There was never any question Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan would return for a third season. Now you know why. The Redskins’ dominating 23-10 victory over the New York Giants showed Shanahan still can coach. His personnel skills are debatable but not his ability on the sideline. And his son called a pretty nice game, too.
Washington is 5-9, and Shanahan needs to win one of the final two games just to tie the 12-20 mark in two years recorded by predecessors Jim Zorn and Steve Spurrier. But Spurrier and Zorn couldn’t motivate their players after October. Shanahan just delivered a potential knockout blow to the Giants’ NFC East title hopes.
Motivating players is everything. It’s why the Capitals fired Bruce Boudreau and why so many coaches lose their jobs.
The Redskins haven’t given up despite overwhelming injuries and a six-game midseason losing streak. Washington pressed Dallas and New England in recent defeats. The Redskins haven’t been overwhelmed lately, and that shows one thing: pride.
It’s so easy for teams to quit late in a losing season. It happens all too often. Players don’t always care once they are trailing in a game. December is all about protecting themselves from injuries and the need for offseason surgeries.
But Shanahan has kept this team together. A year ago, the drama of Albert Haynesworth and Donovan McNabb proved too much to overcome. This year, after tight end Fred Davis and offensive tackle Trent Williams were suspended for drug use, Washington’s offense responded with its two best games of the season.
Shanahan is one of those tough-but-fair coaches. He micromanages, but as long as players do their jobs and stay out of trouble, they will have no trouble from the coach.
Former Redskins coach Marty Schottenheimer put players through the team’s toughest preseason probably since Vince Lombardi’s 1969 camp, but Washington responded with an 8-3 finish in 2001. Shanahan may get decent late results, too.
Meanwhile, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is silencing the nepotism charges of his critics. It takes a while to call plays effectively, but the younger Shanahan is growing into the job. A return to the running game has left the pass-run mix solid over the past month. Washington ran for 123 yards on 40 carries against New York in old-fashioned NFC East smash-mouth style.
Kyle Shanahan used five different runners. Roy Helu and Evan Royster look like the Redskins’ best combination since Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts in 2006-07. That Washington is still running effectively behind a line of reserves is a tribute to the staff.
Washington could win its next two games against awful Minnesota and underperforming Philadelphia. Beating the Giants ensured their chances for a high draft pick and a marquee quarterback in April are gone barring a trade, so the Redskins instead can focus on salvaging some respect over the final two weeks.
Respect — it’s what good coaches command.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
