Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Redskins vs. Dolphins)

I think I considered that at the time of the hire, and, well, I didn't think that was realistic then and I don't think it's realistic now.

But I think even if that was the original plan, I don't see how that's different from any other type of 5 year contract for the head coach. Sure, the original expectation is that you have a long term solution, but if you don't, then you go in another direction when the current one isn't feasible anymore.

I think if it was going to happen here for Mike or Kyle, we'd have some sort of positive identity 25 games in. Because the only identity that Mike has left is baffling press conferences, I think the premise that the clock is ticking is inevitable.

It wouldn't be the worst thing to give a third year to this group, but I don't know why you would if the feeling is that we're just delaying the ultimate failure of this group. There has to be feelings of optimism to justify continuing on this path. Right now? The optimism is coming from the fact that the QB class is so strong in next years draft. That doesn't change if Mike Shanahan resigns. Nothing gets worse.

I'm left scratching my head but my best guess as to why this is happening is because MS is doing is best to emulate Belichick. He doesn't want to give too much information about players, is aloof about who's starting, calls players out in an attempt to not call players out, is very vague about injuries in order to keep other teams guessing. But I don't think MS is as good as Belichick.

The only other option is to think MS is really not a good speaker, and has lost his mind and possibly doesn't know what he's doing. Unless he's got alzheimers which would answer why his statement are different form his sons at times and why he says some of the things he does then I have to go with the fact he's trying to with hold, hide, or keep from being made public information that we fans and the opponant really don't need to know.

The good point in all this..... we either start getting better next year or MS is fired and we end up with 2 young hopefully talented QB's to develope for the future.And if the new hire doesn't like one of the QBs and thinks of the other as a good backup?

Then...it's 2013 and the Redskins are starting from scratch on a six year playoff drought. And probably a year or two to get back to the playoffs, and that assumes the new hire is a rarely competent one.

I'm left scratching my head but my best guess as to why this is happening is because MS is doing is best to emulate Belichick.I'm going to go out on a limb and say that's not it.

Outside of Gibbs, we've been in this crappy position twice within the last 10 yrs.(the ol ball coach and Zorn). F-ing enough is enough already.

p.s. As someone else mentioned about Zorn, his 2 yr. record was 12-20, same as the ol' ball coach. Unless MS can rally the team and win 3 more games this year.....he is who his record says he is. This abysmal performance, and worst of all no upward trend, is all on him.

I don't know what to say....

It's blatently obvious DS won't be able to please all fans at all times. But I was pretty sure most fans after the Zorn failure pretty much wanted a proven HC (and MS is) and wanted "consistancy". Simply throwing everything away yet again after 2yrs (this offseason) or after 3yrs is not, I would guess to be, "consistancy." We need to keep a coaching staff longer then 2-3 yrs, allow them to get the types of players for their system on the team, and keep a QB in the same scheme longer then 2 yrs. Why is P.Manning, E.Manning, Breese, Brady, etc. etc. so succesfull? because they stayed in the same system for more then 2 yrs.

I don't know what to say....

It's blatently obvious DS won't be able to please all fans at all times. But I was pretty sure most fans after the Zorn failure pretty much wanted a proven HC (and MS is) and wanted "consistancy". Simply throwing everything away yet again after 2yrs (this offseason) or after 3yrs is not, I would guess to be, "consistancy." We need to keep a coaching staff longer then 2-3 yrs, allow them to get the types of players for their system on the team, and keep a QB in the same scheme longer then 2 yrs. Why is P.Manning, E.Manning, Breese, Brady, etc. etc. so succesfull? because they stayed in the same system for more then 2 yrs.I agreed with the MS hire. I'm not calling for his head....yet. If we're in the same boat this time next year and no significant philisophical changes are made then yes I'll be screaming for him to be gone too.

Agree we need consistency, but we don't need to be consistently bad. The reason the QBs you mention above are successful is because they're damn good QBs, not because of their "systems". The HC's of their teams have been intelligent in the way they scheme around their talents. Any of these guys would be successful in any system. We don't have a franchise QB and there's no guarantee we'll get one this off-season.

If you've got a fridge full of chicken and a pantry full of noodles, you don't make steak & potatoes....you make chicken soup.

