Mike Shanahan Press Conference: "I haven't made a decision on the starting QB **UPDATE** per John Keim: Cousins will start

[Mad Mike]

The fact is that RG3 has played like crap this year so let him sit and watch a few games since we have little to gain by playing him and much to lose if he should get hurt. Cousins may very well give us a better chance to win and evaluate the players around him. One of Griffin's faults is that he too often tries to do everything himself. 

 

*listening to Casserly on NFLN now and he was very critical of RG3s last game (and season in general). Paraphrasing:  "bad mechanics and accuracy, not reading D or rush well, staring down receivers, not throwing to the open man, half the sacks were his fault...." Oh, and apparently one of his sacks in the last game was because RG3 ran out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage. In other words... he sacked himself. Doh.

 

I have to believe RG3 is smart enough and has the character to match his physical gifts so that he can learn and grow from this. But anyone who can't see how bad he has been this year needs new lenses in their burgundy colored glasses.

[Adam]

Cousins stock could be sky high after playing falcons and cowboys passing D.

[Duckus]

I actually support the move to inactivate RG3 - I just don't like the reason Shanahan is doing it. 

 

RG3 can rest and have a long off-season. We get to see what Kirk can actually do. 

 

I am fine with that. 

[BraunMan92]

Cosell just on Cowherd. Just passing this along and will use exact words so as not to exaggerate.

Colin asked about our situation and the benching-// he did not get real deep into it. He said the redskins don't run a pro offense, they run a college offense. He then said, "RG3 needs a lot of work as a pocket passer."

Just trying to add to the discussion someone who doesn't have a dog in the fight unlike Cooley perhaps. He did not weigh in on whether he thought it was the right move to make a switch.

 

Trying to make RGIII a pocket passer and going away from read option helped lead to this mess.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

I still don't believe for a second he was 100% commited to RGIII. If he was he would not have drafted Cousins. And I don't believe for a second he was all that disappointed when RGIII got hurt last year.

 

So he traded 3 first rounders and a second just for ****s and giggles?

 

This is madness: For the price we paid for him RGIII has to become a ten-year All Pro level QB. He has to. If he doesn't, the team is totally screwed. Cousins could become Tom Brady, and it wouldn't matter because we would have traded the equivalent of four starters away for nothing.

[Hooper]

Any way you look at this nightmare, the only good thing is that at least we know RG3 is going to be healthy for the next coach.

I mean, his confidence will be shattered and character unfairly damaged, but other than that it's all good!

Seriously, at the last home game I want Snyder to stand up in the owners box, point to Shanny, then give the thumbs down like he's the Emperor in the Coliseum.

Then release a starving Albert Haynesworth from his chains to chase Shanny around the field and eat him.

Too harsh?

[Spooky]

I think this is what is best for the team.  The season is lost.  RG3 has been sacked to many time.  This guarantees he will be healthy for the off season work.  It will also increase Cousin's value.  Clearly, he wants to start, other teams need a QB and we can re-coup a pick or two.  Plus, Robert can use a little competition.  He is our franchise QB.  He had a good year last season but he is still unproven.  This is a little humble pie that show he needs to work hard and the team does comes first before any individual.  It also shows that Snyder will let a coach run the team and stay out of roster decisions.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

If I were Snyder, I'd go on a vacation for the next month and let Bruce Allen sort this out.  Just go radio silent.

 

 

And when Shanahan fires Allen, what do you do?

[styx491]

FLASH SALE! SHINY NEW QB! Buy one Shanahan get one free!!!!!!!!!!!

[Garcon More Wine]

No - but honestly he SHOULD be benched for poor performance based on what he's done this season.  I'm all for RGIII being taken down a few pegs.  The cowardice is in saying its to protect his health to placate Snyder.

 

see this makes no sense.  no one would be foolish enough to think griffin has played well, hes definitely struggled sans a few games.  but that means griffin is the only player on this team that has been benched for performance outside of rambo for a few weeks.  why not polumbus?  why not chester?  why is rocca on the team?  why is forbath on the team?  why is niles returning kicks?

 

hes not benching griffin for performance, hes benching him to spite dan and play this ugly game of chicken.  just when you think it cant get any lower, we sink even further down.  this is brutal.

