Donovan McNabb cannot possibly have success with the Washington Redskins. Not after head coach Mike Shanahan showed his utter contempt for McNabb by benching him with the game on the line in Detroit.
We haven’t seen a quarterback benched like this before in Washington. Never. Not ever. Not since:
- Joe Gibbs benched Patrick Ramsey for Mark Brunell in the first game of the 2005 season, or
- Joe Gibbs benched Mark Brunell for Jason Campbell in the 2006 season, or
- Marty Schottenheimer benched Jeff George for Tony Banks in the first game of the 2001 season, or
- Joe Gibbs benched Jay Schroeder for Doug Williams in the last game of the 1987 season in the run up to Super Bowl 22.
That’s not to mention Steve Spurrier‘s numerous quarterback switches between Shane Matthews, Danny Wuerffel and Patrick Ramsey in 2002-2003.
Quarterbacks are players. Players are benched. Thus, quarterbacks are benched sometimes.
The con arguments that Mcnabb cannot succeed in DC don’t stand up unless one resorts to exaggeration and hyperbole.
Like saying, we’ve never seen this kind of thing before. Only we have. Mike Shanahan once benched John Elway and he ended Jake Plummer‘s career by benching him for Jay Cutler.
My ex-wife says I’m not very bright. Maybe that’s why I recognize brain farts when I…hear one. Shanahan had a brain fart in Detroit. Let it go at that.
The Shanahan-McNabb relationship may not be damaged beyond repair, if at all. There are issues, however. Most of them have more to do with working together than any breakdown on the field.
Communication – Shanahan thinks he cautioned McNabb that he might be pulled under certain conditions. McNabb thinks he did not hear him. Lets not attribute this to malice (or racism). Taking different meaning from the same words is a common communication problem. It’s fixable, so fix it.
Trust – is something that comes with time. When persons know each other–what they value, how they think, how they act under different circumstances–they have a basis for unison of purpose. Working together becomes easier. We know now that Shanahan has trust issues. This may be something Shanahan, not McNabb, has to work though.
Here’s a football secret. Pay attention. In a quarterback-driven era, teams do not need great quarterbacks to win championships.
The Baltimore Ravens won a Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer. The New York Giants won with Eli Manning, when Eli wasn’t very good. They beat the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots to do it. The Carolina Panthers did it with Jake Delhomme. The Oakland Raiders reached a Super Bowl with Rich Gannon and may reach the playoffs with Jason Campbell. With the exception of Brady, McNabb is better than that bunch.
Greatness is not the key. The great teams have quarterbacks in tune with the coach at the right moment in time.
After Detroit, Mike Shanahan and Donovan McNabb know each other a little better. Weak partnerships fracture over an incident. Strong ones just get stronger. I’m betting that two high achieving Chicago home-boys can get stronger. Thus, there is no reason why this can’t work, if McNabb and Shanahan work on it.
Unless you are superstitious. If you are, there is reason to worry.
Donovan McNabb wears the same jersey number (5) as Heath Shuler.
We are doomed!
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