Burner’s Burning Questions – Mike Shanahan, The Time Has Come
Once again, BBQ has decided to stray from the weekly grading format and continue examining the current state of affairs with the Redskins. For those who want grading for this week – it is an “F” across the board for last week’s game against the Chiefs. The topic header is an obvious clue for the blog this week and let’s get right to the matters at hand.
BBQ now believes that Coach Mike Shanahan is largely responsible for the debacle of 2013 and should be relieved of his duties at the conclusion of this season.
The Case Against Mike Shanahan
Mistake Number One:
First and foremost, Shanahan should not be the de facto General Manager. His poor management and personnel skills date back many years to his time in Denver. Would you trust the next head coach with GM duties?
Mistake Number Two:
Nepotism rarely works when both individuals are at or near the top of an organization or business. Being objective about a close family member is cloudy at best and will have a detrimental effect. When was the last time you heard Coach Shanahan criticizing his son and vice versa?
Mistake Number Three:
Shanahan insisted on a 3-4 defense and it has been nothing short of a huge debacle. Several players do not fit the scheme and little has been done to secure the kind of personnel that is needed. With the current roster, is a 4-3 defense a bitter fit?
Mistake Number Four:
Vowing to make the Redskins younger and better, Shanahan pulls an Easter surprise and trades for a thirty-four year old Donovan McNabb. The results were disastrous.
Mistake Number Five:
Albert Haynesworth was not dedicated to the team. Shanahan had a golden opportunity to unload the lazy player for a third round draft pick and save $21 million from the salary cap. Unfortunately, Shanahan’s massive ego was determined to teach Haynesworth some sort of lesson. Today, Shanahan is on the verge of watching his coaching legacy being torn to shreds and the former free agent bust is living a life of luxury with many millions in the bank. Who was the teacher in this disaster?
Mistake Number Six:
The cap penalty was certainly unfair to the Redskins and there is no need to rehash everything about it. However, if Shanahan takes the original deal for Haynesworth, the penalty is far less and almost negligible. Was the calculated risk worth the trouble?
Mistake Number Seven:
Throughout his tenure in Washington, Shanahan has hired a number of assistant and position coaches who are, quite frankly, not qualified to do such work.
Mistake Number Eight:
If an offense is successful in the NFL, you can usually look at the offensive line and the talent that it embodies. One blue chip lineman has been drafted in the Mike Shanahan era. One. Just one. Nothing more, nothing less. There is no excuse for such negligence and it renders the offense to poor production on the field.
Mistake Number Nine:
The Redskins are heading toward what could be the worst season ever for the special teams – as in worst ever by any team statistically. Special teams execution has been a thorn in the side of Shanahan and their poor play has cost the team some victories along the way. It’s inexcusable.
Mistake Number Ten:
The handling of Robert Griffin, III’s injury has been a colossal failure. Did RG3 have an ACL tear after the Baltimore game last year? We may never know. The Seattle playoff game injury is now an admitted mistake by Shanahan (leaving RG3 in the game). The trust between coach and player is gone and BBQ believes that it can never be repaired.
Mistake Number Eleven:
For all of his faults over the last four years, the one personal shortcoming that stands out the most for Mike Shanahan is his vindictive nature. There is nothing wrong with fining and/or suspending a player for an infraction or behavior that is detrimental to the team. However, Shanahan tends to make it very personal and holds long term grudges. Just ask the late Al Davis (if there was a way to make contact), Jake Plummer, Donovan McNabb, Albert Haynesworth, Gerard Warren, and Fred Davis, amongst others. Holding grudges against opposing teams and players can be a good thing and a motivating factor, but going against one’s own team and players is not conducive to a winning atmosphere. At no time has it really been of any benefit to the Redskins.
There are too many mistakes, issues, and concerns with Mike Shanahan as head coach of the Washington Redskins. To be sure, he has done some good things for the organization and those contributions can’t be overlooked. The negatives have piled up though and when the season is over, the Redskins and Mike Shanahan need to have an amicable parting of the ways. It would be beneficial to Mike Shanahan and his future and to the Redskins and their future.