The Donovan McNabb Benching

The Washington Redskins, which entered the season touted as a playoff contender, have played poorly nearly all season. Someone had to take the fall for their tawdry record. Coach Mike Shanahan decided it wouldn't be him. Instead, he chose to bench his starting quarterback Donovan McNabb for the season's final three games. Further, Shanahan implied McNabb would not be with the Redskins next year, or any year after that.

Washington traded with Philadelphia for the rights to McNabb earlier this year. The Skins gave up a second round draft pick, and a lower pick, for the player they envisioned as one who could get the team to the playoffs. That 2nd rounder, along with Michael Vick's incredible year for the Eagles, is making the deal seem like a steal for Philly.

The fact is McNabb plays on a bad team now. Washington can't run the ball. It can't pass protect. Some starters have had more experience on the practice squad than against bona fide NFL teams. The Skins have more than the usual quotient of prima donnas, even for a glamour franchise such as Washington. The coaches are blessed with very high opinions of their own abilities that do not consistently correspond with their performances. Somehow, McNabb was supposed to transform this base lead into playoff gold. He never had a chance.

McNabb's career has been haunted by a weird combination of outsized expectations, underestimation of his skills, solid performance, and disappointing games. He has endured draft day boos from Philadelphia fans. He managed to co-exist with coach-killer teammate Terrell Owens. McNabb's Super Bowl puke moment continues to dog him. Unlike many other NFL quarterbacks, it was always McNabb's fault when his team didn't make the playoffs (which was rare). It was infrequently noted that Philly's receivers in McNabb's best years were dog shit (except T.O.), and McNabb made the best of the situation. That included a decade in which Philly was a consistent playoff contender, and McNabb and running back Brian Westbrook were the essence of the offense. All they did was win.

McNabb also happens to be the highest profile African-American quarterback in the league. Race baiters view McNabb as a target. Most notably, he was the victim of malicious, highly public racist statements in 2003 from unfair, unbalanced closet drug addict Rush Limbaugh. McNabb showed in that episode such strength of character that it should have presumably ended all questions about his heart and mind.

Nonetheless, complete respect for McNabb's career accomplishments continues to elude the Chicago-born player. Washington coach Shanahan's entourage has leaked various

unflattering comments about McNabb's work ethic, mastery of detail, and other flaws. The spin just doesn't add up, and the evidence from the Redskin players says as much. Shanahan's coterie, which enabled surly drunk Jay Cutler in Denver, at one point painted a picture of a "lazy" McNabb who "lacks the necessities" for the position. The parallels with racist smears are disturbing ones, and especially unseemly in a city whose population is predominantly African-American. Anyone who thinks these ideas don't come from Shanahan himself should look up the former Denver coach's deep desire and willingness to exert iron control.

I hope the Skins drop McNabb. He can follow former Redskin (and African-American) quarterback Jason Campbell out of town, someplace far away, someplace where McNabb will finally be appreciated for what he brings to his job every day. Campbell has never looked back to DC, and I don't think McNabb will, either. However, DC will look back at them and ask why they are successful elsewhere, but not in Landover. The answers won't be pretty.