Mike Shanahan is getting frustrated with his now 3-6 Redskins — so much so that he's already evaluating the team for next year and beyond.
After losing their third straight game, Washington's head coach seems to be planning for another year without making the playoffs. The Redskins lost 21-13 to the Panthers in a game that was deemed Washington's "homecoming game."
"You lose a game like that, now you're playing to see who obviously is going to be on your football team for years to come," Shanahan told The Associated Press. "I'll get a chance to evaluate players and see where we're at."
While it may be wise to plan for the future with a rookie quarterback at the helm and two of their best defensive players gone for the season — Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker — giving up after just nine games seems a tad reactionary. The Colts have proved it's possible to win with a first-year quarterback, and the NFC playoff picture is still wide open.
Perhaps Shanahan was just trying to motivate his players, but it can't feel good for a fan with season tickets to essentially be told you're paying for and watching next year's preseason games.
