The next month may well define Mike Shanahan’s tenure in Washington.
The Redskins are 1-2 and obviously teetering. The first loss prompted sniping in the locker room; the second brought confusion. That’s perfectly normal but unexpected under Shanahan, whose style smacks of Marty Schottenheimer’s controlling rule. And we know how that ended — one and done.
This isn’t saying the Redskins again are on a new coach watch. There is no way owner Dan Snyder will consider a quick change as he did with Schottenheimer, who after an 0-3 start was doomed to a January dismissal. Snyder nearly fired Jim Zorn after one season.
No, it might take a 2-14 season for Snyder to consider chasing Bill Cowher again. Shanahan will be here in 2011 and probably 2012, but fans make quick decisions. They’re either going to support, tolerate or hate Shanahan after the next month, and that impression likely will stick for his tenure.
Washington will travel to Philadelphia on Sunday before hosting Green Bay and Indianapolis and then heading to Chicago. That’s three division leaders and a second-place team in four weeks. The Packers, at 2-1, are a popular Super Bowl pick.
Welcome to the Green Mile of NFL schedules.
The best team in the league would be hard-pressed to go 3-1 against those four opponents. Most would be happy to go 2-2. The Redskins might finish 1-3, with their best chance coming against Philadelphia.
Losing all four of those games would mean a 1-6 start. At that point, the Burgundy Revolution would be wondering whether Shan?ahan is the right choice. A 2-5 mark would prove this is a losing season but at least a work in progress. Anything better and Shanahan shows fans his highway approach is worthwhile.
Shanahan seems to be suffering from what many coaches who are out of the game even one season face — inflexibility. Maybe it’s from having too much time to think about their style during their break. Schottenheimer started 0-5 before revamping his system when he returned in 2001 after a three-year absence. The man who locked dorm doors at curfew suddenly was lunching with players.
Joe Gibbs’ 14-year break was an eternity, and the Hall of Famer never overcame the generation gap. The NFL had grown tremendously during his absence, and Coach Joe always seemed to be playing catch up. He endured two losing seasons in four years and had only one playoff victory.
Steve Spurrier came fresh from college ball, but “Ball Coach” never understood the pro game, quitting from the golf course after two seasons. His return to the NFL 26 years after his playing career ended was like Rip Van Winkle awakening in a different world.
Now Shanahan transfers from a remote NFL outpost in Denver to the fishbowl of the nation’s capital. He’s becoming the Bill Belichick of the Mid-Atlantic, with short say-nothing news conferences and “questionable” tags for injury reports that seemingly were bought in bulk from Costco.
A few wins will make Shanahan seem relevant once more. A few losses and everyone will wonder whether Snyder blew it again.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
