Lost Some Faith In Shanahan

I think more responsibility should be placed on Mike Shanahan for losing the playoff game, confidence of some fans and most importantly jeopardizing the long term health of one of his players. Seriously, i don't trust the guy and Shanahans ego has always been before everything else. There was a situation in Denver with Jake Plummer and Shanahan lied about Plummers injury. In the super bowl with Denver, Terrell Davis had a chronic migraine issue on the sidelines that could have left him blind, yet Shanahan knowingly put him back in the game as a "decoy" and even afterwards bragged about it. That was the last game Davis ever played.

Don't think for one second that Mike Shanahan didn't know the seriousness of RG3's knee and his condition during that game. Shanahan may try to defelct blame saying the Dr told him that everything was okay etc., but i'm not buying it. Mike Shanahan handled this situation very wrecklessly and irresponsibly. He foolishly took a silly chance and gambled but ended up losing everything. All of us saw how badly Robert was hurt and many were screaming early third quarter to take him out. Shanahan should have known better and definitely should have gotten him out of there perhaps 2nd quarter. No team Dr needed to inform Mike Shanahan or the fans how bad RG3 really was after he reinjured himself early in the game. Even if Griffin came to him as a warrior and said "coach, i'm not coming out, let me finish this game", Mike being 40 years wiser than RG3 and looking at him as a "son", should have said no, enough is enough, there will be more playoff oppurtunities in the future i won't risk you career and long term health. What is even more disturbing, after visibly seeing RG3 limping and hobbling around the field, they continued to call plays that further exposed him to more injury. If that was his son Kyle out there behind center with the same injury, i doubt if Mike would leave him out there all game as he limped around like a maimed animal exposed to one of the best defenses in the NFL until his knee final collapses.

Even if RG3 insisted on playing and would have been disappointed, you are an "all time" superbowl wining coach with years of experience and should have known how to handle this situation. If my kid has a high fever sick with the flu and still wants to go outside to play trying to convince me he feels okay, would i give in?

Sometimes, things are not always about winning and losing. I'm sure Mike would have earned the respect from the fans (win or lose) had he sat RG3 out when he should have and stood up to his decision by stating that he will never knowingly jeopardize a players health for a football game no matter how important it is.

What I witnessed on Sunday was disgusting and is much bigger than a playoff loss. It makes me question not only Shanahan's coaching ability, but something far greater.....His humanity and sincere care for his players while trying to win at all costs. I'm not sure if i would want to win like that or have a coach with that type of mindset. I highly doubt if Adrian Peterson was not fully healed and he was limping around the field, the Vikings would continue to play him knowing he also had ligament damage just last year.

Mike probably didn't have faith that Cousins could win the game or he was afraid of the backlash from the fans, media and perhaps management for taking RG3 out. In either decision he made, someone was going to be unhappy. How about choosing the decision that prevents your star QB that you invested so much into from tearing up his already fragile knee even further?

Useful Tips Shanahan Could Have Used:

-When you see your star QB limping like a wounded dog who has torn his ACL in 2009 and had further ligament damage just a few weeks ago, goes on a strectch of 7-11 and 20 yards, pull him out of the game no matter what RG3 or team doctors may say.

-You wouldn't even be in the playoffs if your backup rookie QB Kirk Cousins would not have beat Philly and Cleavland. His record is 2-0 for the games he's played in. Put him in.

-You have the 2nd leading in the rusher in the NFL rush for 11 carries and 60 yards in the first half. Run him more than 16 carries all game.

I'm sure Mike had faith in Cousins- he and the rest of the coaching staff offered constant votes of confidence in him after the Baltimore game and before and after the Cleveland game.

I also don't think there would have been any backlash from the fans if he took RG3 out of the game. That's what most fans were screaming for in the first place. At least all the Skins fans that I know were anyway. We were playing with house money. Win or lose that playoff game, this season was a huge success. Young team, franchise QB/RB, and improving D despite a rash of injury, and a NFC East title earlier than anyone foresaw. I wanted to leave Sunday with a healthy RG3 much more than I did a win vs. Seattle.

I'm disappointed that Shanahan did not remove Robert from the game. The injury prevented him from being effective in any way after the first quarter. For that reason alone he should have been sitting. The long-term risk to his knee is just icing on the cake.

Let's not forget that Shanahan was a top-3 candidate for coach of the year this season. I'm behind him and I'm sure the team is as well. They've certainly bought in.

The biggest reason for the season turnaround and march into the playoffs was Mike Shanahan. Should he pulled him, yes, but im not gonna fault him based on what RG3 said. It wasnt malicious.

KC is 2-1, atlanta was a loss.


^welcome back Scud.

The biggest reason for the season turnaround and march into the playoffs was Mike Shanahan. Should he pulled him, yes, but im not gonna fault him based on what RG3 said. It wasnt malicious.

KC is 2-1, atlanta was a loss.

Wouldn't he be 1-0 Since Atlanta and Baltimore weren't starts?

Wouldn't he be 1-0 Since Atlanta and Baltimore weren't starts?

yeah, i just based 2-1 on what OP originally said, games Curt(firstdown style) Cousins played in.

The biggest reason for the season turnaround and march into the playoffs was Mike Shanahan. Should he pulled him, yes, but im not gonna fault him based on what RG3 said. It wasnt malicious.

KC is 2-1, atlanta was a loss.


^welcome back Scud.

Thank you sir. Good to be back.

wow, milellie, will you ever post a positive thread?

How many times do we have to hear this until we realize that maybe, JUST MAYBE, some of this blame should be on Robert himself? He knows his body better than anybody else, and God love him for being a warrior and willing to fight on one leg, but the coach does not have all the freakin' time in the world to go and chase down the doctor or his assistant coaches and inquire about every single injury. He's got coaching to do, he's got a game he was trying to win. There are a lot of would've, could've, should'ves floating around, but ya know, things happen. Move on. Wish Griffin the best, thank God for a great turnaround of a season. Things are bright for this team.

I would have taken him out too but now that we've had some time to reflect I think the criticism Shanahan is taking is a little unwarranted.

We don't know all the facts as far as what was going on down on the sidelines or what info he had, or didn't have.

RG3 isn't the first guy in sports history to play hurt. Plenty of guys have been lauded for their courage for playing hurt or sick. And I expect if he somehow pulled that game out he'd be a hero for it. Since we lost it's easier to label it as a bad decision.

It's funny all week anytime I've heard an ex-player talk about it, most have supported the decision to keep him in the game, while those in the media that aren't ex-players are saying it was a bad move.

Nope nope....I'm on the crucify Shanahan team.
We mortgaged our future in a huge way and bought the shiniest most expensive toy we could find and then we used it to pound nails with.
Effin stoopid!