Filed under: Redskins, NFC EastLANDOVER, Md. -- A day after saying that he benched Donovan McNabb for less accomplished and athletic backup Rex Grossman with 1:45 left in Sunday's loss in Detroit because the quarterback didn't have a full grasp of Washington's two-minute offense nearly seven months after his acquisition from Philadelphia, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan did a 180 worthy of Lions Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders.
"Donovan's been hampered with hamstring injuries, quad injuries, contusions," Shanahan said. "(Last Tuesday) I sat down with Donovan and talked to him about possibly sitting out this game. He could not get the work that I would like him to get because he hasn't gone full speed in a lot of our drills. I said, 'The thing I want to make sure in the second half of the season you're ready to go. Are you sure you're going to be able to play in this game?' He said he wanted to play, that he would be fine and that he wouldn't further injure the areas that were hurting.
"When you deal with a two-minute offense where you don't have any timeouts and you haven't done it in five weeks you're calling sometimes calling two plays, you gotta hustle to the line of scrimmage and you're working cardiovascular endurance at the same time you're working the clock. It's really hard to do that when you haven't practiced it, haven't put out yourself in any type of strenuous activity because of your hamstrings. I felt it was in the best interest of our team that he wouldn't play (in the two-minute offense). Rex hadn't practiced either, but he's in very good shape. He understands the terminology inside and out (from spending last year in coordinator Kyle Shanahan's system in Houston) so he can make the double calls. It was nothing against Donovan. I thought it was the best thing for us."
McNabb, who despite his supposed physical limitations ripped off a 36-yard run (the second-longest of his 12-year career) during the first half Sunday, was unavailable for comment today.
Shanahan maintained that the benching didn't signal a loss of confidence in the six-time Pro Bowl quarterback for whom he traded two draft picks to the Eagles in April. Asked if a healthier McNabb would play in a similar situation when the Redskins return from their bye two weeks from Monday against the Eagles, the coach replied, "Without a question."
McNabb's contract expires after the season. He turns 34 this month and his current 76.0 passer rating is the lowest of his 11 years as a starter. But several of his teammates re-iterated today that he should be Washington's long-term starter. McNabb and Shanahan have been saying all the right things for months about the fact that he hasn't been signed to a multi-year contract.
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