optimistic about this game, but I'm not sure if i feel this^^ good.. ...What concerns me is Charles Johnson vs Locklear. Johnson is a darn good player, hopefully he doesn't have a field day against our Oline.

I was surprised they didn't flip Jamaal when Trent went out in the last game. I figure we'll do it this week.

[DC9]

I was surprised they didn't flip Jamaal when Trent went out in the last game. I figure we'll do it this week.

Jammal was doing a GREAT job on Jason Babin.

And FYI, Sean Locklear has been taking all of the reps at LT in practice this week.

HAIL!

[sideshow24]

Jammal was doing a GREAT job on Jason Babin.

And FYI, Sean Locklear has been taking all of the reps at LT in practice this week.

HAIL!

Didn't know he was taking those reps, thanks for the info!

[themurf]

I was surprised they didn't flip Jamaal when Trent went out in the last game. I figure we'll do it this week.

Yeah, Kyle Shanahan said yesterday that they're comfortable keeping Brown on the right side and putting Locklear in at left tackle. Even though there's going to be a few new faces, they're still trying to have as much continuity and stability on the line as possible.

[gortiz]

how much should we temper our expectations of beck in light of the injuries? I mean, does Carolina's weak D make up for that?

[themurf]

how much should we temper our expectations of beck in light of the injuries? I mean, does Carolina's weak D make up for that?

Simply put - if the Redskins win, Beck's day will be viewed as a success. If not, it will not.

Beck doesn't need to throw for 400 yards or four touchdowns (although, I'd be cool with him if he did). He just needs to continue to find ways to move the chains and give the offense the same spark he did against Philly.

[Hooper]

Simply put - if the Redskins win, Beck's day will be viewed as a success. If not, it will not.

Beck doesn't need to throw for 400 yards or four touchdowns (although, I'd be cool with him if he did). He just needs to continue to find ways to move the chains and give the offense the same spark he did against Philly.

Well said.

[sideshow24]

Simply put - if the Redskins win, Beck's day will be viewed as a success. If not, it will no.

I agree. Grossman wasn't wowing anyone, but he was winning so it was OK. As soon as the record starting tilting he got benched.

[skinzplay]

Chudzinski, their offensive coordinator, knows how to attack a defense, and he'll stab at our wound (quality depth in the secondary) all day by spreading us out and going after Barnes. Look for Brandon LaFell to have a huge day for the Panthers.

My hope is that our defense STARTS the game with intensity and continues it throughout. If we put up at least 24, we'll win; shouldn't be hard against that Carolina defense, and I think Beck's decision-making should make a big difference for our offense.

[Thirtyfive2seven]

Hopefully Beck has more than THIS game to prove that he's a good QB. The Panthers defense kind of blows. I suspect he will perform pretty well but I want to see how he does against the good teams. Can we move the ball? Can he not throw game changing INTs? Will he fumble the ball every time he's hit or pressured? Will he gain more confidence after his first start and progress or regress. He needs the rest of the season. Then we will know if we need another QB in the draft or we can focus elsewhere such as, IDK the OFFENSIVE LINE...

[themurf]

Hopefully Beck has more than THIS game to prove that he's a good QB. The Panthers defense kind of blows. I suspect he will perform pretty well but I want to see how he does against the good teams. Can we move the ball? Can he not throw game changing INTs? Will he fumble the ball every time he's hit or pressured? Will he gain more confidence after his first start and progress or regress. He needs the rest of the season. Then we will know if we need another QB in the draft or we can focus elsewhere such as, IDK the OFFENSIVE LINE...

I don't think the coaching staff would be so short-sighted that they'd only give Beck one game to sink or swim. They gave Grossman more than enough time to try to lock down the job and now that he's blow his chance, I'd expect them to give Beck enough time to do the same.