Mike and Kyle Shanahan under fire (1 Viewer)

[fatness]

Jason LaCanfora was a Redskin beat writer for years with the Washington Post before his NFL Network gig, and he still maintains contacts within the Redskin organization and locker room. Here's his article on OC Kyle Shanahan getting HC Mike Shanahan to bench Donovan McNabb.

Players told me they feel like McNabb is a scapegoat for some of the shortcomings of young offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan (Mike's son). Moreover, Kyle's stock is being questioned within the organization and beyond, according to team and league sources. Players believe Kyle Shanahan favors Grossman from their time together in Houston, and rather than spend the offseason adjusting some of the system to fit McNabb, he views Grossman as a better fit for the offense as is.

"This is Kyle Shanahan only knowing one way to do things and not being willing to make adjustments for the player," one coach said. "Look at (Philadelphia Eagles coach) Andy Reid. He had one version of his offense for McNabb, and then tweaked it for Kevin Kolb, and then for (Michael) Vick. That's coaching. I can't believe they benched McNabb for Rex Grossman."

There was friction between Kyle Shanahan and McNabb from early on, according to sources, with the quarterback providing the kind of questioning and push-back as is the norm with an established, productive veteran. Even with the pass protection an ongoing issue, one source with knowledge of the situation said Shanahan's offense included very few screens, check-downs and hot reads, which were obviously central to Philadelphia's offense and a big part of McNabb's success there.

"Donovan had to keep asking for more screens and check-downs," the source said. "There was really no give and take. It was more like, 'This is my system, and the way we do it.' That might work with a rookie but not with a veteran."

One longtime NFL executive said: "It's all about the system there, but the system isn't working. How do you make the decision to trade two picks for McNabb, then give him an extension and then bench him? What's the plan there?"

The 4-12 Redskins of a year ago actually were better positioned to move forward (they at least had a strong defense, then under the 4-3 scheme first implemented by Gregg Williams in 2004). Now the aging team can add quarterback to a laundry list of major needs that includes wide receivers, a nose tackle, defensive ends, an outside linebacker, a free safety and reserve cornerbacks.

 

[trader jake]

Welcome to Daniel Snyder's world.

 

[2Squirrels1Nut]

Welcome to Daniel Snyder's world.

Only in the most remote sense can you blame this particular episode on Snyder, and that would be in the sense that he is ultimately responsible for everything that happens with the team. Snyder would appear in this situation to have the wrong thing happening for the right reason, that right reason being the hiring of a (theoretically) competent coaching staff who he's empowered by not meddling with their on-field operations.

This reeks of insecurity on the part of Kyle Shanahan due to being unable to adjust his offense in even relatively minor ways to optimize it with his personnel. Admittedly this is a more advanced skill, but this is Big Boy NFL football and it needs to be part of an OC's arsenal.

It should be part of Mike's arsenal which means that his failure to step in is an even more glaring failure of leadership. Of course, Mike Shanahan's most chronic criticism has been that he's been unable to do much of anything without Elway at the helm, so maybe he's incapable of such adjustments in any event.

 

[Mr. Retukes]

Kyle Shanahan is going to become a bigger scapegoat than McNabb.

Bottom line is that there are bigger problems than McNabb and Junior Shanahan, and it starts at the top with Daniel Snyder.

 

[Facecow]

Any offensive struggles with the Redskins team must be placed on McNabb. How could it be anyone else? Look, Shanahan took over as the Head Coach and in doing so he had every opportunity to hire the best and most qualified coaches and coordinators around. Who doesn't want a top NFL job like that? There are hundreds of candidates who could have been put in that position but Shanny used his years of NFL experience and wisdom to select the best man for the job and that man just happened to be his own son.

That may seem a little strange but Shanny would only do what's best for his team and would never let his affection for his own son get in the way of that.

Again, you have to blame McNabb...or maybe one of the other coaches or players. Just not little Kyle!

