The Redskins are improved at running back, defensive line, linebacker and special teams. The personnel on defense is better suited for the 3-4 scheme. Coach Mike Shanahan rid the roster of problems, two drug suspensions aside. Thanks to a strong 2011 draft, the depth helped counter persistent injuries.

The improvement has not been reflected in the win-loss record, though, and that’s the bottom line. Washington has fewer needs entering free agency and the draft. Unfortunately, they’re monster ones.

The Redskins’ need for a quarterback will dominate the offseason. The problem is they may not get one in the first round. A good quarterback can be found in the second round, but try selling that to the shrinking number of season-ticket holders.

The right side of the offensive line must improve, and the Redskins have to hope that injured left guard Kory Lichtensteiger and suspended left tackle Trent Williams return ready. Nobody lets solid offensive linemen become free agents, so Washington’s best chance is to draft one in the first three rounds. Depending on when the Redskins take a quarterback, they might have to wait until the third round for a lineman. Of course, guard Tre Johnson was a third-rounder, and he started 69 games for the Redskins.

A big, dominating receiver remains vital. That might come down to whether Leonard Hankerson returns healthy for his second season. The Redskins won’t draft a receiver, and there aren’t many top free agents willing to sign with a losing team that has a rookie quarterback. The elite seek Super Bowl rides.

The front seven on defense are fine, but both safeties could be in play, and improving at cornerback wouldn’t hurt. If safety LaRon Landry leaves as a free agent, which is less likely after two injury-shortened seasons, then the Redskins must sign one.

These are the pieces Shanahan must fill in his third year or he might not reach a fourth one. Those who preach patience often are the ones who don’t succeed.

Redskins fans have been more than patient, backing a team that has made only three playoff appearances in 20 years and now has a third straight 10-loss season for the second time since its last Super Bowl victory.

That patience is running out. If Washington doesn’t get much better in 2012, the franchise seriously risks inflicting a final blow to its diminishing supporters, who no longer come close to filling the stadium. Visiting fans sometimes own FedEx Field.

The Redskins are better, but they’re not nearly good enough. That’s the bottom line. The offseason either nets a new quarterback, some offensive linemen and a few more playmakers or the once inexhaustible hope of the fans will be spent.

Meanwhile, San Francisco doubled its six wins from a year ago to win the NFC West. It just proves five-year plans are not always needed.

Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email rsnider@washingtonexaminer.com.

Read More: LeSean McCoy (RB – PHI), Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins

According to head coach Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy should be ready to play Sunday when they host the Washington Redskins. Despite the Eagles being eliminated from playoff contention after the Giants win over the Jets on Sunday, Reid reinforced that his team is playing to win in the final week of the season and that his starters would play.

Via EaglesInsider:

AR: Starters WILL play against the Redskins, we’re in this thing to play our best football.

The definitive nature of Reid’s comments is incongruous with what McCoy had said earlier. The Eagles running back, who sprained his ankle in a win over the Cowboys on Sunday, is just 123 yards from breaking Wilbert Montgomery’s single season team rushing record and had stated “Montgomery, he’s probably smiling right now. I’ll get it next year – hopefully.”

But Reid indicated that McCoy will be on the field against the Skins:

Via Jonathan Tamari of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Reid: Shady has a “slight” ankle sprain but should be fine for Sunday #Eagles

For more on the Redskins, please visit Hogs Haven, SB Nation’s Redskins blog. For the perspective from the other side, please visit SB Nation Philly and Bleeding Green Nation, SB Nation’s Eagles blog.

Read More: LeSean McCoy (RB – PHI), Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins

Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy did not discuss the severity of the ankle injury he suffered Saturday night against the Dallas Cowboys, but he strongly indicated that he would not be available on Sunday during the Eagles’ season finale against the Washington Redskins.

Just 123 yards away from breaking the team’s rushing record of 1,512 yards set by Wilbert Montgomery in 1979, McCoy acted like a man who feared he would not get a chance at history.

“Montgomery, he’s probably smiling right now,” McCoy said. “I’ll get it next year – hopefully.”

McCoy rushed for 35 yards on 13 carries against the Cowboys, hurting himself early in the fourth quarter. If McCoy cannot play Sunday against the Redskins, Ronnie Brown would likely receive the majority of carries.

The Eagles don’t have much reason to rush McCoy back from injury, since the team has been eliminated from the playoffs.

For more Philadelphia Eagles coverage, visit our team page or our blog Bleeding Green Nation.

