John Beck will remain the Redskins' starting quarterback, head coach Mike Shanahan said.

Beck will make his fourth Redskins start and eighth NFL start next Sunday vs. Miami, his former team.

"Yeah, we're going to stick with John," Shanahan said after the Redskins lost to the San Francisco 49ers 19-11 on Sunday at FedExField.

The Redskins managed to score just one touchdown vs. San Francisco, a 9-yard pass to wide receiver Jabar Gaffney late in the fourth quarter, in the losing effort.

Beck completed 30-of-47 passes for 254 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The offense had trouble sustaining drives.

Beck understands that there is always a possibility the team could go back to Rex Grossman as the starter, and he wants to do everything he can to change the way he is playing.

"No question," Beck said. "And I don't want it to continue. I want to put my foot down and I want it to stop. We have too many good players on this team, we have good character, we have guys that believe."

While the offense struggled throughout the game, Shanahan does not believe that all the blame falls on Beck's shoulders.

"Anytime that you have as many guys move around to some different positions and you're playing some young players, there are going to be some mistakes made and some inconsistent play," Shanahan said. "It usually looks like it's always the quarterback, which we understand. It's always going to appear that way."

Assessing Beck's play, Shanahan added: "I thought he did some good things. I think he had some opportunities, but he would like to have more, just like most quarterbacks. It is a learning experience for him."

Beck appreciates the support his head coaching is giving him, but does not want to take it for granted.

"It means a lot but at the same time I know that it's about getting it done," Beck said.