Hog Heaven is perplexed by what caused Mike Shanahan to scorch the earth the way he's done. It's apparent that something‒ more than RG's health ‒ is still unseen by us outsiders has been an underlying factor on the Redskins performance this year.
Whatever caused the rift between coach and owner Daniel Snyder, it was surely more than Thanksgiving dinner between the Griffins and the Snyders. That has more of a last straw feel than a root cause.
But if Snyder intruded because Shanahan wanted to take a long look at Kirk Cousins with an eye to a permanent change at quarterback, that could rile both owner and coach like the tremor before an earthquake.
We have reached a point where repeating stories by unnamed sources has ceased to be revealing. Here's another nugget to launch run-away speculation.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen said on the Mike and Mike in the Morning show yesterday, that Shanahan could stick with Kirk Cousins as starting quarterback if Shanny keeps his job and presumably if Cousins performs better than John Beck.
Mortensen was asked whether a list of coaches would be fired at the end of the season. He thought "probably yes" for Mike Shanahan. But Mortensen thinks Shanahan would leave on his own if he does not retain the authority to make roster moves including quarterback.
I'm not sure the conversation with Snyder will get that far. Shanahan could be paid off and depart for his record alone.
Athletics is the closest America comes to its meritocracy ideals. That has to play out no matter what happens to Shanahan.
Hog Heaven is in Robert Griffin's camp, but he is a Kirk Cousins fan, too. Redskins fans, including the owner, should not be so dismissive that there are good football reasons why RG rides the bench now. Nor should they be so anxious to get rid of Cousins to protect Griffin.
Cousins should go only if the Redskins get a strong offer for him. Griffin should be expected to win a quarterback competition ‒ that he has never endured as a pro even with questions about the status of his knees. Those knees are risk factors. We only think that Griffin, because he is super smart and hard working, will become as proficient in the pro-style offense as Cousins.
If RG cannot win a QB playoff, we need to know it soon. The price the Redskins paid to trade for him, which Hog Heaven wholly endorsed, has nothing to do with the decision.
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