Playing Out The String

[DarthMonk]

According to FOX's Jay Glazer, the thinking inside the Redskins is that Mike Shanahan will start Kirk Cousins Sunday "unless RG3 is able to convince him otherwise."

Shanahan is prone to changing his mind often, but for now he's leaning toward starting Cousins for the final weeks of this lost season. The coach will say it's to protect Griffin from further injury, but holding him out of the first three games instead of the last three would have made infinitely more sense. Now it looks like Shanny is just trying to get fired by owner Daniel Snyder (instead of resigning) so he can collect his paycheck. Cousins would be entering a plus matchup at Atlanta, but there's tons of downside in a fantasy plug-n-play because the Redskins appear to have quit on their coach and the season. Dec 11 - 8:14 AM

Source: Jay Glazer on Twitter

[Smithian]

Another leak by the Shanahan camp. Clever one. Now if RGIII starts it makes him look like the diva who begged to start. Thank God most sane people in media getting idea where this is all coming from. Sally Jenkins must be furious not have been given this leak.

Shanahan is going to leave this the same steaming wreck that he inherited. Disgusting. Can't believe I supported him until a few weeks ago.

[everydayAskinsday]

Another leak by the Shanahan camp. Clever one. Now if RGIII starts it makes him look like the diva who begged to start. Thank God most sane people in media getting idea where this is all coming from. Sally Jenkins must be furious not have been given this leak.

Shanahan is going to leave this the same steaming wreck that he inherited. Disgusting. Can't believe I supported him until a few weeks ago.

I feel the same way. Just a couple weeks ago I was hoping he would be given another year as coach.. how quickly things can change

[Mississippi Hog]

I think there could actually be plus/minus decision for Shanny. If moving to Kirk is a continued train wreck, he will get canned, and still get that $7. If Cousins shinesl, his stock goes up tremendously, and IF Shanny gets to stay due to ending the season with three straight Ws, We could get a high pick for Cousins in the draft. With our shortage of picks, maybe that is what he is looking for. Kind of a grasp at the last straw, but if it works, it works.

[riggofan]

ESPN is reporting this morning that Cousins is the guy for Sunday. Guess we'll see!

[StorminMormon86]

Despite what the majority of the fan base thinks, I believe this is the correct move. Now I know there was never another situation like this one: a healthy franchise QB benched before a meaningless season was over. But I also don't think there was ever a franchise QB who could have been potentially going into his 3rd year without a real offseason.

[Deadskins]

So, if Cousins plays like crap, does he bring in RGIII, or do we get sexy Rexy?

[Irn-Bru]

So, if Cousins plays like crap, does he bring in RGIII, or do we get sexy Rexy?

I doubt Cousins comes out unless he's injured, but I suspect Rex would be next up.

[markshark84]

So, if Cousins plays like crap, does he bring in RGIII, or do we get sexy Rexy?

I doubt Cousins comes out unless he's injured, but I suspect Rex would be next up.

You think so? If KC got hurt, I would think RGIII plays. I don't see MS suiting up 3 QBs and I don't see MS not suiting up RGIII -- which would leave Rex out.

[StorminMormon86]

Griffin will be inactive on Sunday. Grossman will be the backup. Have no idea if Griffin will be inactive for the remainder of the year or not.

[markshark84]

Griffin will be inactive on Sunday. Grossman will be the backup. Have no idea if Griffin will be inactive for the remainder of the year or not.

Wow. That just makes no sense. This is a great example of grown men acting like babies.

[SCSkinsFan]

Griffin will be inactive on Sunday. Grossman will be the backup. Have no idea if Griffin will be inactive for the remainder of the year or not.

Wow. That just makes no sense. This is a great example of grown men acting like babies.

Is there anything about this season that has made any sense?

[Deadskins]

Griffin will be inactive on Sunday. Grossman will be the backup.

Link?

From Yahoo fantasy football:

Wed, Dec 11

A Redskins player says that "prevention of franchise quarterback getting hurt" was the explanation given in a team meeting regarding Robert Griffin III's benching.

Advice: Coach Mike Shanahan allowed Griffin to play in snowy conditions on an awful field against the Chiefs' elite defense last week. This week, RG3 will be inactive when the Redskins play at Atlanta's dome. No matter how Shanny tries to rationalize it, his decision to sit Griffin out reeks of personal vendettas and a desire to be fired. He's scheduled to explain himself to the media later this afternoon.

[Sonny9TD]

If Cousins does well enter controversy immediately. Cousins is a good QB no doubt. Very interested to see what he can do. Shanny wants to win with Cousins to save some type of face about all this I think. If he wins with Cousins the blame does not look as much his fault and him and his son get a slight reprieve. Or I could be totally wrong about that.

[oneman56]

Griffin will be inactive on Sunday. Grossman will be the backup. Have no idea if Griffin will be inactive for the remainder of the year or not.

Wow. That just makes no sense. This is a great example of grown men acting like babies.

To me it's just one man acting this way and it's entirely Shanahan. I don't often agree with JLC but...

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/12/ ... -redskins/

[StorminMormon86]

Griffin just confirmed he was shut down the rest of the year.

[riggofan]

This whole thing is stupid.

[StorminMormon86]

This whole thing is stupid.

Why do you say that?

[riggofan]

This whole thing is stupid.

Why do you say that?

You're enjoying this circus?

[markshark84]

Last year was a nice break from the circus that is the Redskins. I guess we're back to the status quo.

[StorminMormon86]

This whole thing is stupid.

Why do you say that?

You're enjoying this circus?

What circus? They're making a big deal out of nothing. Griffin is done for the season, time to move on and worry about winning the next three games. He was shut down to protect him. If Griffin turns out to be the next Brady or Manning, don't you think in retrospect people might look back and say it was the right call to shut him down?

[Deadskins]

Griffin will be inactive on Sunday. Grossman will be the backup. Have no idea if Griffin will be inactive for the remainder of the year or not.

Wow. That just makes no sense. This is a great example of grown men acting like babies.

To me it's just one man acting this way and it's entirely Shanahan. I don't often agree with JLC but...
http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/12/ ... -redskins/

+1

“It’s clear what he’s trying to do is protect what’s left of his legacy,” La Canfora went on. “‘Nothing to see here. It’s all Dan Snyder’s fault. He’s a terrible owner, doesn’t everybody know that? He meddles. I’m just a poor, innocent head coach.’ Well, don’t buy any of that. The guy had all this set up ahead of time. It was very Machiavellian.”

[Deadskins]

He was shut down to protect him.

You don't really believe that, do you?

[Kilmer72]

This whole thing is stupid.

People are going to get what they wished for. Cousins wont even have to play a defense like 9ners or KC. If he fails and I hope he doesn't people will then say well its the Oline. Well duh!!!!

[Irn-Bru]

He was shut down to protect him.

You don't really believe that, do you?

Call me naive if you want, but I do. I don't think the Machiavellian Shanahan narrative has much traction. He's talked about how he discussed these moves with Snyder and Allen and everyone was on board to do what he's decided to do. It would be stupid to lie about something like that, which is so easily verified/denied by Snyder or Allen.

His actions also appear to have the team's long-term interest in mind, IMHO, which wouldn't necessarily be the case if he was just looking to get his $7 million and leave town. Shanahan let the team take a bigger hit this year so that we wouldn't have lots of dead cap money going into 2014 and 2015. I actually do think he's trying to protect Griffin for next year's offseason and preseason.

Maybe it will turn out that this thing was rotten to the core, and the players were just doing a good job of saying the right things while waiting for things to change. I could be wrong. But right now I don't really see it. I see the media fueling a lot of this because it's a great story to pick at.