 

[Dizzy]

Any offensive struggles with the Redskins team must be placed on McNabb. How could it be anyone else? Look, Shanahan took over as the Head Coach and in doing so he had every opportunity to hire the best and most qualified coaches and coordinators around. Who doesn't want a top NFL job like that? There are hundreds of candidates who could have been put in that position but Shanny used his years of NFL experience and wisdom to select the best man for the job and that man just happened to be his own son.

That may seem a little strange but Shanny would only do what's best for his team and would never let his affection for his own son get in the way of that.

Again, you have to blame McNabb...or maybe one of the other coaches or players. Just not little Kyle!

I would like to believe that, but I am not convinced that it isn't exactly the opposite. I guess time will tell us as it plays out.What a mess in DC... the fans deserve better.

I will say this, living in SE PA during whole Reid-McNabb run there. Donovan has this weird "sibling rivalry" intangible that keeps deflecting blame for him;

--When the coaches are on him, the fans had his back.

--When the fans are on him, the coach had his back.

--When both are on him, the national media came to rescue.

History will treat him kindly though, in the years following his retirement. It will be stats and overall W-L record overshadowing the fact that he was a complete front-runner throughout his career. Possibly one of the worst crunch time QB's of all time.

 

[GroveDiesel]

I would have to think that Mike Shanahan is on the hot seat next year. He changed both the offense and defense to systems that didn't fit their best players. In doing so, he alienated his best defensive player and his best offensive player to the point where the defensive player rarely played and got suspended and where the offensive player got benched. The team gave up a ton of money for the one, a large chunk and draft picks for the other one.

And the team was terrible. If all that had happened and the team looked like it had a glimmer of hope, or if all the other players seemed to be buying in, I could see him getting more time and the benefit of the doubt. But at this point, the entire thing is an unmitigated disaster.

Dan Snyder has to be absolutely blowing his top and going out of his mind right now.

 

[Go DC Yourself]

Dizzy, I think Facecow was being sarcastic.

What I would like to know is where Bruce Allen fits in this farce.

 

[Dizzy]

I would have to think that Mike Shanahan is on the hot seat next year. He changed both the offense and defense to systems that didn't fit their best players. In doing so, he alienated his best defensive player and his best offensive player to the point where the defensive player rarely played and got suspended and where the offensive player got benched. The team gave up a ton of money for the one, a large chunk and draft picks for the other one.

And the team was terrible. If all that had happened and the team looked like it had a glimmer of hope, or if all the other players seemed to be buying in, I could see him getting more time and the benefit of the doubt. But at this point, the entire thing is an unmitigated disaster.



Dan Snyder has to be absolutely blowing his top and going out of his mind right now.

Sadly, he's probably getting used to it.Lack of continuity always starts at the top. Can't fire the owner.

 

[fatness]

What I would like to know is where Bruce Allen fits in this farce.

Bruce Allen manages contracts and trades. He does not select who to trade or what to trade for them; that's all on Shanahan.

 

[Summer Wheat]

Under fire from who? They are not under fire from the Redkins and that is all that matters. Snyder is probably very relieved to get out of that horrible contract McNabb had just signed.

 

[bostonfred]

It's not fair to McNabb that the coaches want a different guy for their system, and it's fair to criticize Kyle Shanahan for not being ready, but the Redskins knew they were taking on a package deal to get a legendary head coach and it's time for them to work on the things that are best for the team going forward. Snyder should absolutely give the Shanahans a long enough leash to do what they think is best, and if that means that yet another splashy offseason move doesn't work out as well as hoped, that's fine.

On the balance sheet of things that are working for the Redskins:

- Changing head coaches every year or two

- Big name free agents

- Giving the current coaching staff a chance to build a team the way they want it built

Send McNabb to the Vikings for a pick, get a project QB in the draft, and build an offense that fits Kyle Shanahan. Understand that he's a bit of a project, too, but that working with his dad is the best way for him to work out his kinks and that this could be a top notch pairing once they get things working the way that they want, and go from there.

 

[delusional]

Shocker...shanahan trying to undermine his boss, haven't seen this before.

If anyone actually puts this on mcnabb they are just blind. Shanahan would rather humiliate a player at the expense of the franchise just to prove he is right / won whatever arguement was being had.

