All posts tagged Tennessee Titans

When Mike Shanahan benched Donovan McNabb for Rex Grossman, many of us thought he had lost his ability to make decisions. I understand his benching McNabb, but what I didn’t understand was McNabb being benched for Rex Grossman. Then Rex Grossman threw for 4 touchdowns and almost singlehandedly led the Skins from behind to almost beat a rejuvenated Cowboys in their den. Oh. I guess I get it now. Rex Grossman is… awesome?

At this point, what else can McNabb say? Well, he can no longer make the argument that it was a bad decision. Seemingly, it was a brilliant decision and a move that only a coach like Shanahan could make. If we turn back the clock a few games and look at the Vikings, you can see that bencing NFL royalty is not an easy thing to do.

After Sunday’s game, McNabb was demoted to the number 3 quarterback, a move he finds disrespectful and a move I find telling. I believe there is something more going on here.  The fact is, McNabb is being disrespected. Why?

Ok, so he’s not as good as he used to be. Ok, Rex Grossman is seemingly a better fit. But McNabb’s being treated like he had sex with Shanahan’s daughter or poodle. Why?

Donovan McNabb has never been a loudmouth or a jerk and seems beloved by most of his teammates. He’s done some things that aren’t super bright, but to my knowledge, he’s not once sent a picture of his penis to a coworker. He hasn’t shot himself in the leg,  shot someone else in the leg, been accused of sexual assault, participated in a substance-fueled boat orgy, nor has he masterminded an elaborate animal fighting and gambling ring. I mean, the worst thing I can recall him doing is Chunky Soup commercials, and while he should be punished for those, he doesn’t deserve this.

Donovan has given us a ton of great moments over the years, and while those moments might be over, Shanahan seems to be ruthlessly shitting all over him. This is making me curious, and when I get curious, I break it all down. Let’s look at the facts we can confirm:

1. The Redskins lose more games than they win.

2. Mike Shanahan is a dick.

Other than that, all we have is rudeness, double demotions and what appears to be anger, not just at losing, but more like the type a man experiences after wiping his ass on the curtains. I’m just wondering what Donovan did to make Mikey so mad. Maybe one day we’ll get the whole story.

So what’s next for Donovan? Being benched in favor of Rex Grossman (and Rex Grossman looking exceedingly better) can’t be good for a strong negotiating position. Having a Hall of Fame coach bench you and demote you twice can’t be good for business.  Fortunately for Donovan, good quarterbacks are hard to find and there are some teams in need, and as Arizona and Minnesota have recently proven, old dogs can have new tricks, if only for a year or two.

With that, what would be a good fit for Donovan? Here’s my list in order of the best matches first:

Oakland – To me, this team represents the best fit for Donovan and could even win a Super Bowl with him at the helm. Their running game is stellar, their defense is vastly improving and their receiving corps could be among the best in the league. Jacoby Ford has incredible speed and is about to become a force to be reckoned with,  if he’s not already. This could become a team that no one wants to play, maybe even under Jason Campbell.

Arizona – Poor, poor Larry Fitzgerald. He needs a quarterback and this represents a good fit because the biggest missing ingredient is the quarterback. Donovan only has a couple of good years left, so a rebuilding situation is not what he needs.

Carolina- Carolina isn’t horrible. They have an excellent running game and a Steve Smith with something left to give. Mike Goodson and Jonathan Stewart are starting to tear it up, so again, a qb with experience and a little mobility could make a big difference here.

Minnesota? Hmmm… when Brett Favre hit the turf the other night, I got the distinct feeling that when he was lying on the turf that he never, ever wanted to feel that way again.  Joe Webb has obvious talent, but a year or two (under McNabb) learning the finer points of the game (and overtime rules) couldn’t hurt.

Tennessee- Vince young is odd. Kerry Collins is old. Randy Moss is… somewhere and… what the hell is going on with the Titans? This might be an interesting fit, but I’d really like to see some new blood here. Like, in the twenty something region.  I think Fischer has had enough of Young and really, how long can you ride Kerry Collins? Of course, I don’t even know who’s better between Collins and McNabb, so forget it.

Other than that, you have a ton of teams building franchise quarterbacks, and many are starting to look as if they’re going to be there for a while. Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford, Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Fitzpatrick? Uh huh, Matt Cassel, Josh Freeman… and if you throw in some others that are going nowhere like  Peyton Manning, Brees, Brady, Rivers, Roethlisberger, Vick, Eli Manning, Matt Schaub, Garrard … the point is, there aren’t a lot of places that could really use an 80 million dollar quarterback, but the ones who do need one, really need one.

I don’t like Mike Shanahan. Mainly because he’s vague and seems to extract joy from pissing off the fantasy community with his refusal to speak in truths. I think his eyes are shifty and I don’t trust him. I’m taller than he is, and I’d just like to let him know that. I’d also like to point out that the Redskins lost again (ha) and it’s probably because you’re being such a jerk, Mike. Did I mention I’m taller than you? Ok, I just wanted to make sure you knew. If you want, I can come over and put the star on your tree. Merry Christmas.

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