After a largely ineffective three and a half quarters against the Detroit Lions, Donovan McNabb's stats were looking less than impressive - 17-for-30 for 210 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Then, with the Lions up 30-25 and the game on the line, Mike Shanahan inexplicably pulled McNabb in favor of Rex Grossman.
It was a questionable decision, for sure. McNabb didn't appear to be injured, and Grossman hadn't taken a snap all season. How did it pay off, you ask? Well, on his first snap, Grossman promptly coughed up the football, where it was recovered by rookie of the year candidate Ndamukong Suh and taken in for a touchdown. Grossman then went on to finish the night 4-for-7 for 44 yards.
So after that abysmal performance, is it possible to say that the Sexy Rexy Era has begun in Washington? Don't count on it. Coach Shanahan has already confirmed that McNabb will remain the starter but that, at the time, he thought that Grossman gave them the best chance to win in a two-minute offense. Still, the mere fact that the Redskins' franchise quarterback was benched (against the Lions, no less) is cause for a fair amount of concern. The Redskins are now 4-4 and have a pretty tough schedule on the horizon after their bye week - including a week 10 game against Philadelphia. They could easily fall out of the playoffs race if they continue their sloppy offensive play.
In addition, the benching has already starting to throw doubt on whether or not McNabb's contract with Washington will be extended at the end of the season. We'll keep you updated, of course.