Washington Redskins at Jacksonville Jaguars, EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Sunday, December 26, 2010, 1:00 pm EST, TV: FOX
Opening Line: Jaguars -6.5
Current Line: Jaguars -7
Opening Total: 45.5
Current Total: 46
Money Line: Jaguars -320 / Redskins +260

A controversial quarterback change helped the Washington Redskins produce a season-high point total, but it did not help them end what is now a season-high four-game losing streak.  They will now try to break that skid on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars (8-6), who are coming off a tough divisional loss at Indianapolis.  The Jaguars (-7) remain in the hunt for the AFC South division title but need the Colts to lose one of their last two games and win out themselves.

Washington head coach Mike Shanahan decided to bench Donovan McNabb for the last three games of the season in favor of Rex Grossman, who passed for 322 yards and four touchdowns in a 33-30 loss at Dallas last week.  The Redskins trailed the Cowboys 27-7 early in the third quarter due in part to Grossman’s turnovers, including an interception and lost fumble.  But he rallied them back and used the opportunity to audition for the starting job next season.

While it’s much too early to figure out if Grossman is the answer over McNabb in 2011, he will need to prove he can play consistently down the stretch to earn the chance.  He addressed the issue that he is “stereotyped” as being inconsistent this week due to his performance during the 2006 season in Chicago when he led the Bears to an appearance in the Super Bowl.  The only way he can overcome that stigma is to continue to perform like he did last week.

Another inconsistent signal caller under the spotlight here is Jacksonville’s David Garrard, who has thrown for more than 178 yards four times in 13 games this season.  Garrard excelled after he missed a 42-20 loss at Kansas City due to a concussion, stringing together three consecutive games of at least 254 passing yards.  The Jaguars won all three games and went 5-1 in their previous six before suffering a 34-24 setback at Indy last week.

While Garrard has been shaky at times, Jacksonville’s most consistent player has been running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who saw his streak of consecutive 100-yard rushing games halted at six against the Colts.  Jones-Drew ranks second in the NFL in rushing yards with 1,324 but is listed as doubtful with a knee injury.

Washington’s run defense ranks 27th in the league, giving up 134.4 rushing yards per game.  The Redskins also rank dead last in total defense, surrendering 397.6 yards per game, although the UNDER has surprisingly cashed in four of their last five games overall.  However, a lot of that has to do with the fact that they averaged 13.8 points in their previous four games before last week.

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