You seen this with how he handled Big Al, Devin Thomas, the punter and now McNabb. I mean hell he was the one that wanted McNabb...he didn't walk into this coaching gig with McNabb already there. Then to move him to 3rd string after you gave up 2 picks for him, benched him & lied about the reasons.

This guy is not a good coach, he hasn't been for a long time now & its tough to say he ever was a good coach considering the amount of high talent players he has been around most his coaching career.

Then you have his son, who is trying to run the texans offense on the skins, which just hasn't & won't work considering the lack of good players on the team to begin with.

I won't even mention the whole defensive situation. Going from a 4-3, to a 3-4 with the wrong players & taking it from one of the top 5 def last season to the worst defense this season. Makes total sense.

Honestly I would love to see what sense it made to make him a 3rd stringer. There is none at all. Then again Mr Ego ( shanny ) is coming off across the league like a fool. The guy has lost his locker room. I thought Reid was stubborn ( he was actually but seems to be changing this season ) but man, shanny takes the cake. Nothing is ever his fault.

I am hoping at some point this weekend Shanny has to put McNabb in due to Rex & Becks stinking up the joint.

ps - and i was a broncos fan growing up too, back when shanny was running the joint.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Of course, Mike Shanahan's most chronic criticism has been that he's been unable to do much of anything without Elway at the helm, so maybe he's incapable of such adjustments in any event.

Yeah, it's not like he ever led a team quarterbacked by Jake Plummer to the AFC title game. Oh wait...

This guy is not a good coach, he hasn't been for a long time now & its tough to say he ever was a good coach considering the amount of high talent players he has been around most his coaching career.

Your handle is quite fitting.

 

[Go DC Yourself]

.Send McNabb to the Vikings for a pick, get a project QB in the draft, and build an offense that fits Kyle Shanahan. Understand that he's a bit of a project, too, but that working with his dad is the best way for him to work out his kinks and that this could be a top notch pairing once they get things working the way that they want, and go from there.

McNabb is untradeable under that contract. He'll be cut and they'll get nothing, except out from under the contract.

 

[Raider Nation]

Any chance the offensive linemen "accidentally" miss a few blocks on pass plays to make the Shanny's look bad?

 

[delusional]

Any chance the offensive linemen "accidentally" miss a few blocks on pass plays to make the Shanny's look bad?

It would be funny to see but at the same time they dont want to lose their jobs right now either.

 

[bostonfred]

.Send McNabb to the Vikings for a pick, get a project QB in the draft, and build an offense that fits Kyle Shanahan. Understand that he's a bit of a project, too, but that working with his dad is the best way for him to work out his kinks and that this could be a top notch pairing once they get things working the way that they want, and go from there.

McNabb is untradeable under that contract. He'll be cut and they'll get nothing, except out from under the contract.

Not sure that's true in an uncapped year. But even if so, the rest stands. Look, they spent a pick on a player who wasn't a good fit for the kind of offense they wanted to run. It happens. Chalk that up as a valuable learning experience and move on. San Diego let Drew Brees walk because they wanted to build around Rivers. Philly spent a high pick on Kolb to hold the clipboard for two different players. New England signed Randy Moss, Adalius Thomas, Shawn Springs and Joey Galloway and then let them walk because they realized they were better off building these guys from within. Sometimes you let good players go to find the right fit for your system. Washington doesn't even have a system right now. Give them some time to get something in place, and build a team the right way. The Redskins have the coach, they have a young offensive coordinator who might not be the most experienced but certainly has a good mentor who will work with him, and after a non-playoff year, they have a better idea now of who fits and who doesn't. I'm fine with this if I'm a Redskins fan. It wouldn't be my favorite situation, but it's better than bringing back Gibbs for a short term deal or pulling some big name college guy who knows that this is his change to make big money and if it doesn't work out he can have his first pick of schools to go back to.

 

[JuniorNB]

History will treat him kindly though, in the years following his retirement. It will be stats and overall W-L record overshadowing the fact that he was a complete front-runner throughout his career. Possibly one of the worst crunch time QB's of all time.

