SB Nation DC - Redskins Vs. Buccaneers: John Beck Struggles In 29-24 Redskins Win

VIDEO: Joe Theismann Unloads On Brandon Banks' 'Hot-Dogging,' Touchdown Gets Upheld

2011-09-02T12:45:41Z

This, folks, was the highlight of the Washington Redskins' preseason for me. If you take this 95-yard punt return by Brandon Banks on its own, it'd be up there. Banks returned a kick almost no punt returner should return for a touchdown, zooming up the middle and racing past the punter easily. Really, though, it's Joe Theismann that makes this sequence amazing.

As you can probably see by the video, Banks holds the ball out a bit while showboating in his final steps to the end zone. It looks like he may have released the ball prior to crossing the plane, which would have been a fumble, giving the ball back to the Buccaneers. Upon seeing this, Theismann exploded on Banks, suggesting the mental gaffe might cost him his roster spot and maybe his career as he knew it. That made it really awkward when the touchdown got upheld.

Here's a full transcript of Theismann, who begins his rant at the two-minte mark.

THEISMANN: "Is it so hard at this day and age to run the ball into the end zone? I don't think football has changed that much where you don't want to score touchdowns."

KENNY ALBERT: "One more yard."

THEISMANN: "It's just, you know, why don't you just run. You know, if you just run around and hand it to an official, you don't have to worry about something like this. It's stupid! It's stupid hot-dogging. See that smile that Mike Shanahan had before? He's not smiling now."

[Camera shows Special Teams coach Danny Smith talking to him]

THEISMANN: "That's Danny Smith trying to explain it to him. See the vein on Danny's neck? It means the conversation isn't going very well for Brandon Banks."

ALBERT: "A la DeSean Jackson of the Eagles a couple of years back."

THEISMANN: "We've seen it. It's just, you know, guys, all of a sudden, they get near the goal line and it's like their brain stops working."

(long pause)

THEISMANN: "Here's the other thing. I don't understand where teammates come up and congratulate a guy for being stupid. ... Fred Davis, he can laugh about it. Donte Stallworth, they can laugh about it. They're not the ones that did it. This kid's trying to make a football team."

Then, after a long pause, Theismann unleashed the best part, channeling Muhammad Ali.

THEISMANN: "The problem is, it's not a touchdown. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, make sure you get the ball in your hand or else you won't get a TD."

As the referees came out to make their decision, Theismann added one more thought, saying "maybe this will be a great lesson for Brandon Banks. This could be the one play that changes his career." The referees upheld the touchdown one beat later.

Awk-ward.

Did NFL Preseason Really Teach Us Anything About John Beck?

2011-09-02T12:28:56Z

The question came from a confident reporter, though the motives were unclear. It had to do with Rex Grossman and why he didn't end up playing in the Washington Redskins' preseason finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leaving John Beck to play the entire first half. Perhaps the reporter legitimately wanted an explanation. Perhaps he knew the answer and was just looking for a quote to fill his story or his soundbyte. Perhaps he just felt like he needed to be the one to step up to ask the question someone else probably would have asked.

No matter what, it was a question with an obvious answer, one Shanahan provided.

"Rex had 53 passes in preseason. John had 27," Shanahan responded, via CSN Washington.

In giving this incredibly obvious quote, Shanahan stumbled upon the biggest irony of the Redskins' great quarterback battle of 2011. Despite all the hints Shanahan dropped through media proxies, despite the reports that the "fix" was in for Beck, despite Beck's own supreme confidence over the summer, can we really say Beck and Grossman had equal opportunities this preseason?

Technically, I guess the answer is yes. With 21 passes on Thursday night against the Buccaneers, Beck closed the gap to 53-48. Beck didn't exactly impress with those 21 passes, completing only 10 of them. One of those passes was intercepted, and two more probably should have been. It was easy for many to jump to the conclusion that Grossman won the job without doing anything.

But let's think about this a little more. On Thursday, Beck played with a bunch of backup wide receivers and running backs. His line was the first-team line, but the people catching his passes and picking up blitzes against him were novices. It's not the kind of situation that Beck will ever deal with when he's the starter. A quarterback is so dependent on those around him, and the players around Beck on Thursday were far from ideal.

