Larry Brown Sports

Robert Griffin III’s knee injury suffered against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday has led to many questions about the Redskins’ handling of the situation. Was it a bad decision by Mike Shanahan to have RG3 start the game? Was Shanahan negligent in letting Griffin remain in the game after he was examined in the first quarter and clearly not well?

Shanahan admits he’s second-guessing himself, while Griffin remains steadfast that he wanted to play no matter what.

“I think I did put myself at more risk by being out there, but every time you step on the football field, you’re putting your life, your career, every single ligament in your body in jeopardy,” Griffin said after the game. “That’s just the approach I had to take towards it. My teammates needed me out there, so I was out there for them.

“You respect authority and I respect Coach Shanahan, but at the same time you have to step up and be a man sometimes. There was no way I was coming out of that game.”

Griffin believed in his abilities despite his injury.

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Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan began what he thought was a normal press conference on Wednesday when he was caught off guard by a familiar, yet unfamiliar, voice. The voice was familiar in that it is one the coach hears every day. It was unfamiliar in that it was the first time Shanahan had fielded a question from that voice while standing at the podium.

As you can see, Robert Griffin III snuck into Shanahan’s scheduled press conference and asked him what he did to ring in the New Year.  Shanahan came up with a pretty clever response.

“I tried to put a good game plan together, but I wasn’t sure how healthy you were, so it was hard without you calling me,” the coach said.

Shanahan then admitted that the rookie “got me good.” It’s nice to see the Redskins keeping things loose heading into their match-up with the Seattle Seahawks. It’s also possible that RG3 is simply trying to prepare for a game against Pete Carroll, who just so happens to be an expert in the pranking arts.

H/T Shutdown Corner

Robert Griffin III may be one of the most dynamic players in NFL history, but we won’t know for sure until he has played more than a season. RG3 has a rare combination of arm strength, accuracy and running ability. In fact, Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan believes it is so rare that it’s unlike anything we have ever seen in the NFL.

“I don’t think anybody in the history of the league has played at his level,” Shanahan said Thursday according to Pro Football Talk. “At least over the last 40 years, when I take a look at the numbers and what he has done, I don’t think anybody has played at his level. As we’ve talked about before, he’s got a unique skill set — his ability to throw, drop back, play action, put a threat on a defense with his running ability — and he will just get better and better. He’s just scratching the surface. And the reason I say that is because he works at it.”

On Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, Griffin has an opportunity to break NFL rookie records for highest passer rating, highest completion percentage and lowest interception percentage. The job he has done protecting the ball separates him from most rookies, but what about Cam Newton?

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After the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Washington Redskins back on Oct. 28, Mike Shanahan thought he had been robbed of more than just a victory. Shanahan left his passport and $3,700 in an unsecured locker at Heinz Field during the game, and after the game was over they were nowhere to be found.

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Shanahan was “visibly upset” when talking to security but was assured that the locker room was secured while the game was being played. Shanahan decided to file a police report after speaking with the Redskins’ security director.

Then, the report was withdrawn. Shanahan or one of his representatives called back the next day after discovering that the missing property had been stored in another bag. We have all been there and had that moment of panic when we know for certain in our heads that we left something somewhere and realize it is gone. I would imagine it’s even easier to misplace something when you’re the head coach of an NFL team are are thinking about the upcoming game.

The important thing here? There are no thieves within the confines of the Heinz Field locker rooms. At least not yet.

H/T Deadspin

You can call him a realist or you can call him a pessimist, but no matter how you look at Mike Shanahan’s comments, Redskins fans have to be left disappointed.

The Redskins lost at home to the Panthers on Sunday 21-13 to drop to 3-6 on the season. Leading up to the game, coach Mike Shanahan labeled the contest as a “must-win” game. He all but threw in the towel on the 2012 NFL season with his postgame comments.

“Now you’re playing to see who obviously is going to be on your football team for years to come. Now we get a chance to evaluate players and see where we’re at. Obviously, we’re not out of it statistically, but now we find out what type of character we’ve got and how guys keep on fighting through the rest of the season,” Shanahan said after the game, via The Washington Post.

Now you’re playing to see who will be on team in years to come? Jeeze Mike. I’m not an expert, but aren’t you guys just 3-6 and not 0-9? Is a 6-1 finish that far out of the question? And even if you think it is, is that something you should be saying publicly?

If the coach is saying they’re just going to be evaluating the rest of the season, you know, like the way they evaluate players during the preseason, then why should fans show up to the games?

Maybe Shanny is admitting the truth about his team this year — and with Robert Griffin III at quarterback, the team’s future seems bright — but why say that to the fans and media? What good does that serve?

In an attempt to get something going against the Pittsburgh Steelers offensively on Sunday, Mike Shanahan decided it would be a good idea to try a little trickery with Robert Griffin III. The Washington Redskins called for a play that appeared to be a reverse to receiver Josh Morgan, but instead Morgan became the quarterback and Griffin the receiver. And RG3 got lit up by Steelers safety Ryan Clark (video here).

Griffin was also called for offensive pass interference, so the play was a bust all around. In hindsight, Shanahan realizes that it’s probably not wise to put your franchise player in a compromising situation like that when it can be avoided.

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LaRon Landry is playing for the guy he wants to play for. To hell with the rest of them. Rex Ryan loves Landry’s work ethic and Landry loves Ryan’s unique and aggressive defense, which LaRon says is ultimately why he ended up in New York. However, the safety said the absence of Bill Belichick during his visit with the Patriots made his decision to not sign with New England easy.

“He wasn’t even there,” Landry told the NY Daily News. “So that was a no-brainer. I should have never taken that visit. I was like, ‘Damn, if you’re going to visit, the head coach (should be) there.’ I felt, ‘Okay, that’s a slap in the face.’”

Perhaps Belichick had to tend to an emergency. Maybe he enjoys screwing with free agents as much he enjoys screwing with the media. In any event, it wasn’t a good match.

Landry also took aim at his former coach, Mike Shanahan. The former LSU star battled Achilles injuries in 2010 and 2011, and his season ended prematurely both years as a result. The Redskins recommended surgery to mend the injury, but Landry instead opted for alternative medicine and stem-cell therapy.

“That’s why they have great doctors and they have okay doctors, great trainers and okay trainers,” he said. “(The Redskins) had people who just had the job title, but not the passion for their job. … I don’t respect the training staff at all. I don’t respect the coaches over there. I don’t respect (Shanahan). I do respect Coach (Joe) Gibbs, who brought me there, and Coach Gregg Williams. I respect that 2007 organization. After 2007 … nonexistent.”

Something tells me this guy will have trouble getting recommendations from his former employers when his NFL career comes to a close.