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ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — The Washington Redskins’ record is a matter of perspective.

Steve Spurrier infamously proclaimed 5-11 was “not very good” after his 2003 season with Washington. He quit the next day, done with the NFL after two years and a 12-20 record.

Mike Shanahan’s spin couldn’t be more different.

“Even though the record may not show it,” Shanahan said Monday, “we’re a much better football team than we were a year ago.”

The Redskins regressed from 6-10 to 5-11 this year, so Shanahan’s mark in two seasons in Washington stands at 11-21. He’s never had a worse full-season record as a head coach, and Washington has now finished in last place in the NFC East for four years running.

“Thank God I haven’t been through any like this before — I might not be in this profession very long,” Shanahan said. “But it’s something that really drives you and motivates you. It’s something that I look forward to doing, putting a great football team together and doing it the right way, and sometimes it takes a little bit longer than sometimes expected.”

Shanahan cited the team’s improved depth as evidence that he has the Redskins pointed in the right direction. Even so, there are significant upgrades needed at receiver, in the secondary, along the offensive line and in a special teams unit that had five blocked field goals this year — the most allowed by a team in the NFL in eight years.

But it all starts and ends with the quarterback, and Shanahan needs to find one.

After failing to make it work with Donovan McNabb last year, Shanahan made the bold statement that he was staking his reputation this season on Rex Grossman and John Beck. Grossman ended up committing 25 turnovers in 13 games, and Beck lasted for all of three winless starts.

“I don’t care what anybody says, I know what I can do and I know what I’m capable of — and I know that I will achieve it,” Beck said Monday before stuffing his belongings into a large clear plastic bag at his locker. “I thought it was going to happen this year. It didn’t. But it’s going to happen. I’m not going to let it not happen.”

Grossman’s self-confidence was just as strong. While Beck is under contract for next season, Grossman is a free agent — but it’s possible he could be brought back to mentor a quarterback taken in the first round of the draft.

“There’s a lot of things that I can do to improve,” Grossman said. “But definitely there was a lot of good, and we’ll see how they evaluate it.”

Shanahan has already starting looking for someone else. For weeks now, he has been spending about a half-hour in the mornings looking at video of the top college prospects. The Redskins hold the No. 6 overall pick in the April draft.

“Everybody’s looking for a franchise quarterback,” offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said. “You want one of those guys that there’s no question about. There’s probably only about five or six of them in the league. Then there’s a lot of guys who can play and there’s some guys who need to be replaced. You’re always trying to find that one and (we’re) still working to do it.”

The Redskins’ noteworthy free agents include linebacker London Fletcher, safety LaRon Landry, tight end Fred Davis, defensive end Adam Carriker and running back Tim Hightower. Shanahan said Fletcher is a priority to re-sign, while Landry’s value is subject to his return from a left Achilles injury and Davis has just completed a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s drugs policy. Davis was one of three Redskins players suspended this season, the latest black eye for the franchise.

But the Redskins, being the Redskins, couldn’t wrap up the season without one final bit of consternation. Shanahan, as is his usual routine, gave his parting words to the players in the locker room Sunday after the final game. On Monday, with the coach not even in the room, the players heard from Navy SEALs and a marine as part of a program mandated by the NFL.

While many players said they found the presentation inspiring and that it helped them put football in perspective, backup offensive lineman Sean Locklear tweeted that it was the “Worst exit meeting ever!” because no coaches or front office people spoke. He later went back on Twitter to apologize.

“I talked to Sean after the game and, obviously, he must not have liked my speech,” Shanahan said with more than a touch of sarcasm. “Obviously he must have been disappointed in it. I’ve only been doing it that way for a number of years, and he must be used to a different way. So I apologize, Sean, it’ll never happen again — at least not with me.”

——

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

ASHBURN, Va. – The Washington Redskins’ record is a matter of perspective.

Steve Spurrier infamously proclaimed 5-11 was “not very good” after his 2003 season with Washington. He quit the next day, done with the NFL after two years and a 12-20 record.