By Daniel Shiferaw

– Redskins Editor

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Dec 26, 2011 – LANDOVER, Md. – Early in the third quarter of Saturday’s game, Minnesota Vikings backup quarterback Joe Webb showed the Washington Redskins defense that he possessed the one asset that’s proven to be their kryptonite all season long.

Much like Michael Vick and Cam Newton before him, Webb was able to navigate his way around Redskins defenders using his legs, breaking tackles and using his shiftiness to make others miss in the open field on his way to a nine-yard touchdown run.

It was a score that set the tone for the rest of the afternoon, as Webb accounted for scores on three straight drives in the second half, helping to lift the Vikings to a 33-26 victory over Washington.

The athletic backup for the Vikings once again highlighted one of Washington’s biggest weaknesses on defense: stopping mobile quarterbacks. Signal callers that can hurt you both with their arms and legs are supposed to pose a challenge to any defense. But for whatever reason, the Redskins have had an even tougher time solving them this season.

This season, three of the top five yardage totals allowed have come against the Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers, all of whom have mobile quarterbacks on their rosters. Minnesota and Carolina each put up 33 points against Washington, accounting for two of the four times this season they’ve yielded 30 points or more.

“It’s tough,” said nose tackle Barry Cofield. “It provides a different dynamic with the quarterback carrying the ball. In those situations, you may give up a play or two, but you can’t give up the big play. You got to make tackles when you get the opportunity.”

The problem for the Redskins is that when given the opportunity to make those plays, they’ve floundered. Much like Panthers did in Week 7 with Newton, the Vikings ran the option with Webb in the game, keeping the Redskins defense on its heels.

“I thought [Joe] Webb came in and did some things well with the football,” Mike Shanahan said of Minnesota’s altered attack. “[They ran] the counter options and keeping the ball alive, which wasn’t what they had been doing [with Ponder in the game]. He made some big time plays, made some big time throws and kept us off balance.”

“[The option]‘s something we didn’t prepare for during the week,” linebacker Brian Orakpo added. “Usually when we know what we’re going to face during the week, we prepare for it. [Webb] came in and started optioning the ball, running stuff with the quarterback naked [bootleg].”

Webb’s appearance came after the Redskins knocked out Vikings starter Christian Ponder, as he left with concussion like symptoms. With star running back Adrian Peterson already out of the game due to a knee injury, Ponder’s absence looked to be a boon to the Redskins defense.

But that was far from the case. It was clear the moment Webb came into the game that the Redskins defense was was not ready. Every time they thought he’d throw, he would take off for a big run. Each time they thought they had him contained in the pocket, he’d unload a pass downfield to an open receiver.

“It was kinda overwhelming,” Orakpo admitted, “and we just couldn’t adjust that quickly.”

“He’s a mobile quarterback, definitely,” said rookie linebacker Ryan Kerrigan. “We just didn’t play well. We didn’t execute. We had guys out of our gaps, and that’s why they hit the big plays.”

It’s pretty clear if the Redskins defense is to take that next step, they must be able to have an answer for the league’s dual-threat quarterbacks. Their wins this season have come against the likes of Eli Manning (twice), Kevin Kolb and Sam Bradford. Those aren’t exactly guys that scare you with their legs.

“If you’re gonna have an athlete back there in certain schemes, they’re going to make some plays,” Cofield explained. “So when you have an opportunity to make a play, you can’t falter, and that’s what we did.”

Cofield and the rest of the defense will get their chance to atone for Saturday’s poor performance, as they’ll go against an Eagles team that totaled 422 yards against them in Week 6.

And it’ll be Vick — perhaps the king of all mobile NFL quarterbacks — that they’ll have to do it against.

For more Redskins coverage, please visit Hogs Haven, SB Nation’s Redskins blog. For the perspective from the other side, please check out SB Nation Minnesota and Daily Norseman, SB Nation’s Vikings blog.

Read More: Michael Vick (QB – PHI), Kevin Kolb (QB – ARI), Barry Cofield (NT – WAS), Eli Manning (QB – NYG), Brian Orakpo (LB – WAS), Sam Bradford (QB – STL), Joe Webb (QB – MIN), Christian Ponder (QB – MIN), Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, Carolina Panthers

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Washington Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman knows that this season has been an audition for his future role, whether it’s with the Washington Redskins or some other team. But he hasn’t let the scrutiny faze him.

Grossman declined to sign a two-year deal this with Washington during the offseason because he wanted to keep his options open in case John Beck cemented himself as the Redskins starter this season, which could have doubt on Grossman’s future.

Grossman ended up winning the starting job and led the Redskins to a 3-1 start. But coming off of the bye, he threw a season-high four interceptions against the Philadelphia Eagles and was benched. After three straight losses with Beck at the helm, Grossman reclaimed his job. Since his return, Washington’s offense has produced more, averaging 20.3 points a game during a 2-4 stretch.