History SHOULD treat McNabb kindly. He led his team to five NFC chamionship games and a Super Bowl. And except for the disaster that was T.O., he never had a good receiver.You have to win A LOT of big games to play in as many championships as he has. Because of not having any rings, people tend to forget that he has a very good playoff winning percentage.

 

[fatness]

Then again Mr Ego ( shanny ) is coming off across the league like a fool. The guy has lost his locker room.

At the beginning of the year the locker room had all bought in to Shanahan's leadership. Now they're just resigned and/or afraid. The 2 blowouts against the Eagles and Giants were not accidents. Both happened after the Shanahans benched McNabb for the final 2 minutes and put Grossman in to guarantee defeat, which he did. McNabb is a respected leader in the locker room. Shanahan is not any more.

 

[Gachi]

History will treat him kindly though, in the years following his retirement. It will be stats and overall W-L record overshadowing the fact that he was a complete front-runner throughout his career. Possibly one of the worst crunch time QB's of all time.

History SHOULD treat McNabb kindly. He led his team to five NFC chamionship games and a Super Bowl. And except for the disaster that was T.O., he never had a good receiver.You have to win A LOT of big games to play in as many championships as he has. Because of not having any rings, people tend to forget that he has a very good playoff winning percentage.

He has more playoff wins than Manning I believe..

 

[scratcher]

.Send McNabb to the Vikings for a pick, get a project QB in the draft, and build an offense that fits Kyle Shanahan. Understand that he's a bit of a project, too, but that working with his dad is the best way for him to work out his kinks and that this could be a top notch pairing once they get things working the way that they want, and go from there.

McNabb is untradeable under that contract. He'll be cut and they'll get nothing, except out from under the contract.

Also, who's going to give a pick for a guy who is obviously going to be cut?

 

[thayman]

.Send McNabb to the Vikings for a pick, get a project QB in the draft, and build an offense that fits Kyle Shanahan. Understand that he's a bit of a project, too, but that working with his dad is the best way for him to work out his kinks and that this could be a top notch pairing once they get things working the way that they want, and go from there.

McNabb is untradeable under that contract. He'll be cut and they'll get nothing, except out from under the contract.

Also, who's going to give a pick for a guy who is obviously going to be cut?

The only way the Skins get anything is if The Vikings and/or Cardinals get scared and think one or the other is going to win the push to get McNabb if he becomes a FA.

 

[Carter_Can_Fly]

Andy Reid was critisized for letting McNabb go too. Sometimes you have to part ways with something that is not going to work. It is clear to Shanny that he can't win with McNabb as his starter.

Shanny's have not handled this situation overly well, but anyone losing is always critisized, they are in year 1 of trying to figure out what they have and where they need to go. Year 2 should be interesting.

 

[cvnpoka]

these coaches are all about their system. same thing happened on the defensive side rendering andre carter and haynesworth and a decent defense the last few years worthless.

 

[Bri]

I haven't been a fan of Shanahan in a long time-said it over and over, his system isn't unique anymore and it's a tired act.

I'd like to insult Kyle for this but how many coaches have wrongly thought Rex was good? Kyle's not alone. Initially, I was under the impression that they were starting Rex to see him play not to bench McNabb per se but to see if Rex is worth hanging onto. I don't think Rex is good, but in rebuilding a team I guess that's not such a bad move at this point in the season.

Now that it's a flat out benching with a zillion negatives put to it, it puts it in a whole new light for me and I think it's reason enough to cut him. By him I mean Mike.

He has cut (or seen retire) an unusually huge number of "names." That has to affect the players that remain. I'm not sure how, but it had to.

He has gone out of his way to create his team and his environment ala Parcells and Holmgren etc, but he's failed miserably doing it.

What bugs me most of all is the surprising support Redskins fans have for him. Why? What has he done to gain that? Do you not realize that the last time he had a good team Rod Smith was his WR and Jake Plummer was his QB?