"Anytime you don't go with your first units and you try to separate people -- receivers, running backs, offensive lineman -- sometimes it gets a little ugly," Shanahan said in the same video.

Let's be charitable and consider these half-reps. Here's how you score the preseason quarterback battle:

Grossman: Two quarters of reps vs. Pittsburgh, two quarters of half-reps vs. Indianapolis, four out of six first-half drives vs. Baltimore, including the two-minute drill.
Beck: Two quarters of reps vs. Indianapolis, two quarters of half-reps vs. Tampa Bay, two drives vs. Baltimore.

When you look at it that way, Grossman had more legitimate chances than Beck. Now, granted, some of that is nobody's fault. Beck certainly would have played against the Steelers had he not suffered a groin injury in camp. But it's still a reality worth considering when trying to make an informed decision.

Now, consider the reality that Beck needed more than just the same amount of reps as Grossman for us to get a handle on him. We largely know what Grossman is at this point. The preseason game against the Ravens pretty much said it all. When he got into a rhythm, Grossman was fine. When his rhythm was broken, he was erratic. This is what he was in Chicago five years ago and it's what he is today. Beck, on the other hand, has barely played in his NFL career, a point that has been driven home so many times that it's not worth regurgitating.

The conspiracy theory is that Shanahan knows Beck is his guy and only purposely played Grossman more to disguise Beck to his opponents. Maybe that's the case, and we all know Shanahan displays that kind of megalomania sometimes. The more likely scenario, though, is that the sample of reps Beck got in preseason is too small for us to really know if he is worthy of being the team's starting quarterback.

If Grossman is your pick to be the Week 1 starter, that's fine and logical. Just know that your logic, on some level, still rests on the same known vs. unknown quandary that was there at the beginning of the preseason.

Redskins Vs. Buccaneers: John Beck Has Uneven Performance In Preseason Finale

2011-09-02T11:01:06Z

In their final preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, starting quarterback hopeful John Beck wasn't able to solidify his case for the job. In fact, he may have hurt his chances.

Beck, who was playing behind his starting offensive line (a group that also had a bad night), was unable to repeat his solid performances against the Colts and Ravens. Playing against Buccaneer backups, Beck struggled to find his rhythm.He looked uncomfortable making his reads and progressions, and wound up making questionable decisions to boot.

An example was when he repeatedly chose to go towards tight end/fullback Mike Sellers' way on several passes, most of which on ill advised throws. Beck threw across his body to the middle of the field - a big no-no for quarterbacks - attempting to hit Sellers multiple times. At the end of the first half, Beck threw a jump ball to Niles Paul in the end zone, but had the pass intercepted.

Beck's competitor, Rex Grossman, was given the night off, which may or may not be an indication that the coaching staff has already made their decision as to who might be the starting quarterback come Week 1 against the Giants.

When Mike Shanahan was asked after the game about the current state about the quarterback competition, he didn't hedge in either direction.

Regardless who Shanahan's choice is, it looks like the competition will finally come to an end in the next week.

VIDEO: Did Trent Williams Reveal John Beck Is Redskins' Starting QB?

2011-09-02T04:37:20Z

It may have been nothing, but it also may have been something. Trent Williams, the Washington Redskins' starting offensive lineman, may have just revealed that John Beck is the team's starting quarterback. Or maybe he didn't.

Here's the context. Williams was sitting on the bench at the end of the third quarter of the Redskins' preseason game against the Buccaneers. As Comcast SportsNet came back from commercial, sideline reporter Doc Walker took the mic and brought Williams in for an interview. It looked like a softball for the most part, down to the part when Walker called Williams "Silverback."

But then, Walker asked Williams why the first-unit offensive line was in for large stretches, and Williams sort of spilled the beans.

"Well, we had our starting quarterback out there," Williams said, referring, of course, to John Beck.

Wait, you had your what? Your starting quarterback? Wonder what Rex Grossman thought of that. Williams later corrected himself to say the starter was "Rex or Beck," but was it too late?

Or, are we jumping to conclusions? You make the call.