Grossman’s teammates say he has played with more confidence and say they believe he gives them a chance to win each week. But Grossman’s turnover struggles have continued. He now has thrown an interception in 10 straight games. And for the season, he has 18 interceptions and only 13 touchdowns.

The Redskins are expected to draft a franchise quarterback this offseason. But with strong performances against the Cowboys, Seahawks, Patriots and Giants, Grossman is trying to make the case that he deserves to be re-signed again, if only to serve as a backup or a bridge to the next quarterback’s era.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan has declined to discuss Grossman’s future, saying that matter will be decided in the offseason. Grossman said such talk hasn’t bothered him, and that during his nine seasons in the NFL, he has come to expect such scrutiny.

“Quarterbacks are the focal point because that’s just what people like to talk about. …They have the ball in their hands every play,” Grossman said. “]Quarterbacks] determine the outcome a lot. I don’t think it’s any different than any other team. …I don’t really try to avoid watching or reading things, but I don’t go out of my way to see what the pulse is, either.”

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — If the New York Giants miss the playoffs once again, they have only themselves and the Washington Redskins to blame.

Rex Grossman threw a touchdown pass and the Redskins put a major hurt on the Giants and their playoff hopes with a dominating 23-10 victory Sunday in a game in which New York showed little desire with much on the line.

“I’m very disappointed in how we played today,” coach Tom Coughlin said after the Giants (7-7) fell a game behind Dallas (8-6) in the NFC East with two games left in the regular season.

“I accept responsibility for it. But I expected to see more – quality execution – and we didn’t get that.”

Surprisingly, Washington (5-9) looked very much like a playoff team in winning for only the second time in 10 games and embarrassing the Giants for the second time this season.

Grossman and the offense held the ball for 35 minutes, while the defense picked off Eli Manning three times and didn’t allow a touchdown until the final minute.

“They had a lot at stake and obviously we didn’t and I’m pleased the way we played,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said.

Coming off an emotional win over Dallas on Sunday night in a game that gave them control of their own destiny, the Giants showed nothing after a couple of early interceptions.

“I didn’t see the passion in us today,” running back Brandon Jacobs said. “We didn’t play well. We disappointed each other and our fans, and we’ve just got to play better. I can’t tell you why.”

The Giants still control their destiny. If they beat the Jets and the Cowboys in their final two games, they will win the division.

The Cowboys play the Philadelphia Eagles next weekend and could wrap up the division if the Giants fall in their rivalry game with the Jets.

“I still have confidence,” Giants defensive captain Justin Tuck said. “We laid an egg today, but I’ve seen us rebound from things like this a lot of times. There’s no quit in our guys. This was kind of an eye-opener. We have to keep the intensity going the whole game, and we didn’t maintain it today.

Washington never trailed in spoiling what the Giants hoped would be another step in their run to the playoffs. The Redskins took the crowd out of the game early, opening a 17-0 lead and they were never threatened.

Grossman threw a 20-yard scoring pass to Santana Moss , Darrel Young scored on a 6-yard run after one of the Redskins’ interceptions and Graham Gano kicked three field goals.

Former Giant and current Redskins defensive tackle Barry Cofield enjoyed spoiling the party hopes of his former teammates.

“A party broke out for us. I’m proud of how we came out and played,” Cofield said, adding Washington has played well in recent weeks.

This loss was the fifth in six games for the Giants, who are in danger of missing the playoffs for the third straight year.

The scenario has been the same each season. New York starts the season quickly and then falters down the stretch, playing some unbelievably bad games with the postseason on the line.

This season it has been another collapse after a stunning win over New England left them at 6-2. They lost four in a row and then last week seemed to grab command again by rallying in the fourth quarter to beat the Cowboys in Dallas.

Again, with the playoffs in their grasp, they came out flat against the Redskins, who had already been eliminated from playoff contention.

Even a couple of gift interceptions by Grossman in the first quarter didn’t help.

Gano gave Washington the lead on its second series with a 36-yard field goal that was set up in part by a 19-yard pass from Donte’ Stallworth on a third-and-12 from the Giants 39.

Grossman, who finished 15 of 24 for 185 yards, pushed the lead to 10-0 early in the second quarter with his TD pass to a wide-open Moss on third-and-8.

If the touchdown had the fans muttering, there was no hiding their feelings minutes later after Oshiomogho Atogwe intercepted a pass that deflected off the hands of running back D.J. Ware and returned it 26 yards to the Giants 41. Nine plays later, Young scored and the fans let the team know it was sick of being let down.