Mike Shanahan’s spin couldn’t be more different.

“Even though the record may not show it,” Shanahan said Monday, “we’re a much better football team than we were a year ago.”

The Redskins regressed from 6-10 to 5-11 this year, so Shanahan’s mark in two seasons in Washington stands at 11-21. He’s never had a worse full-season record as a head coach, and Washington has now finished in last place in the NFC East for four years running.

“Thank God I haven’t been through any like this before — I might not be in this profession very long,” Shanahan said. “But it’s something that really drives you and motivates you. It’s something that I look forward to doing, putting a great football team together and doing it the right way, and sometimes it takes a little bit longer than sometimes expected.”

Shanahan cited the team’s improved depth as evidence that he has the Redskins pointed in the right direction. Even so, there are significant upgrades needed at receiver, in the secondary, along the offensive line and in a special teams unit that had five blocked field goals this year — the most allowed by a team in the NFL in eight years.

But it all starts and ends with the quarterback, and Shanahan needs to find one.

After failing to make it work with Donovan McNabb last year, Shanahan made the bold statement that he was staking his reputation this season on Rex Grossman and John Beck. Grossman ended up committing 25 turnovers in 13 games, and Beck lasted for all of three winless starts.

“I don’t care what anybody says, I know what I can do and I know what I’m capable of — and I know that I will achieve it,” Beck said Monday before stuffing his belongings into a large clear plastic bag at his locker. “I thought it was going to happen this year. It didn’t. But it’s going to happen. I’m not going to let it not happen.”

Grossman’s self-confidence was just as strong. While Beck is under contract for next season, Grossman is a free agent — but it’s possible he could be brought back to mentor a quarterback taken in the first round of the draft.

“There’s a lot of things that I can do to improve,” Grossman said. “But definitely there was a lot of good, and we’ll see how they evaluate it.”

Shanahan has already starting looking for someone else. For weeks now, he has been spending about a half-hour in the mornings looking at video of the top college prospects. The Redskins hold the No. 6 overall pick in the April draft.

“Everybody’s looking for a franchise quarterback,” offensive co-ordinator Kyle Shanahan said. “You want one of those guys that there’s no question about. There’s probably only about five or six of them in the league. Then there’s a lot of guys who can play and there’s some guys who need to be replaced. You’re always trying to find that one and (we’re) still working to do it.”

The Redskins’ noteworthy free agents include linebacker London Fletcher, safety LaRon Landry, tight end Fred Davis, defensive end Adam Carriker and running back Tim Hightower. Shanahan said Fletcher is a priority to re-sign, while Landry’s value is subject to his return from a left Achilles injury and Davis has just completed a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s drugs policy. Davis was one of three Redskins players suspended this season, the latest black eye for the franchise.

But the Redskins, being the Redskins, couldn’t wrap up the season without one final bit of consternation. Shanahan, as is his usual routine, gave his parting words to the players in the locker room Sunday after the final game. On Monday, with the coach not even in the room, the players heard from Navy SEALs and a marine as part of a program mandated by the NFL.

While many players said they found the presentation inspiring and that it helped them put football in perspective, backup offensive lineman Sean Locklear tweeted that it was the “Worst exit meeting ever!” because no coaches or front office people spoke. He later went back on Twitter to apologize.

“I talked to Sean after the game and, obviously, he must not have liked my speech,” Shanahan said with more than a touch of sarcasm. “Obviously he must have been disappointed in it. I’ve only been doing it that way for a number of years, and he must be used to a different way. So I apologize, Sean, it’ll never happen again — at least not with me.”

ASHBURN, Va. (AP)—The Washington Redskins’ record is a matter of
perspective.

Steve Spurrier infamously proclaimed 5-11 was “not very good” after his
2003 season with Washington. He quit the next day, done with the NFL after two
years and a 12-20 record.

Mike Shanahan’s spin couldn’t be more different.

“Even though the record may not show it,” Shanahan said Monday, “we’re a
much better football team than we were a year ago.”