(Video via Hogs Haven)

Redskins Vs. Buccaneers: Redskins Finish Preseason With 29-24 Victory Over Buccaneers

2011-09-02T03:01:41Z

The Redskins concluded the preseason with a 29-24 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The game was mostly a sloppy one, as both teams opted to rest the majority of their starters, leaving the roster hopefuls on both sides to battle for the remaining roster spots.

The brightest performance of the night came from return man Brandon Banks, who all but sealed his spot on the roster when he returned a punt 95 yards for a score. There was doubt as to whether or not Banks could make the final cut due to his injury history, but he seemingly silenced all those doubts the moment he (barely) crossed the plane of the goal line.

The other performance of note was of starting quarterback hopeful John Beck, who did not have his best night. Beck finished the night going 10 of 21 for 108 yards and a pick. He looked uncomfortable on several throws, and didn't seem in sync with his receivers, most of whom who second stringers.

The game ended with a furious "comeback" from the Bucs, as they scored on a fourth quarter touchdown to bring the score to 23-22. From there, Raheem Morris went for the win and opted to go for the two-point conversion. He succeeded, and the Bucs took a 24-23 lead.

The Redskins came right back, scoring on a 41 yard touchdown reception from Donte Stallworth, giving them a 29-24 lead that would stick for good.

The team will now prepare for their season opener against the New York Giants on September 11th.

Redskins Vs. Buccaneers: Sloppy Second Quarter Is Highlighted By Brandon Banks' Punt Return, Redskins Lead 17-3 At Half

2011-09-02T01:10:13Z

The Redskins and Buccaneers head into the locker room with the home team up () at halftime.

To put it simply, this has been a sloppy game by both teams, expected. After all, it is the fourth game of the preseason, one where coaches rest the starters and evaluate most of the second and third string players.

The second quarter, while sloppy, did manage to clear up one roster issue once and for all - that Brandon Banks is making the 53 man roster. The Redskins' smallest player made the biggest statement when he took a punt 95 yards for a score. which all but locked up his place on the team.

Beck finished with the half with a less than stellar performance, going 10 for 21 and 108 yards passing, including an endzone interception late in the half.

It wasn't the greatest of performances, and one that will probably lead to many believing that the team will go with Rex Grossman against the Giants in Week 1.

The second half should see the players who are even further buried on the depth chart duke it out for the team's final roster spots.

Buccaneers Vs. Redskins Score: Brandon Banks Punt Return Gives Washington 14-0 Lead

2011-09-02T00:39:53Z

Brandon Banks may have cemented his status on the Redskins' roster in one fell swoop during the Redskins' preseason finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Redskins' kickoff return specialist made it happen on a punt return, running one back 95 yards to give the Redskins a 14-0 lead.

Banks was pushed back by a really nice punt, but elected to return it anyway. He paused for a second, then shot up the middle through a pack of players. He eventually easily outran the punter and had a wide open lane to the end zone.

On the replay, it looked like Banks may have dropped the ball just before reaching the end zone, which would have given the ball back to Tampa Bay. The Redskins' announcers were beside themselves and talked about what a horrible mistake Banks made. Then, the play got upheld, and they looked silly.

For more on the Redskins vs. Buccaneers game, visit Hogs Haven, Bucs Nation and SB Nation Tampa Bay.

Buccaneers Vs. Redskins Score: Rob Jackson's Forced Fumble Leads To 7-0 Redskins Lead

2011-09-02T00:23:04Z

After a turnover-prone first quarter, the Washington Redskins have a 7-0 lead on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the final NFL preseason game for both teams. It's been a sloppy affair befitting of a preseason game involving almost all reserves. The Redskins got their touchdown very late in the quarter to take the lead.

The play was set up by a sack by linebacker Rob Jackson. The ball fell to the floor, and seventh-round rookie Markus White picked it up and ran it back all the way to the two-yard line. A couple plays later, running back Evan Royster punched it in for the score.

Royster nearly gave away a touchdown for the Redskins early in the game, committing a fumble on the opening drive. The Buccaneers eventually drove to the goal line, but were stuffed on fourth and goal.

John Beck has been erratic early, nearly throwing three interceptions. He is 6-11 for 60 yards.

For more on the Redskins vs. Buccaneers game, visit Hogs Haven, Bucs Nation and SB Nation Tampa Bay.