Manning, who finished 23 of 40 for 257 yards, finally got the Giants on the board just before halftime, setting up Lawrence Tynes for a 40-yard field goal.

Instead of gaining momentum, the Giants gave the points right back. DeAngelo Hall made a one-handed interception on the second offensive play of the third quarter. His 26-yard return set up Gano’s 43-yard field goal for a 20-3 lead.

After Tynes missed a 44-yarder on the next series, Gano opened the fourth quarter with a 25-yarder to make it 23-3.

Ahmad Bradshaw scored on a 3-yard run with 33 seconds to play for the Giants’ touchdown.

The Giants were their own worst enemy. Hakeem Nicks dropped what might have been a 54-yard scoring play on their second series on a play in which he got behind the defense and had the pass hit off his facemask as he looked back into the sun.

That’s the way the day was for the Giants, who had only a few faithful fans in the stadium when they scored their touchdown.

The bookend plays of the Washington Redskins’ most recent loss to the New England Patriots also could bracket their season. In the first quarter, quarterback Rex Grossman dropped back to pass in his own end zone, was drilled by New England defensive end Andre Carter, dropped the football and yielded a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, trailing by just seven points, Grossman looked for veteran wide receiver Santana Moss inside the Patriots 5-yard line. The ball hit Moss in the hands, popped out the other side, and was intercepted.

Those were the 29th and 30th turnovers of the Redskins’ season, and they — more than any other plays — prevented Washington from winning, yet again. Only two teams — Philadelphia and Tampa Bay — have more turnovers, with 31 and 32, respectively. No team has a worse turnover margin than the Redskins, who have committed 14 more than they have created.

And this isn’t a new problem: The last time the Redskins went without a turnover was Sept. 19, 2010, 27 games ago. That’s the longest active streak in the NFL.

“This is almost every year,” said Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan. “If you look at the playoffs, the teams that don’t turn the football over, they usually win the Super Bowl. . . . If you look at turnover ratio, if you look at the teams that get in the playoffs, usually there will only be two or three that aren’t [among the best in the league]. That’s a big part of winning and losing.”

Perhaps the biggest. In 13 games this year, the Redskins — who face the New York Giants Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J. — have yet to create more turnovers than they commit. There is a direct correlation with their 4-9 record. The top five teams in turnover margin have a combined .785 winning percentage. The bottom five: .292.

For all the Redskins’ problems in what will be their fourth straight losing season — flip-flopping from Grossman to John Beck and back to Grossman at quarterback, the defense’s inability to stop opponents at crucial moments — many of the players will look back on these games and wonder: What might have happened if we had held onto the football?

Each turnover its own story

When Grossman prepared to take that ill-fated snap from center in the first quarter of last week’s game against the heavily favored Patriots, he hadn’t yet completed a pass, and the Redskins had managed a total of five yards in their two possessions. It was third and nine from their 5-yard line. In the shotgun formation, Grossman’s feet were on his own goal line.

Grossman believes that each turnover has its own story, that rarely are they the fault of one person. This season, he has had the opportunity to tell many tales. In 10 starts, he has thrown 16 interceptions. Only two players — Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman and San Diego’s Philip Rivers — have thrown more picks. Of the 29 quarterbacks with more than 240 pass attempts this season, none has a higher interception percentage than Grossman’s 4.6.

“We’ve been competitive in most of our games that we’ve lost,” Grossman said. “It comes down to a play here or a play there and, I think, without a lot of those turnovers, maybe we can put ourselves in that situation where we dominate a team. We’ve got to figure out a way to finish those games that are tight. We also need to figure out a way to eliminate mistakes so we get a little bit of a cushion.”

A quick glance at a stat sheet reveals a respectable Washington Redskins offense. Rated 17th in the NFL in total offense, the Redskins boast the league’s 12th-ranked aerial attack. Their emerging rookie running back, Roy Helu, has rushed for at least 100 yards in each of the team’s past three games. And the unit put up 27 points last Sunday, a total almost high enough to take down the mighty New England Patriots.

But there’s a reason Redskins fans hold their breath every time they see that offense break from the huddle.

During a tumultuous season full of shortcomings, one ugly word in particular has loomed over the Redskins week after week: turnovers. Washington’s 30 turnovers trails only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ and Philadelphia Eagles‘ 31 for the highest in the NFL this season, and its minus-14 turnover ratio is the worst mark in the league.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan remains convinced that his team’s record would be substantially better if it weren’t for its tendency to give the ball to the other team.

