Mike Shanahan Failed as Redskins HC Regardless of RGIII

Nov 17, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan along the sidelines during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Redskins 24-16. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Former Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan recently gave an interview on ESPN 98o where he blamed the relationship between Robert Griffin III and owner Daniel Snyder as the reason he ultimately lost his job.

Here’s some of what Shanahan had to say:

"“He wanted to be more of a drop-back, Aaron Rodgers-type guy, he did a few more things, and basically what I did is I went and talked to Dan, and I said, ‘Hey, Dan, for a quarterback to come to me, a veteran coach, and share these things, number one, he can’t be the sharpest guy to do something like that, or he’s got to feel very good about the owner backing him up. And since you have been telling me from Day One that he’s a drop-back quarterback and we should do more drop-back, and you guys have spent the last couple months together, I would think, or at least the last month, that this is an extension of you.’ He said it wasn’t. I just told him that the only chance that this kid, Robert, has to get to the level that we need him to get to is for him to at least trust us that we’re going to run the offense that gives him the best chance to be successful. And if not, it’s impossible, because he’s not ready for it. I can see it, that he’s not ready for that type of offense. Not that he’s not good enough, he just has never done it before.”"

If this is true and RGIII actually tried to dictate to Mike Shanahan which plays he was and wasn’t going to run, then that’s not acceptable and totally unprofessional on his part. But Shanahan makes it seem as though he’s the first head coach in the history of football to ever have to deal with an arrogant, hot-shot young quarterback.

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I’ve said it before, if Mike Shanahan allowed a rookie quarterback to run all over him then that’s his own fault. Even with the anonymous source leaks in 2013 that now obviously seem to have come from Shanahan, to this recent interview, Mike Shanahan attempts to portray himself as some poor victim.

But Mike Shanahan is no victim, he just didn’t have the guts to put RGIII in his place and stand up to Dan Snyder. A head coach with the stature that Mike Shanahan believes himself to have could have done that. A real great coach like Joe Gibbs wouldn’t have even entertained that nonsense.

Shanahan also criticized Griffin for not being honest about his injuries. But is Mike Shanahan really that naive? What player has ever been 100% honest about their injuries? Mike Shanahan’s record as Redskins head coach was 11-21 before Robert Griffin III ever got there and RGIII handed him a division title the next season.

So what’s Shanahan’s excuse for losing before that? Is that RGIII’s fault too? Did Daniel Snyder prevent Mike Shanahan from winning in his first two seasons when he had complete control over the organization, or was that due to his own incompetence?

Did Dan Snyder make Mike Shanahan hire Jim Haslett as his defensive coordinator? Did Dan Snyder force Mike Shanahan to hire his son Kyle as his offensive coordinator? Did Dan Snyder force Mike Shanahan to trade for Donovan McNabb?

Did Dan Snyder force Mike Shanahan to leave a clearly injured RGIII in the playoff game to get his ACL torn? That was the real beginning of Mike Shanahan’s down fall and those mistakes are all on him, yet he’s still trying to blame others for his own failures.

Mike Shanahan recently tried to get back into coaching this offseason but he had no takers and I think this interview and his failed tenure as Redskins head coach shows why.

Next: Could Kirk Cousins trade be Imminent with RGIII Starting?

Next: NFL Free Agency: Redskins Connections - Byron Maxwell

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