'Been There, Done That': Washington Redskins Put McNabb Back In Hot Seat

It may be coincidental or just a cruel twist of fate, but the drama surrounding Donovan McNabb seems all too familiar.  Since his benching two Sundays ago in Detroit, analysis of the Washington Redskins quarterback has taken on a life of its own.  But it’s nothing new to a man who’s dealt with it before.

During his 11 years in Philadelphia, McNabb endured plenty of criticism, from draft day boos to personal swipes by teammates and talk show hosts.  Each time, he brushed himself off, remained professional and proved his naysayers wrong.  McNabb even responded to a one-time benching by the Eagles with four touchdown passes in his next start. 

But now he is in the nation’s capital, where changes occur often and benefit of the doubt is hard to come by.  It is a city where quarterbacks are like politicians.  They're here today and gone tomorrow.

So why is McNabb under scrutiny and why so soon?

As always, there are two sides of a story and there are those who choose to take a side.  A number of football analysts are standing by McNabb. Some believe he received the ultimate show of disrespect when Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan gave his team captain the hook.  Meanwhile, others question McNabb’s easy-going personality, which appears to clash with the coaching style of Shanahan, who's been described as an "obsessive-compulsive workaholic".

McNabb may seem nonchalant at times, but there is no denying his previous success in Philadelphia.  Throughout his tenure there, there are plenty of examples of last-minute heroics and a sense of urgency.  McNabb guided the Eagles to 15 fourth quarter comebacks and 23 game-winning drives.  He also led the team to five NFC Championships and one Super Bowl.  

But on Thanksgiving Day, McNabb turns 34 years old and his critics are quick to reveal his inadequacies.  Some say that he has a history of aggravating injuries that have hurt his mobility or caused him to miss time. 

Others say that he lacks consistency in the two-minute drill and tends to get confused when the game is on the line.  McNabb has faced a deficit 31 other times and lost.  And remember when he didn’t know that an NFL game could end in a tie? 

But perhaps most glaring to critics are the instances where McNabb has been physically challenged to keep up with the pace of a two-minute offense. Those occurrences are worth examining.  But first, it’s important to study the move that has everybody talking. 

With a minute and 45 seconds remaining against the Lions, Washington had the ball on its own 30 and was down by six points.  Detroit’s defense had been dominant all day with six sacks and an interception.  But it was do or die time and Redskins fans fully expected McNabb to lead the charge.

To their surprise, he was told otherwise, as Shanahan turned to backup Rex Grossman instead.  In the meantime, McNabb stood stone-faced on the sidelines, as a host of bewildered teammates tried to cheer him up.

The rest, of course, is history.  On his first snap, Grossman got sandwiched in the pocket and promptly fumbled the ball into the waiting arms of Lions star Ndamukong Suh.  The rookie defensive-tackle scooped it up and rumbled to the end zone, while a demoralized Santana Moss tried unsuccessfully to strip him of his chance. 

The Skins went onto lose 37-25 and in the hours and days that followed, Mike Shanahan offered an array of excuses for the benching.  First, he defended his decision to play Grossman, whom he believed had a better grasp of the two-minute offense.  Grossman previously played in Houston, under Shanahan’s son and Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. 

Later, the head coach cited the tightness in McNabb’s hamstrings and said that his knowledge of the hurry-up offense was deficient because he had not fully practiced it.  And finally, Shanahan went out on a limb, suggesting that McNabb’s “poor cardiovascular endurance” was to blame.

McNabb remained composed, as he did during some testy times in Philadelphia.  But as the ordeal dragged on into Washington’s bye week, the six-time Pro Bowler showed a trace of defensiveness.

McNabb pointed out that he has never had a problem understanding terminology and if he “can walk,” he expects to be on the field.  He also appeared incredulous when a reporter referred to comments made by Kyle Shanahan. 

According to the coach, McNabb was warned that he could be pulled due to his hamstring injuries and that he “understood without a doubt” that the team would go in that direction, if he struggled.  In response to this explanation, McNabb coyly said “I didn’t hear that part.”

As the Redskins returned to practice last week, the Shanahans met with McNabb, in an attempt to clear the air with the 12-year veteran.  But the quarterback’s eagerness to move forward was stifled by rumor and innuendo.  One media report claimed that Kyle and Mike Shanahan cut the offensive playbook in half in order for McNabb to learn it. 

Another stated that Kyle was the man behind the benching and that his father tried to bail him out by deflecting the blame. And from Cincinnati, former Philly teammate Terrell Owens chimed in, by recalling McNabb’s struggle in the waning moments of the Eagles Super Bowl loss to New England.  Reportedly, McNabb vomited in the huddle and couldn’t catch his breath. 

True or not, the tales from this soap opera will come to a head with Monday night’s showdown between the Redskins and Eagles at Fed Ex Field.

McNabb is about three hours away from the City of Brotherly Love, but he still makes news in Philadelphia.  He also shrugs off criticism, like he did in 2003, when Rush Limbaugh made a racially-charged comment about his status as an NFL quarterback.    

But sometimes, McNabb feels the urge to strike back.  Following his trade to the Redskins in April for a pair of draft picks, he chastised the Eagles for not always stepping in to support him when he was criticized.

And just recently, he responded harshly when Philly receiver DeSean Jackson said he was “happy with the team’s decision to trade the quarterback.” 

"It’s wild when people get to talking when you’re not there," McNabb said, in an interview with GQ magazine.  "When you’re there, everybody loves you.  Whoever says things when I’m gone, more power to them, but it’s not making you look like a bigger man.”

McNabb clearly isn’t loved by everyone in Washington and that’s why people are talking about him.  Will he prove to be the bigger man or will he lose his patience?  Only time will tell, but we will likely know the outcome when he is gone.