Rex Grossman's Comments Mean Extra Pressure to Retain Washington Redskins QB Gig

There is a fine line, in professional sports, between confident and crazy, and Washington Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman is walking it. 

Fresh off a 6-10- season, which saw the Redskins lose three of the four games he played in, Grossman is ready to crown the Redskins the 2011 NFC East champions.

"Nobody's talking about us," said Grossman, who will start the Redskins' first preseason game despite a career 70.9 passer rating. "That's right where we want to be. You look at us from top to bottom out here, there's a bunch of great players. And we don't need people saying we're the best right now, but when it's all said and done, I really feel like this team's gonna win the East."

Forget that first statement, Grossman has crossed over from confident into the realm of craziness. 

If Tony Romo says that comment, we could let that pass. The same goes for Michael Vick and Eli Manning. Those guys have the career accolades and praise around the league to warrant that thinking. 

But Grossman? The guy who has started four games over the past three years? The guy who wasn't even mentioned in the Redskins' quarterback competition until just recently? That guy?

Yes, Grossman will start the Redskins first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. And yes, he'll line up with the first-team offense—an offense he says is better than any he's played with. 

"I look around, this offense from top to bottom is better than that offense I had in Chicago," Grossman said. "The defense is gonna make a ton of strides this year. I know they are. It's gonna be fun. I know we're gonna be a good team."

The fact is, Rex, you weren't very good in Chicago. The year you went to the Super Bowl, you threw 23 interceptions and had a passer rating of 73.9. In three playoff games, you threw four more picks and had a brilliant rating of 67.3. That offense wore out the backs of Chicago's defense, riding it to the Super Bowl.

So, for the sake of the Redskins' fanbase, you'd better hope that offense is better than the one you led in Chicago. 

But digging deeper into his comments, comes a more pressing issue. Grossman obviously thinks, or maybe knows, that he's starting for this football team once the games matter. There is no quarterback controversy in the mind of Rex Grossman. 

Look, I'm not here to say he can't win the quarterback competition over John Beck. He has a leg up right now, and that may just give him the advantage as we approach the regular season.

But why make these comments in the middle of this positional battle? You don't think there is enough pressure for you to just make the team? 

That's what Grossman should be worrying about right now. 

He shouldn't be thinking about besting the Philadelphia Eagles, who should have a good defense after adding such players as Nnamdi Asomugha, Cullen Jenkins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Jason Babin. 

He shouldn't be thinking about finishing above the Dallas Cowboys, who get Romo back from injury, and finally have some stability at head coach. 

And he shouldn't be thinking about the New York Giants, who feature one of the game's best pass rushes and were one bad punt away from making the playoffs a year ago. 

No, Grossman should be worried about staying atop the Redskins' depth chart. Because if I remember right, head coach Mike Shanahan said all offseason how this was Beck's team and how comfortable he was with that. 

If Grossman falls to No. 2, the comments he made will sound even more asinine. But if he stays the starter, maybe he should worry about winning more than four games in 2011. 

That's a much more reasonable—and attainable—goal than winning the NFC East.