Rex Grossman will start at quarterback for the Washington Redskins next Sunday when they host the Dallas Cowboys, coach Mike Shanahan said in his Monday news conference. Shanahan tabbed Grossman to start in Sunday's 20-9 loss to the Miami Dolphins, ending a three-game experiment with John Beck under center. Against Miami, Grossman completed 21-of-32 passes for just 215 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions, but nonetheless did enough to keep the starting job for another week. "I was impressed with the way he played," Shanahan said of Grossman.
Washington has lost each of its last five games, a streak which began against the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 16. Grossman started that game and completed 9-of-22 passes for 143 yards, with four interceptions, before Shanahan replaced him with Beck, who held the Redskins' quarterback job for four weeks before ceding it to Grossman Sunday. In his three starts, Beck completed 61.5 percent of his passes, with two touchdowns and four interceptions, compiling a passer rating of 71.2.
At 3-6, the Redskins and Eagles are tied for last place in the NFC East. The Cowboys (5-4) trail the New York Giants (6-3) by one game in the division. Sunday's Redskins/Cowboys matchup is scheduled for 1 PM Eastern.
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