Mike Shanahan Must Be Fired for Washington Redskins to Find Success

Mike Shanahan must be let go from his post as the Washington Redskins head coach if the franchise is to find success next season and into the future.

The beleaguered coach went from being respected in the nation’s capital for helping bring the ‘Skins back to the playoffs to a villain who has seemingly lost control of his team and splintered his relationship with superstar quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Reports are that Shanahan is already halfway out the door due to his crumbling connection with Washington owner Daniel Snyder.

It seems that the coach may be pushing the envelope by pondering sending RGIII to the bench for the final games of the season, almost forcing the controversial owner to send him packing.

This wouldn’t be much of a surprise, especially considering a report by ESPN’s Dan Graziano recently surfaced about the coach having his office cleared out before the team’s playoff loss last season.

Unfortunately for Redskins fans, he decided to stay so it wouldn’t appear he quit on Washington after RGIII’s infamous knee injury.

These are the types of stories that come from losing locker rooms. You won’t hear reports like these coming from Foxborough or New Orleans, where great head coaches such as Bill Belichick and Sean Payton lord over their respective franchises with respect, authority and a healthy relationship with their owners.

There is a reason why the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints—among many others—are perennial contenders with these strong leaders. They are able to keep their players focused on the task at hand—which is winning football games—and block everything else out.

Shanahan hasn’t been able to do that this season and it is clearly time for him to leave D.C. His professional relationship with Snyder has reportedly completely disintegrated and it is almost impossible to picture that being repaired at this juncture.

The Redskins are a mere 3-10 in 2013 and in the midst of a five-game losing streak. They’ve scored a lowly 49 points over the past month, an average of 12.3 points per game.

Considering Shanahan’s son, Kyle, is the offensive coordinator, there is extra reason to fire the head coach. This act of nepotism did not work for Washington and it has created a situation where the two must be dealt with as a package, instead of hoping to improve the team’s play-calling and offensive performance by getting rid of the coordinator.

Shanahan was once and may still be a great asset in the NFL, but the two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach is no longer a fit for this Washington football team. The sooner he is relieved of his responsibilities, the quicker this organization can begin to turn things around.