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So Shanahan....
I have been saying this for months now, actually since before the season when Snyder was rumored to have wined and dined Shanahan during the off-season. "The grass is always greener" syndrome is certainly in play. People will immediately be excited because of his pedigree and resume and they should be, but they should try to remain cautiously optimistic.
everyone has been talking about his two Super Bowls, but he won those with Elway and while his winning % is still around .570 without Elway, the bottom line is that he has won 1 playoff game since Elway's retirement. In cities like Cleveland, Cincy, Carolina, Jax, etc getting a proven winner with a track record of getting teams to the playoffs would be a steal. However, DC is a different animal. Whether the Redskins' fan base is entitled to it or not, they/we feel we deserve to be competing for championships and playoff births should be a formality--even though the franchise has 2 playoff wins in the last 15 years. Our logic is backwards and unrealistic with this line of thinking, but it is what it is.
Aside from the one playoff win since Elway's retirement, this is what really scares me. His ego, which ultimately leads to weird/awful decisions. Look at who he thought he could win with at QB over the years: Plummer, Greise, Cutler. Sure those guys enjoyed some success, but overall they were/are disappointments and incredibly inconsistent. His defenses have also been horrendous at times. He also had the benefit of competing in the AFC west which for a large majority of his tenure never had more than two formidable teams. Meaning that he had around 4 cupcake games a year. Think about it, when was the last time the Raiders, Chiefs, Broncos and Chargers all had legit shots at deep runs in the playoffs. He will be walking into a division that is up for grabs every year and has teams that can make runs to the title game or Super Bowl every year.
Now with all the above being said, I think he will be benefit from several things.
1) immediately he will playing a 4th place schedule. With an improved offensive line and some minor adjustments the skins are talented to compete and at least go .500. This should build momentum for his tenure here.
2) He has an owner that will spend money and provide him with any resource he requires/asks for
3) he ultimately will be in charge of personnel. So this is his baby, which will be the first time in Snyder's tenure that this will be the case. He will be working hand in hand with Bruce Allen to evaluate and make roster decisions and Snyder (reportedly) will have little to no input in these type of discussions. The only thing Snyder will have veto power on will be money type issues.
In summation, on paper this is a good hire and obviously a step up from what was in place. However, consider the division he is playing in and Shanahan's lack of (playoff) success over the last decade, my enthusiasm will remain tepid until proven otherwise.
I have been saying this for months now, actually since before the season when Snyder was rumored to have wined and dined Shanahan during the off-season. "The grass is always greener" syndrome is certainly in play. People will immediately be excited because of his pedigree and resume and they should be, but they should try to remain cautiously optimistic.
everyone has been talking about his two Super Bowls, but he won those with Elway and while his winning % is still around .570 without Elway, the bottom line is that he has won 1 playoff game since Elway's retirement. In cities like Cleveland, Cincy, Carolina, Jax, etc getting a proven winner with a track record of getting teams to the playoffs would be a steal. However, DC is a different animal. Whether the Redskins' fan base is entitled to it or not, they/we feel we deserve to be competing for championships and playoff births should be a formality--even though the franchise has 2 playoff wins in the last 15 years. Our logic is backwards and unrealistic with this line of thinking, but it is what it is.
Aside from the one playoff win since Elway's retirement, this is what really scares me. His ego, which ultimately leads to weird/awful decisions. Look at who he thought he could win with at QB over the years: Plummer, Greise, Cutler. Sure those guys enjoyed some success, but overall they were/are disappointments and incredibly inconsistent. His defenses have also been horrendous at times. He also had the benefit of competing in the AFC west which for a large majority of his tenure never had more than two formidable teams. Meaning that he had around 4 cupcake games a year. Think about it, when was the last time the Raiders, Chiefs, Broncos and Chargers all had legit shots at deep runs in the playoffs. He will be walking into a division that is up for grabs every year and has teams that can make runs to the title game or Super Bowl every year.
Now with all the above being said, I think he will be benefit from several things.
1) immediately he will playing a 4th place schedule. With an improved offensive line and some minor adjustments the skins are talented to compete and at least go .500. This should build momentum for his tenure here.
2) He has an owner that will spend money and provide him with any resource he requires/asks for
3) he ultimately will be in charge of personnel. So this is his baby, which will be the first time in Snyder's tenure that this will be the case. He will be working hand in hand with Bruce Allen to evaluate and make roster decisions and Snyder (reportedly) will have little to no input in these type of discussions. The only thing Snyder will have veto power on will be money type issues.
In summation, on paper this is a good hire and obviously a step up from what was in place. However, consider the division he is playing in and Shanahan's lack of (playoff) success over the last decade, my enthusiasm will remain tepid until proven otherwise.
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