John Childress -> RE: RE:NFL News (12/21/2010 12:20:51 PM)
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QUOTE As regards Donovan McNabb, the Redskins gave up second- and fourth-round draft choices for him, then awarded him a new contract with stupendous paper value, and now have demoted him to third string; he is likely to be waived. When Shanahan arrived in Washington, his first big push was to obtain McNabb. Now, Shanahan apparently wants McNabb thrown under the bus, in order to shift blame for yet another Redskins losing season. Shanahan rode into town encouraging the press corps belief that he was some kind of ultragenius. So the embarrassing season can't be his fault -- McNabb or Albert Haynesworth must be to blame. As Tuesday Morning Quarterback noted of Shanahan this past summer, "his big seasons all came with John Elway: in his non-Elway years, Shanahan's results are pedestrian." Increasingly it seems Shanahan gained a reputation as a top coach because he lucked into one of the best quarterbacks ever -- plus good players on the Broncs' mid-1990s rosters. Left on his own without Elway, Shanahan is somewhere between average and a bumbler. Blaming McNabb for the bad season might delay, for one additional year, general recognition of this. Note: I said last week that Shanahan would waive kicker Graham Gano in order to blame him for the missed extra point at the end of the loss to the Bucs. A few hours after that column came out, Shanahan waived holder Hunter Smith, effectively blaming him. Win as a team, lose as a team -- if a player should be waived for a single-second slip with a wet football in cold rain, shouldn't Shanahan be fired for botching the whole situation by going for one to tie instead of two to win?
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