“Take a look at three games – you’re talking about the two Dallas games, you’re talking about the Jets game, talk about the game [against the Patriots],” Shanahan said. “All of a sudden,
you’re 7-6 instead of where you’re at and that’s the difference between winning and losing the games you just mentioned.”

Indeed, the Redskins had the 9-3 Patriots on the ropes last week, only to see their hopes derailed by a costly late-game turnover. Down by seven with under 30 seconds to go, quarterback Rex Grossman had steered the Redskins on a 75-yard drive that seemed destined for a dramatic game-tying touchdown. Grossman’s short pass on third-and-goal, however, slipped through the fingers of wide receiver Santana Moss and into the hands of Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo to seal the Redskins‘ eighth loss in its last nine games.

Mayo’s interception wasn’t the only critical turnover suffered by the Redskins Sunday. Facing third-and-long from his own 5-yard-line, Grossman sat in the pocket and absorbed a hit by former Redskin Andre Carter, who forced a fumble that was recovered in the end zone by the Patriots for the game’s first score.

That play ensured the Redskins of 27 straight games with a turnover, the longest active streak in the NFL. It’s a fitting streak for a team that has failed to win the turnover battle in each game this season.

Much of the blame can be heaped on Grossman, whose 20 turnovers overshadow the 13 touchdowns he has produced this season. In 13 starts with the Redskins, Grossman has turned the ball over 27 times, including a recent run of nine straight starts with an interception to his name. Only two quarterbacks in the NFL — Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman and San Diego’s Phillip Rivers — have exceeded Grossman’s 16-interception mark this season.

Part of the problem has been a lack of protection, which often prompts Grossman to hurry throws into coverage. In addition to 36 sacks, the Redskins‘ offensive line has yielded 93 quarterback hits, a number surpassed by only two teams.

Whatever the cause, Grossman and company need to get to the bottom of the problem if they hope to turn things around any time soon.

“We need to figure out a way to eliminate mistakes so we get a little bit of a cushion,” Grossman said. “You look at our record, [we] could very easily, just two or three plays, be a lot better than it is. The reason those games are close is because of mistakes, and we need to eliminate those so we can not be five minutes left to go in the fourth quarter [and] the game can go either way.”

The Redskins‘ offense will get a decent shot at stopping the self-inflicted bleeding Sunday against a Giants defense that ranks 29th against the pass and 22nd against the run. Grossman will need to be wary, though, of a pass rush coming off a three-sack performance last week against the Dallas Cowboys.

Grossman won’t be the only player in the Redskins huddle seeking to end the team’s ignominious turnover streak, though. Protecting the football is a team-oriented goal, something that’s been drilled into the heads of every player this week in practice.

“It’s unfortunate that we’ve had as many turnovers as we’ve had,” Redskins receiver Donte Stallworth said. “We obviously preach about it in the meetings and throughout the week. Hopefully we can have a game where we don’t have any turnovers and we play a pretty damn good game.

The enigmatic Philadelphia Eagle has fallen out of favor, and it looks for sure that he will be leaving Philly at years’ end.

The Washington Redskins will be interested in DeSean Jackson come the offseason.

DeSean has plagued the Redskins, most notably in last season’s blowout with a 91-yard TD on the first drive of the game. He would be a great weapon to have over the next few years.

There are a few concerns with D-Jax, though.

For one, it would be a bad idea to sign him for more than two or three years. He has been injury-prone and has not shown the ability to produce consistently.

Consider this—Jackson has never caught more than 63 balls in a season. In my opinion, to be a No. 1 receiver in this league, a wide receiver must be consistently great.

Jackson has only shown the ability to run fast and catch the deep ball.

Additionally, his skills as a punt-returner are overrated. In his four years in the league, he has only run back four punts for touchdowns.

Devin Hester does that in one season.

While D-Jax would be an exciting signing, I don’t think he would be the best fit in D.C. The ‘Skins need to sign a receiver who their new QB can throw to 10-15 times a game.

Jackson is a shiny toy, but the Redskins just need a solid possession receiver.

Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan declined to give quarterback Rex Grossman an endorsement for the 2012 season and said that the evaluation process of the passer and the rest of the roster is ongoing.

Rex Grossman (8) passes under pressure in the first quarter Sunday (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)During the offseason, Grossman signed a one-year deal with the Redskins for a second straight year, meaning his contract expires following this season. Washington offered Grossman a two-year deal, but he wanted to keep his options open as he entered a preseason that would feature a competition between him and John Beck

.