The Redskins regressed from 6-10 to 5-11 this year, so Shanahan’s mark in
two seasons in Washington stands at 11-21. He’s never had a worse full-season
record as a head coach, and Washington has now finished in last place in the NFC
East for four years running.

“Thank God I haven’t been through any like this before—I might not be in
this profession very long,” Shanahan said. “But it’s something that really
drives you and motivates you. It’s something that I look forward to doing,
putting a great football team together and doing it the right way, and sometimes
it takes a little bit longer than sometimes expected.”

Shanahan cited the team’s improved depth as evidence that he has the
Redskins pointed in the right direction. Even so, there are significant upgrades
needed at receiver, in the secondary, along the offensive line and in a special
teams unit that had five blocked field goals this year—the most allowed by a
team in the NFL in eight years.

But it all starts and ends with the quarterback, and Shanahan needs to find
one.

After failing to make it work with Donovan McNabb last year, Shanahan made
the bold statement that he was staking his reputation this season on Rex
Grossman and John Beck. Grossman ended up committing 25 turnovers in 13 games,
and Beck lasted for all of three winless starts.

“I don’t care what anybody says, I know what I can do and I know what I’m
capable of—and I know that I will achieve it,” Beck said Monday before
stuffing his belongings into a large clear plastic bag at his locker. “I
thought it was going to happen this year. It didn’t. But it’s going to happen.
I’m not going to let it not happen.”

Grossman’s self-confidence was just as strong. While Beck is under contract
for next season, Grossman is a free agent—but it’s possible he could be
brought back to mentor a quarterback taken in the first round of the draft.

“There’s a lot of things that I can do to improve,” Grossman said. “But
definitely there was a lot of good, and we’ll see how they evaluate it.”

Shanahan has already starting looking for someone else. For weeks now, he
has been spending about a half-hour in the mornings looking at video of the top
college prospects. The Redskins hold the No. 6 overall pick in the April draft.

“Everybody’s looking for a franchise quarterback,” offensive coordinator
Kyle Shanahan said. “You want one of those guys that there’s no question about.
There’s probably only about five or six of them in the league. Then there’s a
lot of guys who can play and there’s some guys who need to be replaced. You’re
always trying to find that one and (we’re) still working to do it.”

The Redskins’ noteworthy free agents include linebacker London Fletcher,
safety LaRon Landry, tight end Fred Davis, defensive end Adam Carriker and
running back Tim Hightower. Shanahan said Fletcher is a priority to re-sign,
while Landry’s value is subject to his return from a left Achilles injury and
Davis has just completed a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s drugs
policy. Davis was one of three Redskins players suspended this season, the
latest black eye for the franchise.

But the Redskins, being the Redskins, couldn’t wrap up the season without
one final bit of consternation. Shanahan, as is his usual routine, gave his
parting words to the players in the locker room Sunday after the final game. On
Monday, with the coach not even in the room, the players heard from Navy SEALs
and a marine as part of a program mandated by the NFL.

While many players said they found the presentation inspiring and that it
helped them put football in perspective, backup offensive lineman Sean Locklear
tweeted that it was the “Worst exit meeting ever!” because no coaches or front
office people spoke. He later went back on Twitter to apologize.

“I talked to Sean after the game and, obviously, he must not have liked my
speech,” Shanahan said with more than a touch of sarcasm. “Obviously he must
have been disappointed in it. I’ve only been doing it that way for a number of
years, and he must be used to a different way. So I apologize, Sean, it’ll never
happen again—at least not with me.”

———

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

ASHBURN, Va. (AP)—Instead of playing for the playoffs, Mike Shanahan is
playing to match Jim Zorn.

The Washington Redskins must win their regular-season finale Sunday against
the Philadelphia Eagles for Shanahan to equal the two-year record of his
predecessor, a coach who was undermined by management and fired in the middle of
the night.

But, unlike Zorn, Shanahan is not a condemned coach playing out his final
days on the job under owner Dan Snyder. As the Redskins (5-10) wrap up a fourth
consecutive last-place NFC East finish—an unprecedented run in franchise
history—there is no sense that change is coming.

