Should Mike Shanahan Be Canonized?

Wrong. Rookie QB we bet the farm on because he's arguably the most dynamic athlete in pro football and actually been better than anyone expected. We're actually one of the healthier teams right now, and have been remarkably healthy across the oline this season. And finally, the last two years have been atrocious (Zorn-line in wins) because we were rebuilding, right? We're a win now team. Next year we're likely to see defenses catch up to us a bit, most QBs experience some kind of sophomore slump, and again we're not in any position to add significant talent in the next two years UNLESS we bet the farm in the next decade lol.

Unless you think Mike has suddenly become a defensive expert, as in he took the scheming away from Haslett, I don't know how you even put Mike as the most improved coach on the team, let alone the league. Haslett, who seemed overwhelmed the first half of the season, has schemed his way back into respectability. Kyle, who flashed genius early, is putting whole games together now instead of just series and quarters.

Where Mike gets credit is not buckling under the intense pressure of being 3-6 when he's coaching a win now team. It's not a small thing IMO, takes some real brass.

What's this "win now team" thing? Tough to call a team with a rookie QB, a rookie RB, and a rookie backup QB a "win now team."

Unless, of course Shanahan created the "win now team" sometime during this season. Which surely would be more credit than you've been willing to give the coaches todate. Can't have it both ways...

I am not going to cry if Haslett is gone, but when you think about how this D has taken control in the 2nd half since the Dallas game, and we should get more talent on that side of the ball in the off season, plus our guys back I could be ok if he stays as well.

Oh no doubt, he could stay, but when you look back to how we were with both Orakpo and Carriker, and other games this season where we haven't been good at all on defense (Pittsburgh and St. Louis comes to mind) makes you remember how bad we were and other possibilities. What if Haslett had adjusted to Amendola earlier? Possibilities like that come to mind. Would we be a game better in the playoff race?

For 3 years all I've been hearing consistently about Haslett is that he is horrible at adjusting...has he been adjusting better recently or is it just that the defense knows that if they make a stop, they can put their explosive offense on the field..

This question won't be answered until the seasons over.

When you wrote that I was thinking "there is no way that's true."

And yet it is.

I know, I was surprised when I looked at it, because for a while he seemed like the poster boy for sophomore slumps, but I think it was mainly his attitude during his losses.

What's this "win now team" thing? Tough to call a team with a rookie QB, a rookie RB, and a rookie backup QB a "win now team."

Unless, of course Shanahan created the "win now team" sometime during this season. Which surely would be more credit than you've been willing to give the coaches todate. Can't have it both ways...Kinda agree with you. Giving all those draft picks was kinda "win now", but Shanny's presided over a youth movement. He's had his moments (McNabb) but "Win Now" hasn't been Shanny's way with the Skins overall.

If we had signed Peyton Manning instead of drafting RG3, that would have been a "win now" move IMO. Even with all those draft picks we would have kept. Someone might correct me on this, but our cap situation would have been even worse with Manning, right?

edit: Wow CRedskinsRule, great observation. Looked at his stats and compared to Aaron Rodgers. If Cam improves over the course of his career as Aaron did, the sky's the limit! Same for Griffin.

The average age of the Redskins roster is still on the older side. The idea of the youth movement is real, but a lot of those players are at the end of their rookie contracts now and will be expensive to retain (or already are expensive, such as Garcon or Morgan).

Here's the youth movement: Griffin is 22. That's it. That's the youth. Five years from now, Aaron Rodgers will be 34, Peyton Manning will be 41, and Drew Brees will be 38. Griffin will be 27.

Griffin and Rodgers are shockingly similar from a numbers (and a skill set) perspective.

The average age of the Redskins roster is still on the older side. The idea of the youth movement is real, but a lot of those players are at the end of their rookie contracts now and will be expensive to retain (or already are expensive, such as Garcon or Morgan).

Here's the youth movement: Griffin is 22. That's it. That's the youth. Five years from now, Aaron Rodgers will be 34, Peyton Manning will be 41, and Drew Brees will be 38. Griffin will be 27.

Is this real?...you think too hard sometimes Tripp

Those numbers are accurate, yes.

The average age of the Redskins roster is still on the older side. The idea of the youth movement is real, but a lot of those players are at the end of their rookie contracts now and will be expensive to retain (or already are expensive, such as Garcon or Morgan).

Here's the youth movement: Griffin is 22. That's it. That's the youth. Five years from now, Aaron Rodgers will be 34, Peyton Manning will be 41, and Drew Brees will be 38. Griffin will be 27.

There is more than just Griffin to the youth movement...
Morris is 24
Orakpo 26
Kerrigan 24
T. Williams 24
Garçon 26

There are other plays like fred davis, riley and jenkins but to say that Griffin is the youth movement in my opinion is not accurate.

Morris
Forbath
Kerrigan
Riley
Jenkins
Robinson
Davis
Garcon

You're working too hard Gtripp and moving into the realm of the obtuse.