Grossman beat out Beck and started the first five games of the season but was benched in the Week 6 loss to Philadelphia after throwing four interceptions. Grossman reclaimed the job after just three games because the offense struggled mightily with Beck at the helm, averaging just 10.3 points a game.

The Redskins are 1-5 since Grossman returned to the starting lineup, but the offense has showed progress, averaging 20.4 points per game during that span. Grossman has thrown six touchdown passes and seven interceptions during that span, completing 61.28 percent of his passes and averaging 258.8 passing yards per outing.

The Redskins still are expected to draft a quarterback this April, but the team would need a veteran to either play while that rookie learns the ropes or to help mentor the young player. When asked if Grossman had shown him enough to warrant re-signing, Shanahan avoided giving a definite answer.

“Well, like I told you, or told everybody before, it’s not just one person. It’s everybody playing together,” Shanahan said. “There’s not very many quarterbacks that can be the quarterback without their supporting cast [and] put all the pressure on one guy. Part of it is having that cohesive offensive line, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends. It gives the quarterback a chance to be pretty good. Sometimes, when those pieces aren’t there, you go from looking at least pretty good to looking average…We’ll address the particulars at each position at a later time.”

Shanahan said that Grossman, along with his teammates, continues to audition for a role with the team.

“Sure. Everybody is. Everybody is, every game,” the coach said. “You’re playing for that opportunity to come back and be part of the football team, especially when you don’t have a shot at the playoffs–everybody’s playing for jobs [and] coaching for jobs.”

More Redskins news:

Wise on Grossman

Royster believes gradual introduction helped

Shanahan agreed with Moss penalty

So how could Shanahan have been so wrong about McNabb?

McNabb is perhaps looking at the end of his career, and the Vikings’ move would seem to validate Shanahan’s decision to bench McNabb near the end of last season and then trade him to Minnesota this past summer.

But it also reminds everyone of Shanahan’s decision to trade two draft picks to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2010 — his first major decision as the Redskins coach.

It was a trade that has set back the Redskins’ franchise for at least several years, if not longer.

McNabb’s release in Minnesota raises the questions that still haunt Redskins fans who put their faith in Shanahan as the franchise savior.

How could Shanahan — a supposed quarterback guru — been so wrong about McNabb when he brought him to Washington?

Much of this is hindsight, of course. Many were on board with the trade for McNabb, including myself, and praised the deal. But that praise came with the question of why the Eagles would trade McNabb to a division rival who they would have to face twice a season — unless they knew McNabb was finished?

We might have been stupid enough to ignore that question, but we should expect more from Shanahan, who as a result of the McNabb trade was left with the pathetic choice of Rex Grossman and John Beck as his starting quarterback options and still likely has to pick the future Redskins quarterback in next year’s draft.

Perhaps no one outside of Philadelphia could have foreseen such a dramatic fall. McNabb’s 11 seasons in Philadelphia were successful by most standards — perennial playoff appearances (eight) and impressive individual statistics (216 touchdown passes, with 22 of them coming in his final year in Philadelphia when he had with a 92.7 passer rating, the third highest of his career).

Certainly Vikings coach Leslie Frazier, who was with McNabb in Philadelphia in 1999 as the Eagles defensive backs coach, didn’t see it. Even with McNabb’s disappointing season in Washington, Frazier was willing to give up a sixth-round pick to bring McNabb to Minnesota and make him the starter.

At least Frazier had his quarterback-to-be already in place with Ponder. Shanahan’s Plan B after surrendering two draft picks for the McNabb failure was Grossman and Beck.

You have to figure that sooner or later, Shanahan, the quarterback guru, will finally get one right here in Washington. Until then, his failures will be tied to McNabb’s failures, wherever they may be.

Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at tloverro@washingtonexaminer.com.

In one sentence, Rex Grossman summed up not only his season thus far, but the Washington Redskins as a whole.

“We were off to a 3-1 start, and now we’re 3-7, and I had pneumonia and this whole thing just stinks,” Grossman said this week.

On its worst losing streak in more than a decade, Washington comes to the Pacific Northwest on Sunday to face the Seahawks hoping to snap a six-game skid that’s seen the Redskins go from the surprise leaders of the NFC East to a bumbling also-ran now focused on what their draft position might be.

Washington’s current losing streak is its worst since dropping seven straight to begin the 1998 season and if they can’t get a win in Seattle, good luck figuring out just when the next win will come. The Redskins return home to host the New York Jets and New England before traveling to the Giants in Week 15.

“I’m playing to have a winning record this season. That’s all that we can control. It’s another cliché but it’s true. I just want to go out and beat Seattle and play well. I can start worrying about other things later,” Grossman said. “You want to play well for yourself, obviously, but in this situation, we are totally committed to just thinking about one thing, `Break this losing streak. Beat Seattle.’ There’s no room for any other thoughts.”

