CHARLOTTE, NC - OCTOBER 23: John Beck #12 of the Washington Redskins passes against the Carolina Panthers at the Bank of America Stadium on October 23, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

NFL quarterbacks address the media on Wednesday each week. It’s a staple on the weekly media schedule and it’s rare that a signal caller will talk to a group of reporters on any other day during the week.

John Beck didn’t want to wait until Wednesday to discuss his first NFL start in four seasons. The fifth-year veteran told a Redskins’ public relations official that he wanted to speak on Monday.

Then, after taking several questions about how the game unfolded, Beck said that he wanted to clarify his fourth quarter interception on an obvious miscommunication with rookie wide receiver Leonard Hankerson, who was playing in his first game.

“I just want to add one more thing, too,” Beck said. “The play with Hankerson, it’s on me. I’m the guy that’s got the ball in my hand and I’m the guy that makes the decision for where that ball goes.”

It was believed that Hankerson ran the route because he sprinted along the sideline on a fly pattern despite the fact that Beck threw the ball behind him as if he was supposed to come back toward his quarterback, sitting down in a soft area of the coverage. After the game Hankerson was adamant that he hadn’t run the wrong route, even taking to Twitter to defend himself.

“We’re very excited to have Hankerson be a part of this football team. He’s going to be a great asset to this football team. Nothing goes on Hankerson at all, it goes on me. You got that? Sound alright? Alright thank you.”

The impromptu press conference was a stand up move by a guy trying to establish locker room credibility. It’s been just one week since Rex Grossman threw four interceptions and then didn’t take full responsibility for three of the picks. On Monday — a day after completing 22-of-37 passes and throwing for 279 yards and contributing two touchdowns — Beck took the blame for an interception that probably wasn’t his fault.

Whether or not Beck can play quarterback at an above-average level in the NFL is still unknown. How good he can be under Mike Shanahan’s tutelage, in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, is a mystery. But there’s no debating that Beck has the intangibles and leadership teams look for in a franchise-passer.

Doing the right things on Monday morning and conducting himself the right way in the locker room won’t help Beck win games. But it can help him win over his teammates. A week after a quarterback change, that’s almost as important.