The Redskins look to be on the verge of another losing season, barring a miracle in 5 NFC East games. Their winning percentage under Mike Shanahan is worse than during the Jim Zorn or Steve Spurrier eras. As sports writers and fans do every season, people are wondering if Mike Shanahan's job security is in question. Some say it is some say it isn't, and knowing Dan Snyder you can't ever be sure, but I'm going to make the case for Shanahan to stay.
Shanahan inherited a train wreck of an offense, an inconsistent kicker/punter and a pedestrian defense. In three years, three very painful years, Mike has slowly been piecing together the wreckage from previous coaches and turning those pieces into a contending football team. Despite the team's 3-6 record the fact is that in every game except two, the Redskins were contenders, losing by a touchdown or less. If they had a secondary that could cover they would probably be 7-2. Regardless the record is the record and they are 3-6. While the Redskins may seem like a mess they are honestly much better off than other 3-6 teams in the NFL. They are a few players away from being playoff caliber unlike others who are couple drafts and coaches away.
They have a superstar at quarterback in Robert Griffin III; a tremendous athlete and natural leader, he has a home in D.C. for the next 15 years.
They have a franchise player starting at running back in Alfred Morris, who at one point was the NFL's 2nd leading rusher and also has a home in D.C. for the foreseeable future.
The offensive line has been healthy for the first time in years and has established a cohesiveness to lead one of the NFL's most dominant ground games.
Their front seven on defense is an offensive line's nightmare, however, lack of depth has shown when two key starters were lost for the season due to injury. Bowen, Cofield and Carriker were a dominant trio before Carriker went down. Perry Riley is coming into his own at the inside linebacker spot, while the savvy London Fletcher holds down the other linebacker spot as he had since 2007. Orakpo and Kerrigan are arguably one of the bests 3-4 linebacker tandems in the NFL. But with Orakpo and Carriker gone the pass rush has become nonexistent. While we do need depth we do have some quality starters that other teams fear.
The secondary is clearly the Redskins most glaring weakness, and is also where Shanahan hasn't been as spectacular in his personnel decisions. Our starting cornerbacks are nickel corners at best, DeAngelo Hall is past his prime and Josh Wilson can't consistently cover the opposing team's top receiver. Madieu Williams and Reed Doughty would not be starting on any other team although Williams has played decently but has given up his share of big plays. They let former first round draft pick Carlos Rogers and LaRon Landry walk, both of which are better than their replacements. The secondary needs an upheaval if the Redskins want to be competitive in the following years.
Shanhan has won multiple superbowls, drafted well and created a no drama environment where players can play football. They still have issues in terms of talent but two drafts and two free agencies should be enough to turn this team into a playoff contender. The alternative would be to fire Shanahan and let the team start over again from scratch which is something Redskins fans can't take anymore. Coaching isn't the problem, it's talent, and bringing a new coach won't fix the problems our defense is having. If the Redskins want to win, try keeping the same coaching staff for more than three years and let RG3 develop and improve in the same system rather than start over and keep learning new playbooks (Jason Campbell comes to mind for those who wonder why thats a bad thing).
In summary, vote Team Shanahan 2013,2014 and 2015 at least. Shanahan needs to stay and put the final touches on a rebuilding team that's almost finished. Firing him would demolish the tower he's almost completed and ask a lesser qualified person to rebuild the aftermath.
Shanahan inherited a train wreck of an offense, an inconsistent kicker/punter and a pedestrian defense. In three years, three very painful years, Mike has slowly been piecing together the wreckage from previous coaches and turning those pieces into a contending football team. Despite the team's 3-6 record the fact is that in every game except two, the Redskins were contenders, losing by a touchdown or less. If they had a secondary that could cover they would probably be 7-2. Regardless the record is the record and they are 3-6. While the Redskins may seem like a mess they are honestly much better off than other 3-6 teams in the NFL. They are a few players away from being playoff caliber unlike others who are couple drafts and coaches away.
They have a superstar at quarterback in Robert Griffin III; a tremendous athlete and natural leader, he has a home in D.C. for the next 15 years.
They have a franchise player starting at running back in Alfred Morris, who at one point was the NFL's 2nd leading rusher and also has a home in D.C. for the foreseeable future.
The offensive line has been healthy for the first time in years and has established a cohesiveness to lead one of the NFL's most dominant ground games.
Their front seven on defense is an offensive line's nightmare, however, lack of depth has shown when two key starters were lost for the season due to injury. Bowen, Cofield and Carriker were a dominant trio before Carriker went down. Perry Riley is coming into his own at the inside linebacker spot, while the savvy London Fletcher holds down the other linebacker spot as he had since 2007. Orakpo and Kerrigan are arguably one of the bests 3-4 linebacker tandems in the NFL. But with Orakpo and Carriker gone the pass rush has become nonexistent. While we do need depth we do have some quality starters that other teams fear.
The secondary is clearly the Redskins most glaring weakness, and is also where Shanahan hasn't been as spectacular in his personnel decisions. Our starting cornerbacks are nickel corners at best, DeAngelo Hall is past his prime and Josh Wilson can't consistently cover the opposing team's top receiver. Madieu Williams and Reed Doughty would not be starting on any other team although Williams has played decently but has given up his share of big plays. They let former first round draft pick Carlos Rogers and LaRon Landry walk, both of which are better than their replacements. The secondary needs an upheaval if the Redskins want to be competitive in the following years.
Shanhan has won multiple superbowls, drafted well and created a no drama environment where players can play football. They still have issues in terms of talent but two drafts and two free agencies should be enough to turn this team into a playoff contender. The alternative would be to fire Shanahan and let the team start over again from scratch which is something Redskins fans can't take anymore. Coaching isn't the problem, it's talent, and bringing a new coach won't fix the problems our defense is having. If the Redskins want to win, try keeping the same coaching staff for more than three years and let RG3 develop and improve in the same system rather than start over and keep learning new playbooks (Jason Campbell comes to mind for those who wonder why thats a bad thing).
In summary, vote Team Shanahan 2013,2014 and 2015 at least. Shanahan needs to stay and put the final touches on a rebuilding team that's almost finished. Firing him would demolish the tower he's almost completed and ask a lesser qualified person to rebuild the aftermath.
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