In their last game of the season the Washington Redskins fell to the Philadelphia Eagles, 34-10, ending a season full of underachievement, injuries, and worst of all a 5-11 record.
Their fives wins this season are a regression from last year's disappointing season, one where they finished 6-10 in Mike Shanahan's inaugural season as head coach. *Note: this was Shanahan's worst record of his career.
Shanahan's resume before coming to Washington touted a first-class running game, a competitive offense, and most of all, a style of winning.
In two seasons at the helm unfortunately, Shanahan has shown Washington fans no signs of any of those three:
1. The Redskins running attack ranked 30th in the league in 2010, and 25th in 2011.
2. The offense ranked 25th in points per game in 2010, and 26th in 2011.
3. A combined record of 11-21, with zero playoff appearances.
*For the record, Jim Zorn was 12-20 over his two-year span in Washington*
These rankings as well as their two-year record are unacceptable for the storied history of the Washington Redskins.
I blame Mike Shanahan (seen above) for the offense's putrid nature because he has proven to be more of a father than a head coach, letting son and offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, ruin two consecutive offensive seasons.
Kyle came to Washington from the Houston Texans two years ago, with the signing of his father. In Houston, Kyle had Pro-Bowl talent at the three major positions on offense: QB Matt Schaub, WR Andre Johnson, as well as TE Owen Daniels.
The problem is: Washington doesn't have that class of personnel, save maybe Chris Cooley/Fred Davis at tightend.
Most importantly: Washington doesn't have the top-tier quarterback to efficiently distribute the ball.
I place part of the blame on Kyle, but put most of the blame on father, Mike for not taking total control of his team.
Looking Forward
There are many good things to look forward to next season, mainly the youth on our team. Rookies like Roy Helu, Evan Royster, Ryan Kerrigan, and DeJon Gomes have given Redskins fans a reason to hope for success in seasons to come.
Helu ranked second in the NFL among rookies in rushing yards this season, while finishing with over 1000 combined yards from scrimmage. Royster filled in as the starter for the final two games and finished with two consecutive 100-yard performances. Both rookie running backs averaged over 4-yards per carry, a healthy mark for any runner.
Ryan Kerrigan (below) ranked fourth among rookies with 7.5 sacks on the season, also finishing the year with four forced fumbles. Kerrigan has lived up to his 16th overall draft pick and hopefully will stay healthy enough to anchor on defensive front seven.
Hang in there Washington, I mean this when I say this: there's always next year.
(Photo-Courtesy of the Washington Times)
(Jonathan Wigginton is the Chat Sports Senior Writer for the Washington Redskins)
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