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.