Albert Haynesworth was right — Mike Shanahan isn’t always right.
First, Shanahan mishandled his star defensive lineman. Then he tossed Devin Thomas aside despite not having a solid second receiver. Now, Shanahan is picking a fight with quarterback Donovan McNabb that could impact the franchise for years.
It’s the enemy within that now plagues the Redskins.
Shanahan has a real problem with those who don’t automatically sign on to his system. And while coaches should be the boss, today’s players no longer follow them blindly. It takes finesse to work the locker room and Shanahan just threw a stink box into it.
Benching McNabb in the final 1:45 of the 37-25 loss to Detroit on Sunday was a season-defining gaffe. No one believes Rex Grossman gave Washington the better chance to win, which was instantly proven by the quarterback fumbling on the first snap for a Lions’ touchdown to seal the defeat.
Shanahan is used to a small town like Denver that blindly followed his former Broncos. That’s not Washington. This city devours leaders and Redskins fans even second-guessed Joe Gibbs during his second stint. For Shanahan to get upset over questions of the benching shows a real crack in his style.
The Redskins spent the last six months making McNabb the face and leader of this team. But when the team needed him to lead his 25th career comeback victory, Shanahan lamely said Grossman knew the two-minute offense better.
Please, nobody believes that. If you want to say McNabb couldn’t get it done that’s fine. But the same problem that haunted McNabb — no blocking — doomed Grossman, too.
Shanahan now has alienated McNabb, and while a few wins will make everyone forget that benching, it surely impacts the free agent’s offseason decision over whether he’ll re-sign with Washington. Frankly, the Redskins need McNabb more than he needs them. The Redskins don’t have a 2011 starter in Grossman or third-stringer John Beck. No way owner Dan Snyder risks thousands of season-ticket packages by rolling out those guys under center.
Losing McNabb also burned two draft picks in the trade with Philadelphia. Combined with the one wasted on trading for guard Artis Hicks, Shanahan’s personnel moves have produced sketchy results.
McNabb has not been a Pro Bowler this season, but victory has been simply surviving the NFL’s worst offensive line. If Shanahan thinks Kory Lichtensteiger and Hicks were real replacements then there’s further reason to worry.
Ironically, the McNabb controversy comes just days after Shanahan finally made peace with Haynesworth. Conceding his way wouldn’t work, which took three months too long to accept, Shanahan unleashed the lineman from the 3-4 scheme. Haynesworth responded with two solid games.
Shanahan needs to replicate predecessor Marty Schottenheimer’s 2001 turnaround when he adapted to the personnel and checked his ego to turn an 0-5 start into an 8-8 season.
A coach doesn’t always know best and Shanahan needs to learn so quickly.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