Thanks to its two-game win streak, Seattle (4-6) has the chance of getting back into the fringes of the NFC playoff picture. It seems unlikely that the Seahawks can get into the race, but the opportunity is there to at least make it interesting.

Sunday’s game is the beginning of a three-game homestand that includes prime-time national games next Thursday night against Philadelphia and then Dec. 12 when Seattle hosts St. Louis on Monday night. It’s conceivable Seattle could win all three and find themselves at 7-6 with three weeks left in the season.

Sound crazy after a 2-6 start?

“The opportunity to capture what it takes on a week-to-week basis and the focus and the attention to detail is at hand right now. That’s why each one of these weeks is so cool and exciting to go after it again,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “Can we do it again? Can we find all of the right elements that it takes to execute a play really well with a young bunch of guys? They can feel it. They can sense that something is going on and it’s turning, so I’m just hoping that we can corral it and keep it in-house and do a good job with everything.”

What’s clicked so well for Seattle is a young and improving defense that continues to climb the NFL rankings – now 11th overall – and a rediscovery of a running game that has posted three straight games of more than 100 yards rushing.

Seattle’s defense held St. Louis to 185 total yards and had five sacks – three by Chris Clemons – in last week’s 24-7 win. While that stat may come with an asterisk since the Rams are the worst offense in the NFL, it was another impressive effort by a unit that features one first-round pick and five players in their first or second years in the league among the defensive starters.

“Even though we didn’t have success earlier I have always seen that we can win every game. We’re doing nothing (different). We’re just trusting our preparation,” Seattle safety Earl Thomas said.

A win Sunday would give Seattle its first three-game win streak under Carroll and its longest since winning five straight in 2007. Success has been fleeting in Seattle, even with a division title a year ago that was the result of playing in an awful division. With such a young team, the next challenge is learning to play with expectations.

“It’s been growing throughout the whole season. Even though we were losing we’ve had different guys making plays and actually seeing that they can get it done,” Seahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson said. “Even though we were taking losses during that process we were still able to get guys going and focused in the right direction and understanding the game a little more, understanding it’s still just football.”

If Washington is going to snap its skid, they’ll need another strong performance from Grossman. Last week against Dallas, Grossman threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns as the Redskins were a missed Graham Gano 52-yard field goal in overtime from knocking off the Cowboys. Grossman’s 95.5 quarterback rating was his second-highest of the season.

And he might be getting help back this week. Santana Moss practiced fully this week and is expected to play. Moss hasn’t played in more than a month with a broken left hand suffered against Carolina on Oct. 23.

“We’re trying to get our rhythm back. After our first four games we had a rhythm going and we were playing pretty consistent in the top 10 and all the sudden your lineup changes a little bit and we haven’t been consistent since then,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said. “But last weekend, we scored 24 against a pretty good defensive team. We made a few plays we hadn’t been making, so it was nice to get going in the right direction.”

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SEATTLE – In one sentence, Rex Grossman summed up not only his season thus far, but the Washington Redskins as a whole.

“We were off to a 3-1 start, and now we’re 3-7, and I had pneumonia and this whole thing just stinks,” Grossman said this week.

On its worst losing streak in more than a decade, Washington comes to the Pacific Northwest on Sunday to face the Seahawks hoping to snap a six-game skid that’s seen the Redskins go from the surprise leaders of the NFC East to a bumbling also-ran now focused on what their draft position might be.

Washington’s current losing streak is its worst since dropping seven straight to begin the 1998 season and if they can’t get a win in Seattle, good luck figuring out just when the next win will come. The Redskins return home to host the New York Jets and New England before travelling to the Giants in Week 15.

“I’m playing to have a winning record this season. That’s all that we can control. It’s another cliché but it’s true. I just want to go out and beat Seattle and play well. I can start worrying about other things later,” Grossman said. “You want to play well for yourself, obviously, but in this situation, we are totally committed to just thinking about one thing, ‘Break this losing streak. Beat Seattle.’ There’s no room for any other thoughts.”

Thanks to its two-game win streak, Seattle (4-6) has the chance of getting back into the fringes of the NFC playoff picture. It seems unlikely that the Seahawks can get into the race, but the opportunity is there to at least make it interesting.

Sunday’s game is the beginning of a three-game homestand that includes prime-time national games next Thursday night against Philadelphia and then Dec. 12 when Seattle hosts St. Louis on Monday night. It’s conceivable Seattle could win all three and find themselves at 7-6 with three weeks left in the season.

