Are you buying into the Shanaplan?

It's worth pointing out that he inherited an awful roster (from himself) this past offseason and still managed to stage something of a turnaround to the point where we made a worst to fighting for first move in the standings behind a main acquisition (Griffin), a surprise emergence (Morris), and a bit of internal development (Trent, Monty). So the idea that he needed all this time...I mean look at the top performers during this winning streak. That didn't take very long at all.
Stunning what a full and proper offseason can do for a rebuild.

I've noticed you've positioned yourself quite well on both sides of the Shanahan argument. On one side you were against him from jump, point out all of his missteps as proof you were right.

On the other hand, you said in the Should Shanahan Be Canonized thread, "We always had the talent for 9-10 wins this year. It looked real dismal at 3-6, but it turns out the team was underachieving at that point. They've overachieved the last five games. And the end result is now a two-game season against Philadelphia and Dallas to determine the NFC East. We're right where we're supposed to be. so if we win the NFC East then it's 'well that's what they should have done' so no actual credit is deserved. Well played but kinda talk radio-ish for me.

Stunning what a full and proper offseason can do for a rebuild.

I've noticed you've positioned yourself quite well on both sides of the Shanahan argument. On one side you were against him from jump, point out all of his missteps as proof you were right.

On the other hand, you said in the Should Shanahan Be Canonized thread, "We always had the talent for 9-10 wins this year. It looked real dismal at 3-6, but it turns out the team was underachieving at that point. They've overachieved the last five games. And the end result is now a two-game season against Philadelphia and Dallas to determine the NFC East. We're right where we're supposed to be. so if we win the NFC East then it's 'well that's what they should have done' so no actual credit is deserved. Well played but kinda talk radio-ish for me.Read closer. Before Griffin vs. after Griffin. It's two different analyses of two different timeframes, not two different arguments straddling the same topic.

There's no reason that with Griffin, the team shouldn't be in the 9-10 win range. But before he was acquired, the team just wasn't very good.

How quickly the Redskins have got this thing going in the right direction says a lot about the five year plan. I know some people are going to see this as an iceberg effect, which, I mean sure, I guess. But the preponderance of evidence suggests as recently as midseason, the Redskins hadn't figured out anything re: being on the right track. In the last five weeks, they've done very little wrong at all. And they're on pace to sustain it.

Contrary to the belief that everything was planned all along, including the losing, this turnaround has been as sudden and unpredictable as it has been enjoyable. Almost out of nowhere, the Redskins started doing smart things, and they are starting to pull away from the mediocre competition they struggled with previously.

It's worth pointing out that he inherited an awful roster (from himself) this past offseason and still managed to stage something of a turnaround to the point where we made a worst to fighting for first move in the standings behind a main acquisition (Griffin), a surprise emergence (Morris), and a bit of internal development (Trent, Monty). So the idea that he needed all this time...I mean look at the top performers during this winning streak. That didn't take very long at all.

See, its posts like this that has me shaking my head. One of the reasons that I have said patience is whats needed. It didnt take long at all...

There is one MASSIVE inherent problem with that ideology on the grand scale of things though. It leads people to draft QB's like Gabbert or Sanchez!!! And then wait... and wait... and wait... for them to break through. And then teams sign WR's at a high cost out of panic to help out even though they might not fit your system.

Shanny messed up with McNabb, but after year one, he did look to build the main part of the team through the draft. He also deserves credit for passing on Gabbert, when most fans wanted him. Even Dalton, who looks to be good, but I still dont expect him to win SB's unless Cincy puts together a great defense. He waited for that stud QB to be available and went all in for him. Draft Gabbert, and its 3 more years of losing before we cut ties. Then the QB search begins again.

It didnt take long at all once he had a couple of drafts to get some youth, and then identified that guy at QB, and signed the WR's then. And dont hand me that Garcon isnt valuable because of the almost unheard of thing of getting injured in the NFL.

There is a right way and a wrong way to build a team. We finally have something resembling of it being done the right way, and your attitude is all it takes is one draft to win SB's... Which leads me to why posts like these make me shake my head. Because you have no clue about building a team and yet I wasted my time not only reading your post, but also responding to it.

Its really arrogant to hold yourself up as the model for "the right way" to build a team while winning 40% of your games, but we're quickly getting away from the point.

It's going to take a long run of consistent, good play to balance out those first two years, and it's not something you can turn around in a five week period of the regular season. Those who say otherwise are jumping to conclusions. But it's been a really good start.

Coaching, in every aspect no less, has improved pretty markedly. Offensively, we saw the number of busted plays go from 5+ to 1 or 2 per game to 0 or 1 per game. That's pretty dramatic IMO. Defensively, we stopped minimizing our talent. London is staying in the middle more and getting zone time on pass plays. Rob Jackson is developing. Guys are swarming with intensity.

But I don't think we've been outperforming our talent over these last 5 games. I think execution has improved nominally. Passes are still dropped, carries still fumbled, sacks given up. The real story of improvement has been coaching, on both sides of the ball. Kyle's play-calling and Haslett's scheming are the big ones, but we're even getting the little things right all the sudden. Paul wasn't targeted once last game, right?

The real question is whether the improvement continues, or is this just a run? Short of sniffing the SB this season, we probably won't know what this is till next season. Are we gonna be 11-5, or back to 6-10? I'm not talented enough to say "I know" but there are good arguments on both sides of the debate.

Yup. Winning the way we did without RG-3 cemented it for me. Even last week I was thinking that RG-3 was making jobs safe. Its reAlly early into the "renaissance" to be completely sold, but hell yes im buying in. I mean we drop one or two and find ourselves on the outside looking in? Than next year we are 2-3 to start the year? Oh boy.
Dont see that happening though.
Team looks like it is primed to be good for a long time to come. Wait until Rak, Carriker, BW, Davis, Helu, Neild, our cap space and our number one picks are back. In two years we will have all that and a more mature group of young guns. Wow. Shanny looks like he is enjoying himself out there and that is good.

19-27 in his 3 seasons -- sorry, need a playoff win to buy in

Looking at Locker and Sanchez last night, aren't you guys glad we didn't end up with either of those? ......better yet, imagine us with Gabbert.


We need to thank Mike nightly as we dodged bullets like Neo.

Looking at Locker and Sanchez last night, aren't you guys glad we didn't end up with either of those? ......better yet, imagine us with Gabbert.


We need to thank Mike nightly as we dodged bullets like Neo.

I thought the samething last night. Put Ponder on that list an unimpressed as well. RG3 has been head and tails above them.

A guy who I was not high on who has kinda surprised me and think he has a better future than the 4 above is Tannehill. I think for a completely offensive talentless team outside of the average Reggie Bush, he's done decent. He needs serious help at every skill position.

I think Locker needs to stay healthy in order to give him a fair chance, but the ability to on the field is part of the evaluation. He cant take a hit to save his life. He is very overrated scrambler with the ball.

Its really arrogant to hold yourself up as the model for "the right way" to build a team while winning 40% of your games, but we're quickly getting away from the point.

It's going to take a long run of consistent, good play to balance out those first two years, and it's not something you can turn around in a five week period of the regular season. Those who say otherwise are jumping to conclusions. But it's been a really good start.

Your hypothesis is rooted in the assumption that your evaluation of the last two years is correct. Perhaps the winning ways simply took a few new players and a little chemistry to finally come together.