Shanahan unable to solve Redskins
No matter the year, no matter the coach, no matter the quarterback, the one-word end result almost always has been the same for the Redskins in recent years: failure.
Norv Turner and Jeff George in 2000. Marty Schottenheimer and George in 2001. Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel in 2002. Joe Gibbs and Mark Brunell in 2004. Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell in 2008-09. And now Mike Shanahan and Donovan McNabb in 2010.
The one common denominator: Daniel Snyder.
Since Snyder purchased the Redskins in 1999 from the estate of Jack Kent Cooke, the once-proud franchise has known little else but losing. Only Gibbs, who led the Redskins to their only three Super Bowl titles (1982, '83 and '91), was able to provide a glimmer of hope; the Redskins earned two playoff berths in his four seasons under Snyder. Other than that, heartache has ruled the day.
The Redskins are nearing the end of yet another disappointing season with yet another high-profile coach and another underperforming quarterback. Two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Shanahan was brought in to restore order after the failed Zorn era, and he acquired McNabb in a blockbuster trade with the NFC East rival Eagles.
But McNabb proved no better than any of the Redskins' more recent quarterbacks, and he was sent to the bench for the last three games of the season as Shanahan decided to see what he has in backup Rex Grossman.
What once appeared to be a long-term relationship between Shanahan and McNabb lasted less than a year; McNabb is expected to be traded or released in the offseason.
Shanahan's Redskins (6-9) will close out the season Sunday against the Giants (9-6), who still are in the hunt for a spot in the playoffs. The Redskins, meanwhile, will finish out yet another season without a playoff berth. They have made the postseason only three times since Gibbs ended his first stint with the team at the conclusion of the 1992 season.
"It's a process through your first year," Shanahan said. "You get a chance to evaluate your football team and players, your offense, defense, where you're at in the end of the year, and what direction you need to go relative to the draft and free agency."
Shanahan, who won his Super Bowl titles with the Broncos before being fired after the 2008 season, is the latest high-profile coach brought in by Snyder to reinvigorate his team. But so far, Shanahan has met the same disappointment as all the rest.
He hopes things will improve. As it stands now, he'll be without McNabb and another high-priced addition brought in for the 2009 season: defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth.
The Redskins gave Haynesworth a $100-million free-agent contract, which included $42 million in guaranteed money. But after a nondescript year in 2009, Haynesworth and Shanahan immediately were in conflict about the direction of the defense. Haynesworth was suspended for the final five games this season for conduct detrimental to the team. He'll also be released or traded in the offseason.
"In your first year, you get a feel for who your football team is, and you get a chance to evaluate everybody within your scheme," Shanahan said. "You feel a lot more comfortable now than you did at the beginning of the season, because you never went to war with any of these players. You always want to finish the season on a high note."
Grossman couldn't agree more. The former Bears quarterback, who led Chicago to a playoff berth at the conclusion of the 2006 season, Sunday has his last chance to make an impression on Shanahan heading into next season.
"We want to play well for ourselves, for our team and our pride," Grossman said. "I'm just excited that I'm getting a chance to play and play at a high level. However it comes, I'll take it."
But even a victory over the Giants would be a hollow one. It wouldn't get the Redskins any closer to Shanahan's goals of winning the NFC East and eventually the Super Bowl.
Another year gone, another coach and quarterback failing to meet expectations for one of the NFL's most storied franchise. Same old Redskins story.