 

[Bri]

these coaches are all about their system. same thing happened on the defensive side rendering andre carter and haynesworth and a decent defense the last few years worthless.

he is clearly not good as a defensive coach, showed all too clearly in Denver

 

[Masked Vigilante]

Then again Mr Ego ( shanny ) is coming off across the league like a fool. The guy has lost his locker room.

At the beginning of the year the locker room had all bought in to Shanahan's leadership. Now they're just resigned and/or afraid. The 2 blowouts against the Eagles and Giants were not accidents. Both happened after the Shanahans benched McNabb for the final 2 minutes and put Grossman in to guarantee defeat, which he did. McNabb is a respected leader in the locker room. Shanahan is not any more.

I think free agents will look at this McNabb and Haynesworth fiasco and think twice before signing with Was.

 

[bushdocda]

Smart having your kid be your OC.

His best friend is probably Grossman.

 

[faulkfan]

McNabb is handling this correctly though. He doesn't talk about it, which is a professional way to deal with this and will be noted, I'm sure, by other folks around the league when it comes time to decide whether or not to extend him an offer. Say what you want about the guy, he doesn't appear to be a locker room cancer and he'll bust his butt for you.

I don't believe he'll ever be a top tier QB again, but I think he still has a lot to offer a team that needs someone to mentor their future QB on how to be an NFL quarterback both on and off the field.

 

[SpurrierisisGod]

Good grief.

Overreact much people?

Shannahan is in year one of what everyone knew would be a rebuilding process. They are a non-playoff team trying to figure out what they have going forward. Probably don't have much in Rex, but they may just be trying to figure out if they want to keep him around next year. IF anyone thought the Redskins would be playoff contenders at the start of the season with or without McNabb, they were just fooling themselves.

How may no-name RBs did Shanny's system turn into studs? What else did the Broncos under Shanny have other than Elway?

Give the coach more than 9 months and then evaluate.

 

[Bri]

sharpe, easy ed, td, rod...a line, champ, portis

 

[Sebowski]

Good grief.

Overreact much people?

Shannahan is in year one of what everyone knew would be a rebuilding process. They are a non-playoff team trying to figure out what they have going forward. Probably don't have much in Rex, but they may just be trying to figure out if they want to keep him around next year. IF anyone thought the Redskins would be playoff contenders at the start of the season with or without McNabb, they were just fooling themselves.

How may no-name RBs did Shanny's system turn into studs? What else did the Broncos under Shanny have other than Elway?

Give the coach more than 9 months and then evaluate.

Everyone but Shanahan. Or else why would he give up two picks for McNabb and another for Jammal Brown?

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

Good grief.

Overreact much people?

Shannahan is in year one of what everyone knew would be a rebuilding process. They are a non-playoff team trying to figure out what they have going forward. Probably don't have much in Rex, but they may just be trying to figure out if they want to keep him around next year. IF anyone thought the Redskins would be playoff contenders at the start of the season with or without McNabb, they were just fooling themselves.

How may no-name RBs did Shanny's system turn into studs? What else did the Broncos under Shanny have other than Elway?

Give the coach more than 9 months and then evaluate.

Everyone but Shanahan. Or else why would he give up two picks for McNabb and another for Jammal Brown?

I thought the Redskins had a GM.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Somewhere Zorn is having a good chuckle...and Spurrier, and Schotty, and Norv...

 

[thayman]

Somewhere Zorn is having a good chuckle...and Spurrier, and Schotty, and Norv...

Zorn and Spurrier were horrible. I was never a huge fan of Norv, Schotty was handled horribly by Snyder.

 

[Neil Beaufort Zod]

Andy Reid was critisized for letting McNabb go too. Sometimes you have to part ways with something that is not going to work. It is clear to Shanny that he can't win with McNabb as his starter.

Shanny's have not handled this situation overly well, but anyone losing is always critisized, they are in year 1 of trying to figure out what they have and where they need to go. Year 2 should be interesting.

Reid got lucky. Philly thought Kolb was the future. If the Eagles thought they had something great in Vick they would have signed him to an extension BEFORE this season, and saved themselves untold millions. Sure the Eagles are way better off without McNabb now. In the end, that's how they'll be judged. But the real comparison should be McNabb vs. Kolb. I'm not sure Kolb is more of a winner than McNabb.

