It’s been three days since the Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan and his son offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan benched Donovan McNabb and everybody seems to have an opinion about what happened and why it happened.
I thought understood it right after the game, but the more the Shanahans talk the more I don’t understand what happened.
Here are a few opinions of so-called experts.
Former Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner says the decision by Mike Shanahan doesn’t make any sense.
“I couldn’t figure it out then. And then hearing coach Shanahan explain a little bit more over the last couple days, I’m even more perplexed with it.
“To say that he had some hamstring issues or he hasn’t run the two‑minute drill the last couple weeks and [they weren’t] sure he was in condition to do it? I mean, this is McNabb we’re talking about. He’s been out there every single snap of all these other games, and you’re going to tell me that he can’t finish out the two‑minute drive and doesn’t have the stamina and endurance to do that? Really a weird situation. I couldn’t make sense of it. I don’t know why it was done.”
Greg Doyel of CBSsports.com thinks it’s time to re-examine Mike Shanahan’s coaching and his legacy.
“Mike Shanahan’s treatment of Donovan McNabb earlier this week changes everything. After the way Shanahan screwed up the game, the explanation and his standing in the Redskins’ locker room, it’s time to reconsider Shanny’s legacy — from those Super Bowls in Denver to his preseason treatment of Albert Haynesworth.”
It’s time to ask a couple questions:
What if Mike Shanahan isn’t a genius after all? What if he’s just a mean-spirited, nepotistic little moron?”
Jason Cole of Yahoo sports points the finger at Mike Shanahan because his history shows he doesn’t know how to manage quarterbacks.
In 1999, he upset numerous Denver veterans when he made second-year man Brian Griese the starter at the last minute over Bubby Brister. After four seasons, Griese fell out of favor and Shanahan acquired Jake Plummer. After four seasons, Plummer fell out of favor and Shanahan acquired Jay Cutler, eventually yanking Plummer on a Thanksgiving Day road loss against the Kansas City Chiefs after telegraphing the move to the media.
Privately, Brister, Griese and Plummer will tell you that Shanahan jerked them around.
Now, it seems as if McNabb is becoming the latest member of the Shanahan’s Society of Disillusioned Quarterbacks. Eventually, however, the common denominator in this group is not something about their ability. Rather, it’s who’s managing them.
You know Peter King went right to the source to find out how Mike Shanahan and his son really feel about McNabb and it isn’t good.
Ross Tucker of ESPN.com also points the finger at Mike Shanahan for leaving his team with no quarterback to believe in.
“As I wrote in September, the quarterback is the guy everybody looks to for leadership in tough situations, and Shanahan’s decision to pull McNabb for Rex Grossman, even though it was still only a one-score game, could serve to undermine McNabb’s ability to lead. It is imperative that all the players believe wholeheartedly in the signal-caller, and most — if not all — of the Skins felt that way about McNabb because of the career he has had. Now, at least some of them will question that, and both McNabb and some of those teammates may be wondering if Shanahan will give his QB the hook should the offense struggle in its first couple of series over the next few games. That’s not good.
Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post thinks Shanahan made the right move by benching McNabb.
“The takeaway is that Shanahan benched McNabb because he was not running the offense effectively, and he fully expected to take major heat for it. “I knew it would happen,” Shanahan said by phone Monday. Every controversy of Shanahan’s career has amounted to the fact that he’s not afraid to bench a name player. He experienced far worse criticism than this as a coach in Denver, when he sidelined John Elway, who was beaten up and playing poorly, and replaced him with Gary Kubiak.”
“That was a “Holy cow,” Shanahan says. “You find out right away, when a decision is made with a quarterback, there’s constant scrutiny and questions about it.” As an assistant in San Francisco, he watched Steve Young challenge an aging Joe Montana. “That was an everyday ordeal,” he said.”
Shanahan had every right to bench McNabb. Reid benched McNabb when he was in Philly when McNabb was playing poorly. The coach has the right to bench any player if they aren’t performing. We all know McNabb and his emotions. This benching will leave a mark. It could jump start him to play better or shake his already questionable confidence. Let’s see what happens in future games. McNabb has to performing better or get off the field. For all the frustrated Philly fans during the McNabb era, this recent McNabb news is somewhat satisfying because we now have a reason for his shortcomings. McNabb should have been benched more times in the past for poor performances.
I have no opinion, I am sticking with my orginal, months old statement. He does not play here anymore, I have already forgotten his name.
Mcnabb who? OH the qb that led us to a Super Bowl victory. WAIT no i was thinking of other qb’s. u mean the guy who is 1-5 in NFC Championship and Super Bowl games. oh well no comment!
Well…..does anyone remember how Donovan played after the Baltimore benching? He plays better with a chip on his shoulder.