[Boss_Hogg]

Guarantee Kirk plays lights out.

Just because.

Shanny is going to leave a mess very few coaches are going to want to clean up.

 

Shan's plan all along. Poor gasoline trail, light a match then run with your $7 million.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Any way you look at this nightmare, the only good thing is that at least we know RG3 is going to be healthy for the next coach.

I mean, his confidence will be shattered and character unfairly damaged, but other than that it's all good!

Seriously, at the last home game I want Snyder to stand up in the owners box, point to Shanny, then give the thumbs down like he's the Emperor in the Coliseum.

Then release a starving Albert Haynesworth from his chains to chase Shanny around the field and eat him.

Too harsh?

 

That would definitely bump up ticket prices on StubHub.

[Bifflog]

The fact is that RG3 has played like crap this year so let him sit and watch a few games since we have little to gain by playing him and much to lose if he should get hurt. Cousins may very well give us a better chance to win and evaluate the players around him. One of Griffin's faults is that he too often tries to do everything himself. 

 

*listening to Casserly on NFLN now and he was very critical of RG3s last game (and season in general). Paraphrasing:  "bad mechanics and accuracy, not reading D or rush well, staring down receivers, not throwing to the open man, half the sacks were his fault...." Oh, and apparently one of his sacks in the last game was because RG3 ran out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage. In other words... he sacked himself. Doh.

 

I have to believe RG3 is smart enough and has the character to match his physical gifts so that he can learn and grow from this. But anyone who can't see how bad he has been this year needs new lenses in their burgundy colored glasses.

 

So are you saying he is the biggest contributor to our teams struggles as of right now?  If so, I can point to 11 other guys on defense, and 11 special teamers who whould be sitting right next to him.

[kleese]

Whether or not the motivation for this move is evil or not, I'm very happy about it. I don't think RG could "develop" any further over these three games under these conditions. He's been going full bore since the injury and I don't think that in life in general taking a step back is a bad thing.

He is now guaranteed to be healthy all off season and if he is a mature guy he can take this and work it in his favor.

[Bifflog]

Any way you look at this nightmare, the only good thing is that at least we know RG3 is going to be healthy for the next coach.

I mean, his confidence will be shattered and character unfairly damaged, but other than that it's all good!

Seriously, at the last home game I want Snyder to stand up in the owners box, point to Shanny, then give the thumbs down like he's the Emperor in the Coliseum.

Then release a starving Albert Haynesworth from his chains to chase Shanny around the field and eat him.

Too harsh?

 

Thanks for this.  I needed to laugh, and this made it happen.

[Epochalypse]

Santana Moss doesn't seem to have a problem with it.

 

http://www.washingto...to-get-healthy/

 

But obviously Shanahan is doing this to ruin the entire team, get another job, shift blame to anyone but himself, whichever narrative you subscribe to in order to rationalize your dashed dreams this year.  It couldn't possibly be to actually give RG3 a chance at a full offseason.

 

Shanahan has failed here as a coach, but attributing these mindless rationales to every move he makes makes no sense.  Shanahan gains nothing by ruining the team.  None of these leaks coming out do anything to get him another job; in fact they hurt him more than help.  Shanahan has said many times he's to blame for this season.  Shanahan right now is making decisions as if he is still planning to coach the Redskins next year.  Whether he will or not is in serious jeopardy but I still shake my head reading all these posts by people who have never met Shanahan, have never been a part of his meetings, etc. who talk about his overwhelming ego and yet these same people would have you believe that they can read minds.

 

If Shanahan is fired it is because he was a bad coach, plain and simple.  Not because he is a criminal mastermind whose efforts to control the world are being thwarted by an internet forum who sees through his every scheme.

[kleese]

Shan's plan all along. Poor gasoline trail, light a match then run with your $7 million.

Do I think Shan is probably dropping the middle finger right now? Yeah, most likely.

But I don't think he and Kyle sat down in August and connoted a plan to destroy RG, throw away the season, and then in week 14 unleash KC and a this hidden offense they are hiding just to stick it to RG and Dan. That's Bigfoot type conspiracy.

