Washington Redskins: Is Benching Donovan McNabb For Rex Grossman Smart?

If you haven't heard, Mike Shanahan has made the executive decision to bench Donovan McNabb in favor of Rex Grossman for their big match-up against the Dallas Cowboys.

Is it a smart decision?

Well, the short answer is no.

The long answer?

Noooooooo.

The unfortunate part is that I'm only sort of kidding.

I know some of you remember Rex Grossman as the quarterback who helped the Chicago Bears reach the Super Bowl a few years ago, but he is just not that guy anymore.

He is terribly inconsistent, and honestly doesn't seem to provide a better outlook for the Washington Redskins.

I understand Shanahan's decision though. As the head coach and team guru, it's up to him to do what is in the best interest of the team, and Donovan McNabb just simply doesn't seem to be getting it done for him right now.

This decision brings up a few questions though.

For one, it really puts a big question mark on Mike Shanahan's abilities as a personnel decision-maker. Shanahan was part of engineering the trade for Donovan McNabb. He brought a player from a division rival to play for his team, and he paid a large price for him. For him to bench McNabb is somewhat of an admission of defeat.

That's hardly acceptable.

The second question is, can the Redskins really win with Rex Grossman?

Let's think back to the last time Rex Grossman played significant time...

When the Redskins played the Detroit Lions this year, Rex Grossman made a fool of himself.

The simple fact is, this just seems like a bad idea on most accounts.

The third question is, are the Redskins packing in the season?

At this point, the Redskins are not going to the playoffs. It's that simple.

This means that winning, while important, isn't particularly necessary. So this looks more like it's sending a message than anything else.

In any case, what started out as a promising beginning for coach Shanahan has turned quickly into a nightmare, and while this may be the right decision, it doesn't look good for the Redskins new head coach.