Why not let your prize off-season acquisition finish the game and then make a QB Change if he played poorly and was unable to move the team in the 2-minute drill (they went into the game with a 4-3 Record and at least in the Playoff Chase.. Why bring in a cold QB has hasn’t taken a regular season snap in who knows for how long.. Did Rex Grossman even have a chance in that final 2 minutes,did he warm up and throw the ball around on the sidelines to get his adrenaline and mind ready…I think Shanahan wil regret this move and should have played McNAb bthe remainder of game and then during this BYE week, then mak the move for GRossman if you think he gives the team the best shot to win, now you embarrased another veteran who is supposedly one your leaders…
This has to be one of the All-Time Blunders made by a Head Coach in years, to bench your starter with 2 minutes left in a game and bring in a guy who hasn’t played in a NFL game for a year and expect that back-up to come in and win the game for you…when in fact he was rushed hard and funbled in his first play where Detroit recovered and took it back for a TD to put the game out of reach..
Mcnabb was spoiled here with Runyan,Thomas, and a great O-line for the passing game. I know alot of 5 supporters say he did not win here with the wr’s he had. But i am sure if Brady,Manning,Brees, and Big Ben(and other qb’s) were given the choice of what Mcnabb had here or a suspect o-line with great wr’s they would all choose the 0-line. and probally win a few Super Bowls too. Plus Mcnabb did not do anything with Jackson and Maclin last year, choked in SuperBowl with TO, and got hurt when we had Stallworth. he had his chances with wr’s and blew it.
Was it Shanahan’s choice or the Redskins’ owner?
I think it was Vick who said that we don’t know everything and that maybe there was an injury to McNabb. Shanahan can’t possibly be that dumb to remove a starter at that time for any other reason. There is too much money involved. That’s why the Eagles tolerate Peters Penalties. If he was a lower paid player they would have shipped him out with Bell.
We are all outsiders, so we are forced to make play Sherlock Holmes here. Consider the facts:
1. Shanahan probably feels Snyder has his back. The fact that he played hardball with Haynesworth supports this notion.
2. Shanahan has a history of taking a different approach with players than Big Red. He clearly is willing to take chances (Clarrett) as well as stand up to players that don’t fit “his” ideals for the position.
3. He is intense, and at least to the outsider, McNabb does not appear as such.
4. Probably (an assumption) he has tried to light a fire under McNabb, but in his mind he has been unsuccessful.
5. He waited until a very high-profile moment to yank McNabb. This assured maximum effect – probalby to not only McNabb but also the team. Sent a strong message to do things “his way”.
6. He is taking this calculated risk to see if McNabb responds in a positive manner as he did in the Raven game. If he gets on the Shanahan train, then he might consider signing him for next year. If not, then they go a different direction.
7. Bringing in those other two slugs is more of the same – designed to pressure McNabb to get on the train.
8. And if he does not respond (more intensity, probably better game preparation, more efficient 2 minute offense, better conditioning, less Campbells… then why not make the decision now that he is not a franchise QB and they should start thinking about longer term solutions now.
It was a one score game when they yanked him, and that score was earned by the Lions for hitting McNabb on the throw (they hit his hand), and a solid play on the ball.
So why were they running catchup type plays at all (no play action/redirects, just line up and toss) when they were up by five points with 4 minutes to go (i.e. – the play where McNabb was intercepted)? The Eagles would have run the ball, or at least set up some shorter throws to move the chains. This was a 2nd down toss, I believe, and with that time on the clock it should be run, run, run, punt if no first down. You have a defense learn how to use it.
There hasn’t been a game where McNabb has thrown more than 2 ints in a game this year. His play hasn’t been very good this year, but to embarass someone who’s been seen as a model in the lockerroom is short sighted and selfish on the coaches part.
There was nothing in that benching that was a valid football decision. If the starter, backup, and all associated parties other than the coach(es) are confused about it, then there’s something going on that’s personal. In that way, it was a terrible move.
Well since we gossipping ..LMAO..let me get mine in as well…
I heard from an unamed source that the reason for the benching was because McNabb and Jr. the O.C. don’t get along and this was Daddy’s way of protecting his boy…but yall ain’t heard that from me
Since we are gossip central… I live in the DC area, and if this were a Basketball game, the Shanahans have just been routed. There is absolutely no logic to what he/they did. It is Nepotism at its best…But hey, Dad is supposed to protect his Son. Even if hes a little punk.
What I find interesting is the things coming out about when he played here
@jat
Bullshyt! It’s always whiney azz fans like you who bark the loudest about this guy. People like you are the reason why there can never be a rational/civil dialogue about McNabb. You just can’t keep it genuine. Who the hell are you speaking for? All I know as a fan is that he played the position at a pretty high level, stayed out of trouble, kept his mouth shut and brought some respectibility back to a franschise that was azz; save for a few Randall years. When he would never speak idiots like you would constantly analyze his “thoughts”; when he did speak, you bitched about what was said.Newsflash; McNabb wasn’t the overly emotional one. So called “tough-minded” eagle fans like you were always keeping shyt going. Give it a rest, he’s on another team now.
TO is laughing his ass off right now..he was right..and and he brought light to the situation..When To said the locker room was divided he was right, because they all knew..and half werent afraid to show it and the other half looked the other way outta respect..We should have kept TO..