Regarding Shanahan, he's in Washington so the leash is short. I wonder if they can fire Kyle or if Mike has the power to block staff changes? Probably the latter. Would be interesting if the organization thought Mike's son was the problem and wanted a change there. Of course, winning in 2011 would change everything. I'm just not sure how that would happen.

 

[ffgamer]

Mike Shanahan is an idiot. How can anyone with any knowledge of football believe Rex Grossman gives you a better chance to win than McNabb. Shanny is so full of himself. He believes in his system so much that he doesn't think he need good players to run it. He did the same thing in Denver. He ruin the Redskins just like he ruined the Broncos.

 

[fatness]

Good grief.

Overreact much people?

Shannahan is in year one of what everyone knew would be a rebuilding process. They are a non-playoff team trying to figure out what they have going forward. Probably don't have much in Rex, but they may just be trying to figure out if they want to keep him around next year. IF anyone thought the Redskins would be playoff contenders at the start of the season with or without McNabb, they were just fooling themselves.

How may no-name RBs did Shanny's system turn into studs? What else did the Broncos under Shanny have other than Elway?

Give the coach more than 9 months and then evaluate.

Everyone but Shanahan. Or else why would he give up two picks for McNabb and another for Jammal Brown?

I thought the Redskins had a GM.

Bruce Allen is the GM. Shanahan makes all personnel decisions. Allen just gets trades and contracts done.

 

[Hang 10]

Once again the media comes McChokes rescue. Yeah, lets blame everyone but the QB whose playing like ####.

 

[fatness]

What bugs me most of all is the surprising support Redskins fans have for him. Why? What has he done to gain that? Do you not realize that the last time he had a good team Rod Smith was his WR and Jake Plummer was his QB?

That support is declining noticeably.And you have to remember what preceded Shanahan: Jim Zorn. Zorn was in way over his head as a coach, and might as well have shown up with greasepaint and big floppy feet riding a unicycle. The only other person who would take the HC job that Zorn took was Jim Fassel. No one else. When the offense didn't do well Vinnie Cerrato stripped Zorn of playcalling abilities and brought in a guy who literally was calling Bingo games -- Sherm Lewis. Had Lewis not taken that job the next candidate was a midget wrestler. Compare to all that, of course fans bought into Shanahan. He had a record, he had won a Super Bowl, he acted like he knew what he was doing. Now after some time has passed, compared to the rest of the NFL today maybe Shanahan doesn't know so much.

 

[fatness]

Examples of local Redskin coverage:

Now we see the Redskins' core problem this season. It's the fault of the dunce who makes the big personnel decisions. The real culprit is the bozo who traded for McNabb in the first place. He had 11 years to evaluate McNabb in Philly, but he still traded draft picks to a division rival for a quarterback that, after just 13 weeks, has been judged a failure by the smartest coach who ever lived.

Unfortunately, the personnel guy who dealt for McNabb just eight months ago and the X's-and-O's guru of a coach who can't get rid of him fast enough now are the same person: Mike Shanahan.

One of you two guys should fire the other one because, in a sane NFL franchise, somebody's head would roll for this screw-up.

Tom Boswell

Yet as they limp into Dallas on Sunday, I am beginning to seriously debate what that egregious mistake was for Shanahan: Was it trading for Donovan McNabb or hiring his 30-year-old son, Kyle, as offensive coordinator? Was it not doing due diligence on McNabb or just flat-out nepotism?

One fact is certain. Dad bought the wrong toy for young, headstrong Kyle.

That's why Rex Grossman is starting Sunday, why a locker room is divided and McNabb will soon be insultingly demoted to third string.

It all went bad in Ashburn because a father forgot to take his gifted child by the storefront window when he did some post-holiday shopping for a quarterback earlier this year.

Mike Wise

 

[2Squirrels1Nut]

Of course, Mike Shanahan's most chronic criticism has been that he's been unable to do much of anything without Elway at the helm, so maybe he's incapable of such adjustments in any event.