Sound crazy after a 2-6 start?

“The opportunity to capture what it takes on a week-to-week basis and the focus and the attention to detail is at hand right now. That’s why each one of these weeks is so cool and exciting to go after it again,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “Can we do it again? Can we find all of the right elements that it takes to execute a play really well with a young bunch of guys? They can feel it. They can sense that something is going on and it’s turning, so I’m just hoping that we can corral it and keep it in-house and do a good job with everything.”

What’s clicked so well for Seattle is a young and improving defence that continues to climb the NFL rankings — now 11th overall — and a rediscovery of a running game that has posted three straight games of more than 100 yards rushing.

Seattle’s defence held St. Louis to 185 total yards and had five sacks — three by Chris Clemons — in last week’s 24-7 win. While that stat may come with an asterisk since the Rams are the worst offence in the NFL, it was another impressive effort by a unit that features one first-round pick and five players in their first or second years in the league among the defensive starters.

“Even though we didn’t have success earlier I have always seen that we can win every game. We’re doing nothing (different). We’re just trusting our preparation,” Seattle safety Earl Thomas said.

A win Sunday would give Seattle its first three-game win streak under Carroll and its longest since winning five straight in 2007. Success has been fleeting in Seattle, even with a division title a year ago that was the result of playing in an awful division. With such a young team, the next challenge is learning to play with expectations.

“It’s been growing throughout the whole season. Even though we were losing we’ve had different guys making plays and actually seeing that they can get it done,” Seahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson said. “Even though we were taking losses during that process we were still able to get guys going and focused in the right direction and understanding the game a little more, understanding it’s still just football.”

If Washington is going to snap its skid, they’ll need another strong performance from Grossman. Last week against Dallas, Grossman threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns as the Redskins were a missed Graham Gano 52-yard field goal in overtime from knocking off the Cowboys. Grossman’s 95.5 quarterback rating was his second-highest of the season.

And he might be getting help back this week. Santana Moss practised fully this week and is expected to play. Moss hasn’t played in more than a month with a broken left hand suffered against Carolina on Oct. 23.

“We’re trying to get our rhythm back. After our first four games we had a rhythm going and we were playing pretty consistent in the top 10 and all the sudden your lineup changes a little bit and we haven’t been consistent since then,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said. “But last weekend, we scored 24 against a pretty good defensive team. We made a few plays we hadn’t been making, so it was nice to get going in the right direction.”

Demoted Washington Redskins quarterback John Beck said Wednesday that he wasn’t totally surprised by coach Mike Shanahan’s decision to bench him last week for Rex Grossman. But Beck remains confident he can still improve as a quarterback if given the opportunity.

Beck believed after the Nov. 6 loss to San Francisco – the third straight start he lost for Washington – that he had made improvements since taking over for Rex Grossman in Week 7. But when Shanahan came to the fifth-year pro and told him that he would be splitting snaps with Grossman last week, Beck had an idea that he was headed back to the bench.

“When he sat me down and we talked and said we were going to divide up the reps, I knew there could be a situation,” said Beck, who seemed focused on improving individually rather than wallowing in disappointment. “Ultimately, I want to see our team win because I know we’re all working our tail off. We’re all trying to find the answer, we’re all trying to find the solution, and I want to be a part of that puzzle.”

In three games and one quarter (that quarter coming in relief of Grossman against Philadelphia), Beck completed 80 of 132 passes for 858 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. He rushed for two touchdowns, but also was sacked 15 times.

In the three starts, Washington’s offense struggled mightily and averaged only 11 points a game.

Beck said despite his struggles, he saw improvements in his game. He was playing for the first time since 2007. But he also saw room for growth.

“I could definitely see areas where I progressed, and I could definitely see areas I could improve in,” he said. “That’s part of where I’m at in the system, and in my role as a quarterback. That’s tough where we’re at right now because we’re in a position where we need things to be happening.”

Shanahan said he thinks some of Beck’s struggles can be blamed on a lack of offseason practices, which would have given the quarterback more opportunity to play in and learn the system.

Beck didn’t dispute that notion, but said the benching hasn’t shaken his confidence and he maintains the belief that he can be a successful NFL quarterback.

“This isn’t the first rodeo I’ve been through in my life. I’ve been through adversity. I’ve been through the situation where for whatever reason things aren’t working. You put your foot down, you continue to grind. I do truly believe in the phrase, ‘Tough times don’t last, tough people do.’

“Coach preaches that to us, and it’s all you can do. Keep working, keep believing. My belief in me doesn’t change.”