Shannahan has no connection wit don..hes just another player..he gets no special treatment…Brian Baldinger on NFL Network was 100% correct when he said Andy was protecting a flawed QB….and we would see our team soar when he was gone..and if Vick never was hurt and started week one..i think we would have just one loss…and be the top nfc team in the league…
I said it time n time again ..mcNabb became un-coachable very quickly…why?..well im pretty sure the coaches said to him u need to drop some pounds, u need to get ur endurance up..he gained around 25lbs since entering the league…thats what the good food that money can buy..and some chnky soup..at least TO takes care of himself and his body..i believe mcpoop once he retires will blow up and get fat….if he cant get in shape better while playing football…lmao..imagine life after football….
who cares if hes on another team dog..read the damn article topic “whats our opinion of mcpoop”….and wer all here givin it mr brewski..so go n have a cold brewski..it sounds like ur empty…..lol j/k…
I AM YOUR TRUE #1 McCHOKE HATER..IM PROUD OF IT TOO..most would say but how could u criticize him, bash him, 5 championships, 1 superbowl…winning record..all with no talent to support him..well heres my answer to u mcpoop lovebirds…
He could of won us 5 superbowls. He could have been our hero..the firtst to bring us a Superbowl…but he couldnt//it wasnt the talent..the best reciever in the league wouldnt of worked …y??well we all see the truth about his lack of work ethic at practice..he thinks its all a joke..he thinks by smiling when shit goes bad, that his shit eating grin will win us the game..well it wont and it didnt..neither did his patting his chest sayn my bad when he threw a ground ball at victorino..oh shit i mean the receiver..how about run some miles us big solami eatin bastard…how the hell on gods green earth, can u not learn to throw an accurate ball over the course of 11 years,…11 years and he is STILL throwing grounders, flyballs, he throws punts..dont say spiral and mcnabb in one sentence…shit i just did…
End summary..hes far from being an Hall of Fame QB, way far. hes uncoachable..very poor practice habits, doesnt take the game serious enough, 11 years and still hasnt improved his accuracy, it actually gotten worse… all i can say about him is that hes a competitor and in the NFL thats not enough,,,im so glad hes gone..he sux ass…Its lookin like we are the deal winners…t/y to Nate Allen
I can read Missy. The point of my previous post was to expose crying-azz so ccalled fans like you. Thanks for proving my point Ms. #1 McNabb hater. Now go hump a Vince Papale jersey and miss me with the slick talk. I’m not impressed.
@ Silencer …You wrote half a page and stated nothing but personal reasons as to why you don’t like #5..he thinks its all a joke , smiling when shit goes bad, that his shit eating grin , patting his chest sayn my bad when he threw a ground ball at victorino , big solami eatin bastard..Then you go on to say he’s not accurate , you quote Baldinger as saying he’s flawed…He’s 92 and 49 with over 34,000 passing yards 223 TD’s….. that’s flawed ? ….And that’s all I got to say about that
Men Lie , Women Lie , FIGURES DON’T
Coldbrewski should calm down. Fans like to talk sports. McNabb was a part of the Philly sports community for 11 years, so he’s an interesting topic of sports conversation. So, let them talk about McNabb as they see him. Some are bigger fans of McNabb than others. That’s OK. I for one am glad he’s gone. Eleven years is enough. Now he’s Washington’s problem and we can analyze McNabb in hind sight as well as his present problems and successes. I find it funny that after just 5 or 6 games, there is so much controversy over McNabb in Washington. We had him for 11 years – some of it good and some of it painful. How many Sunday afternoons did we have to watch McNabb play sloppy and walk off the field laughing about it. We watched him throw the ball into the ground, throw interceptions, get sacked because he couldn’t release the ball quickly enough. And how about the inability to score in the red zone. I’m glad we finally have found out the reason for why McNabb was not good in the two minute drill. And, who can forgive McNabb for his giantic blunder in the 2005 Super Bowl when he CHOKED, literally. So, let the fans gabb about McNabb. It’s part of our therapy to recover from the 11 years we had to watch him as our QB.
If there was one story I could about the new system Wouldn’t be surprised if this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back with McNabb and he blows up Shannahan and the organization in his next press conference. The guy’s put up with a lot of BS from a lot people that couldn’t play a down of football at the QB spot and wouldn’t be qualified to hold on to jock strap over the years…at some it’s going to have to chap his hide to the point where he’s going to feel forced hold someone else’s feet to the fire for a bit. When you have other QBs, analysts around the leagues, ex-coaches etc. consistently like “Huh? …I don’t get that” it only adds to the pressure. McNabb should throw the term release out at his next press conference so he can start playing with Larry Fitz ASAP. The Cardinals may get wise and sign Vincent Jackson in the off season as well if he doesn’t get released before the end of the year. All the McNabb haters are just dreading the day McNabb gets on a team with killer offensive personnel.
Nope Jat, not gonna calm down. Just like you feel you and other fans have a right to whine and bitch every and all things McNabb, I have the right to call you out. You can try to convince yourself that your offering insightful commentary, but most fans, especially non-eagle fans who could care less, see your commentary as crying. Nope mcNabb was never the head-case. fans like you with the obsession are. Here’s one, how about enjoying what Vick is bringing us now and stfu.