Yeah, it's not like he ever led a team quarterbacked by Jake Plummer to the AFC title game. Oh wait...

Lovie Smith got to the Super Bowl with Rex Grossman. Wayne Fontes got to the NFCCG with Erik Kramer. Art Shell got to the AFCCG with Jay Schroeder. Even blind squirrels find an acorn every once in a while. It happens.

 

[2Squirrels1Nut]

Once again the media comes McChokes rescue. Yeah, lets blame everyone but the QB whose playing like ####.

McNabb is not guilty of anything that you couldn't have accused him of a year ago. He's older and less mobile, relatively inaccurate on shorter throws, and isn't the best (though certainly not the worst) at reading defenses and managing the clock. He's not even the majority of the problem here. He's got an o-line that can't block, a banged up RB corps that in addition to not running particularly well also doesn't pick up blitzes well, and a WR corps that longs for the likes of Todd Pinkston to complete it. And, perhaps most of all, an offensive coordinator who can't seem to figure out that he needs to adjust what he's doing because the point of an offense is what happens on the field on Sunday rather than on the blackboard the rest of the week. If you don't like McNabb, fine, you're entitled to that. There's plenty you can criticize. Acting like the criticisms I just voiced are somehow part of a false defense of McNabb is ridiculous however.

 

[Raider Nation]

The guys on NFLN's Gameday Morning were "hinting" that the move was made to tank the rest of the season to give them a better shot at a franchise QB.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Of course, Mike Shanahan's most chronic criticism has been that he's been unable to do much of anything without Elway at the helm, so maybe he's incapable of such adjustments in any event.

Yeah, it's not like he ever led a team quarterbacked by Jake Plummer to the AFC title game. Oh wait...

Lovie Smith got to the Super Bowl with Rex Grossman. Wayne Fontes got to the NFCCG with Erik Kramer. Art Shell got to the AFCCG with Jay Schroeder. Even blind squirrels find an acorn every once in a while. It happens.

But blind squirrels don't win two Super Bowls in a row. And before you pull out the Elway card, how many Super Bowls did Elway win before Shanahan became Denver's head coach? And if it is apparently so easy to win multiple Super Bowls with an all-time great QB, how come Don Shula was never able to even win one with Dan Marino? How come Tony Dungy only managed one with Peyton Manning?Now, I am not gonna sit here and say that Shanny has done a great job in Washington so far. Because he hasn't. But a guy with his resume deserves a bit of time to turn around a franchise that was in bad shape when he got there, no?

 

[Hang 10]

Once again the media comes McChokes rescue. Yeah, lets blame everyone but the QB whose playing like ####.

McNabb is not guilty of anything that you couldn't have accused him of a year ago. He's older and less mobile, relatively inaccurate on shorter throws, and isn't the best (though certainly not the worst) at reading defenses and managing the clock. He's not even the majority of the problem here. He's got an o-line that can't block, a banged up RB corps that in addition to not running particularly well also doesn't pick up blitzes well, and a WR corps that longs for the likes of Todd Pinkston to complete it. And, perhaps most of all, an offensive coordinator who can't seem to figure out that he needs to adjust what he's doing because the point of an offense is what happens on the field on Sunday rather than on the blackboard the rest of the week.

If you don't like McNabb, fine, you're entitled to that. There's plenty you can criticize. Acting like the criticisms I just voiced are somehow part of a false defense of McNabb is ridiculous however.

Why on earth did you think I was responding to you? This is what I was referring to:

This is Kyle Shanahan only knowing one way to do things and not being willing to make adjustments for the player," one coach said

So I guess it's Kyle's fault McNabb is struggling? Mebbe Kyle should have drawn up a gameplan where the skins receivers run 5 yards and fall to the ground in anticipation of McNabb's dirt ball throws.

 

[Sam Quentin]

update?

 

[CaptainHook]

lmao...no matter what mcnabb does he still has people treating him like an allpro qb. really bizarre.

 

[Summer Wheat]

Shanny looked like a guru today. McNabb is not coming back and at the very least Rex is a great backup. That is what they needed to evaluate today.