[knowledge316]

LOL @ those agreeing with the benching to avoid injuries. Griffin isn't a ready QB yet, he needs all the live reps to get better. The more game films he has, the better it'll be for the new coach to teach him. Sorry, bad teams don't sit their QBs to avoid injuries. They play them hoping that they learn and get better for next season. 

 

Shanny is just being a dick and using this move to overshadow his failures as the HC/GM for the past FOUR seasons.

[BraunMan92]

see this makes no sense.  no one would be foolish enough to think griffin has played well, hes definitely struggled sans a few games.  but that means griffin is the only player on this team that has been benched for performance outside of rambo for a few weeks.  why not polumbus?  why not chester?  why is rocca on the team?  why is forbath on the team?  why is niles returning kicks?

 

hes not benching griffin for performance, hes benching him to spite dan and play this ugly game of chicken.  just when you think it cant get any lower, we sink even further down.  this is brutal.

 

Good point.   Shanahan talks about accountability yet seems selective on whom he disciplines/puts in the doghouse.

 

Fred Davis, for example.

Do I think Shan is probably dropping the middle finger right now? Yeah, most likely.

But I don't think he and Kyle sat down in August and connoted a plan to destroy RG, throw away the season, and then in week 14 unleash KC and a this hidden offense they are hiding just to stick it to RG and Dan. That's Bigfoot type conspiracy.

 

I agree- but I do feel that Shanahan was told "you start RGIII if Andrews says he's healthy for the opener" by Snyder.

 

The "all in for week 1" was a marketing scheme big time.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Santana Moss doesn't seem to have a problem with it.....

 

Seriously, any player worth his salt is going to back the HC REGARDLESS of what they feel. 

 

It's career suicide not to. It would just mark you down for the next guy to think 'Oh HELL no. that one's an agitator. He's the first out of the door.'

 

Hail. 

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Whether or not the motivation for this move is evil or not, I'm very happy about it. I don't think RG could "develop" any further over these three games under these conditions. He's been going full bore since the injury and I don't think that in life in general taking a step back is a bad thing.

He is now guaranteed to be healthy all off season and if he is a mature guy he can take this and work it in his favor.

 

I don't think this hurts RGIII long-term. Most people see this for what it is. Getting him out of harm's way may be all right.

 

The disgusting part is watching the organization fall apart like this. This is absolute insanity; it's worse than Vinny cutting off Zorn's balls by bringing in Sherm Lewis, because at least that ostensibly had some kind of football reasons behind it.

[Heathen]

At least I have reason to watch now.

I hope you will be as critical of KC as your are of RG

[Boss_Hogg]

Do I think Shan is probably dropping the middle finger right now? Yeah, most likely.

But I don't think he and Kyle sat down in August and connoted a plan to destroy RG, throw away the season, and then in week 14 unleash KC and a this hidden offense they are hiding just to stick it to RG and Dan. That's Bigfoot type conspiracy.

 

I agree with you. I think Mike's exit strategy started after the 49ers blowout on MNF. I don't think he was plotting this all along.

 

I wasn't clear in my previous post. I'm very emotional right now.

[ConcordNCSkinsFan]

I'm convinced the 7 game win streak last year wasn't due to Shanahan's positive influence, but rather to prove him wrong after he publicly quit on the season.

 

This is something that many in the media have forgot about. He had already quit on the team before the end of last season. He's a frontrunning loser who can't deal with adversity so he tries to take some kind of shortcut which is why he's had two franchises that have had to pay for salary cap violations. If he doesn't have a ready made winner like he did when he became the Denver Head Coach he's useless. What other supposed "Great" Coach will have been fired by 3 different teams when his career is done?

[darrelgreenie]

Cosell just on Cowherd. Just passing this along and will use exact words so as not to exaggerate.

Colin asked about our situation and the benching-// he did not get real deep into it. He said the redskins don't run a pro offense, they run a college offense. He then said, "RG3 needs a lot of work as a pocket passer."

Just trying to add to the discussion someone who doesn't have a dog in the fight unlike Cooley perhaps. He did not weigh in on whether he thought it was the right move to make a switch.

Kleese I've been saying this since last year and telling YOU this all season!!!!!

But guess what? Its on the coaching staff. Griffin doesn't design the offense nor call the plays nor can he develop himself as a pocket passer.