Edit: I'll add this, I love my son with all my heart, I've coached him since he was young. I'd love nothing better than for him to be an OC while I was HC and leave a HC position and legacy for him to step into/continue....however parental feelings can cloud judgement. I wouldn't put him & I in the situation that MS & KS are in here, because when things weren't going right and changes needed to be made it would be ugly for us both.

I sorta understand what you are trying to say, but the flaw in it is the fact that shanahan isn't a lame duck coach. Fact is these two drafts appear to have as many players of promise as all of VCs combined.

You have to give Shanahan the opportunity to bring a young QB in for the purpose of this effort. Short of picking a major bust, our draft position and the quality of qbs coming out ought to be enough to give the next coach (ugh) a start if the worst case happens and the shanahans are gone after year 3.

I doubt they will be though.The 2011 draft looks particularly good right now, and did at the time, but VC had a couple of good drafts that he either led or was heavily involved in: 2004, 2005, and I thought 2009 was pretty good at the time, though if Barnes continues to fail, only Orakpo is left from that class.

I can't agree that we have to make a questionable long term decision out of a sense of loyalty to a poor contract signed in 2010. If Shanahan is going to coach this team in 2012, he needs to be the best guy for the rebuilding process. I can't see how this is the conclusion after the last offseason and what it has turned into. Again, that last part is just my opinion, but I don't feel like I'm stretching to get there.

I'm left scratching my head but my best guess as to why this is happening is because MS is doing is best to emulate Belichick. He doesn't want to give too much information about players, is aloof about who's starting, calls players out in an attempt to not call players out, is very vague about injuries in order to keep other teams guessing. But I don't think MS is as good as Belichick.

The only other option is to think MS is really not a good speaker, and has lost his mind and possibly doesn't know what he's doing. Unless he's got alzheimers which would answer why his statement are different form his sons at times and why he says some of the things he does then I have to go with the fact he's trying to with hold, hide, or keep from being made public information that we fans and the opponant really don't need to know.Every coach says coachspeak. Mike Shanahan sometimes cannot help himself "revealing" something, like that whole cardiovascular endurance quote.

And if the new hire doesn't like one of the QBs and thinks of the other as a good backup?

Then...it's 2013 and the Redskins are starting from scratch on a six year playoff drought. And probably a year or two to get back to the playoffs, and that assumes the new hire is a rarely competent one.

I'm not sure how old you are or how long you've been a fan, I'm not questioning your fandom, all I'm saying is "WE" all have been through the Norv years of getting close and yet.... just not making it, Robiski, Schottenheimer (whom should have been given longer then 1 yr), Spurrier's short service, Gibbs2, Zorn, and now Shanahan. Basically the last 12 yrs being the worst as far as ups and downs, high expectations crushed...... Cerrato,.... so after all this BS WE all have been through is it really hard to just give the same HC longer then 2 yrs?

don't bring up Gibbs2 cause I totally believe Cerrato soured, sabotaged ...whatever the hole coaching staff and made it difficult to accomplish anything. Zorn is a prime example.

I've gathered from this crowdsourcing exercise that the prevailing opinion on Shanahan is that two years of failure isn't enough evidence to overturn the decision to bring him on as head coach + personnel guy.

I haven't heard anyone defend the Redskins as being on the right track.

So basically this is the coaching equivalent of the minutes during a challenge in the NFL where everyone is pretty certain the call on the field wasn't right, but we have to determine whether or not the visual evidence is indisputable. I propose that indisputable evidence is not necessary to make the best possible decision for the game going forward. I also realize I am the minority opinion on that one.

I'm not sure how old you are or how long you've been a fan, I'm not questioning your fandom, all I'm saying is "WE" all have been through the Norv years of getting close and yet.... just not making it, Robiski, Schottenheimer (whom should have been given longer then 1 yr), Spurrier's short service, Gibbs2, Zorn, and now Shanahan. Basically the last 12 yrs being the worst as far as ups and downs, high expectations crushed...... Cerrato,.... so after all this BS WE all have been through is it really hard to just give the same HC longer then 2 yrs?

don't bring up Gibbs2 cause I totally believe Cerrato soured, sabotaged ...whatever the hole coaching staff and made it difficult to accomplish anything. Zorn is a prime example.I wouldn't say I've "been through Norv" because I was more apathetic to the Redskins than die-hard in that era.

I'm going to ignore your pleas and bring up Gibbs 2.0 anyway.