What The Shanahan - Part Five

Remember back in the offseason, when Rex Grossman stated that the Redskins would be the team to beat in the NFC East for 2011? That notion seemed to be as insane as any proposed sequel for Ishtar. So, everyone laughed it off, and basically thought that the NFL drug policy obviously does not check for hallucinatory drugs. Then the Redskins started off the season 3-1, and suddenly people were jumping on their bandwagon, thinking that maybe Rex Grossman was really not that insane all along.
Funny thing about terrible teams – they will eventually revert back to the mean. Week One, the Redskins beat an injured New York Gians team that was still trying to figure out who to start in the secondary. In Weeks Two and Four, they defeated terrible teams in Arizona and St. Louis. Not exactly a murderer’s row of competetion there, especially since half of the teams in the college ranks could defeat them.

The most damning statistic to come out of the first twelve weeks is the flat ineptitude that the offense has shown. Previously, Shanahan had success in plugging in just about anyone as a starting running back, and getting them to produce. But how much of this was the ‘genius’ of Shanahan, and how much was the zone blocking scheme of Gary Kubiak? Fascinating to note that the Texans, who Kubiak coaches, can run the ball with ease, while Shanahan’s Redskins are 29th in the league in rushing yards.

The quarterbacks have been equally, and predictably, atrocious. Aside from Mike Shanahan, did anyone really expect the Disasterous Duo of Rex Grossman and John Beck not to suck? After all, John Beck has NEVER won an NFL game. Think about that for a moment. And this is the guy that Shanahan felt he could turn into an actual NFL quarterback? No wonder they have the sixth fewest points scored in the entire league.

Again, this really comes back to that overgrown Oompa Loompa Shanahan having a reputation for being better than he actually is. For all of the success that he is perceived to have, it all came riding the coattails of one John Elway. In fact, when not coaching Elway, Shanahan is 1-5 in playoff games. Yes, that’s right – one win and five losses. That is worse than the poster boy for playoff futility, Marty Schottenheimer. He’s 5-13 in playoff games. So, without Elway, how good a coach is Mike Shanahan? Answer – not that good.

So, as the Redskins prepare to face a good Jets team this weekend, get ready to laugh, cry, and be astonished. Not that the Jets are as great as they are going to look, but that the Redskins are that terrible. There will be no improvement until Dan Synder comes to his senses, asks What The Shanahan, and makes a coaching change.

What the Shanahan - Part Three

It has been roughly six months since the last installment of the popular 'What the Shanahan?' posts here on the ol' blog. Part of this is due to the NFL lockout, where things such as trades and free agency cannot happen. Thankfully, Mike Shanahan is not stopped from talking during this lockout, making this third installment possible.

Apparently, Shanahan, in his infinite wisdom and knowledge of the quarterback position, is ok with the idea of having John Beck as his starting quarterback. Yes, the same John Beck that was the main quarterback during the Miami Dolphins' 1-15 season. The same John Beck that has not seen an NFL field, except from the sidelines, since 2007, when he was a 26 year old rookie. The John Beck that has a total of 559 passing yards and one touchdown. Yup.

Now, it would be one thing if the Redskins did not have better options. They did neglect the position during the draft, focusing on attempting to upgrade the defense and the receiving position. However, they do have a Pro-Bowl caliber quarterback on the roster in Donovan McNabb. While McNabb may not have played overly well in 2010, the only way that Beck would be an upgrade would be in McNabb turned into Helen Keller. Even then, it may be a tie.

It bears repeating that the Redskins gave up a second round draft choice last year and an additional draft pick in 2011. Also, for all the claiming that Shanahan is a genius as a coach, he has won exactly ONE playoff game since John Elway retired. Maybe it was Elway that made him look good.

Now, there is speculation that Shanahan is talking up Beck in an attempt to not seem desperate to get a starting caliber quarterback, and is trying to appear as though he is in a position of strength. News flash - saying that John Beck or Rex Grossman (who also claims that he is the starting quarterback, although he is not on the Redskins roster) is going to be your quarterback going forward is NOT a position of strength. Saying so is roughly akin to denying the existence of gravity and jumping off of Mount Thor on Banfin Island.

Actually, let's see Shanahan go out there with John Beck as his quarterback. When this fails in epic fashion, maybe we can finally put to rest the 'Shanahan is a Genius' rhetoric that has been spewed forth for years.

What the Shanahan?

Continuing a season in which he has made a number of, and this is being charitable, questionable moves within the organization, Mike Shanahan has stated that Donovan McNabb is being benched for the rest of the season in favor of Rex Grossman. To further the questionable nature of this move, after this weekend's game, McNabb is going to be demoted down to the third string option in favor of John Beck. Who? Exactly.

Now, this is not to say that McNabb is an elite option at quarterback any longer. In fact, this season he quite the roller coaster under center, having thrown a career high 15 interceptions with a quarterback rating of 77.1. Yes, this has been a bad season for him. However, McNabb over his career has a rating of 85.7, which ranks 23rd all time, ahead of such players as Roger Staubach, Len Dawson, and Troy Aikman. He has 230 touchdowns over his career, as opposed to 115 interceptions. Meanwhile, Rex Grossman has a career rating of 69.6, which is tied for 152 all time, with Steve Grogan and Pat Haden. In fact, Grossman's best rating was in his rookie season when he played in three games and produced a rating of 74.8. His career touchdowns and interceptions? 33 and 36, respectively. John Beck is even worse, with a rating of 62. He hasn't even been on the field since 2007 for the Miami Dolphins, in the season where they went 1-15.

Yes, McNabb has been overrated through his career. However, he is leagues better than either Grossman or Beck. Also, McNabb was just signed to a contract extension this season. What is going on in Washington? Did Shanahan completely lose his mind since being fired by Denver? What is he trying to prove here?

This could be overlooked, perhaps, if this was the first time he benched McNabb. Yet, in their loss to Detroit in Week 8 of the season, stating that Rex Grossman had a better grasp of the two-minute offense, that McNabb did not have the 'cardiovascular endurance' to run the offense, and that Grossman was a better option. He has surrounded McNabb with a terrible offensive line and a supporting cast of aging and decrepit supporting cast at receiver and running back. And let us not forget the entire feud with Albert Haynesworth from the moment he was named head coach. It sort of makes one think if the issues were truly the fault of Haynesworth, or if Shanahan was more to blame that thought.

In the end, this is just another sideshow in the circus that the Washington Redskins have become since Dan Snyder purchased the team. McNabb will probably be released at the end of the year, and will be picked up by a team that could desperately use a quarterback (like, maybe Minnesota or Arizona?) He deserves better than the insult of being benched for a collection of never-were's.