“There’s no doubt in my mind. Hopefully, there’s no doubt in Dan’s mind,
too,” Shanahan said Thursday. “Like I talked to him about when I first got
here, I said: `Dan, if you don’t plan on me coaching here five years and doing
it the right way, you’re hiring the wrong guy.’ It’s going to take some time to
do it right.”

Although Shanahan is 11-20, he has had it easy when considering what it was
like before his arrival. Zorn’s 12-20 record is somewhat remarkable given that
he was at the mercy of a front office led by Snyder and personnel chief Vinny
Cerrato, whose dubious drafts and free-agency choices weakened the roster and
whose faith in the coach was so tenuous that Sherm Lewis was hired out of
Bingo-calling retirement to call the offensive plays.

“I actually enjoyed playing for coach Zorn, and I enjoy playing for coach
Shanahan,” defensive lineman Kedric Golston said. “I think the difference is
that right now we’re building something not to be a flash in the pan. We’re
rebuilding something that would be able to compete and sustain for years to
come. I often look at it like building a building: the higher the building, the
lower you’re going to have to dig the foundation.”

After dismissing Zorn following a 4-12 season in 2009, Snyder gave Shanahan
a $35 million, five-year contract and full control over football matters.
Shanahan is likely safe for at least another year if only because another
coaching move would again validate Snyder’s reputation for impatience and thus
make it difficult to find a quality replacement.

Of course, nothing is a guarantee, given Snyder’s track record in 12 years
of ownership. The owner has stayed mum all season, declining to answer questions
about the team when appearing at various functions. Spokesman Tony Wyllie said
Snyder was unavailable for comment Thursday.

Records aside, the Redskins appear in better shape than two years ago.
Shanahan has instilled a sense of order and professionalism lacking under
Cerrato and Zorn. Washington had the oldest opening day roster in the NFL last
year, but a large draft class has added in some promising young talent.

Shanahan’s major stumble has been his choice of quarterbacks. He wasted a
year with Donovan McNabb, and neither Rex Grossman nor John Beck has proven this
year to be the long-term solution, a significant setback to the rebuilding
process.

“I’ve been here 3 1/2 years, and it’s always been `hopefully next year,’ so
you definitely get tired of it,” cornerback DeAngelo Hall said. “And hopefully
that won’t be the case next year.”

But at least he’s not expecting any offseason chaos.

“I feel like from the top down we know who our coaches are going to be next
year,” Hall said. “That’s a complete 180 from what happened with Zorn.”

It’s been decades since a Redskins coach had a winning tenure. Norv Turner
went 49-59-1 and was fired. Interim replacement Terry Robiskie was 1-2. Marty
Schottenheimer was dismissed after one 8-8 season. Steve Spurrier quit after
going 12-20, and Joe Gibbs was 31-36 before retiring a second time.

The players and coaches are confident Shanahan will buck the trend—as long
as he’s allowed to continue his work.

“There’s some stability,” said safeties coach Steve Jackson, another of
the dwindling holdovers from the Zorn years. “And the biggest thing is you know
who the guy in charge is, and he sets the course. Regardless of how it looks
right now, we know where we’re headed.”

———

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

Here we go again, Redskins fans.

Another December, another losing record, another season that’s coming to an end with no postseason contention. The Washington Redskins are once again playing with an eye toward their future, they are using the last two weeks of the 2011 regular season to study their roster for the next year, and big decisions are already on their way.

Fans are probably once again disappointed, but looking at the long-term plan that the Shanahan era has brought in town, there’s also reason for optimism.

The two-year record may tell another story—it’s simply another losing effort which fans are tired of. However, Shanahan inherited a team that needed major improvements in a large number of spots and did a decent job in the last 24 months to adjust as many things as possible—and let’s not forget that he helped to change a fundamental aspect: the culture.

History taught us that winning teams are built through excellent draft choices and smart management, none of which was seen inside Redskins Park since owner Dan Snyder purchased the franchise that he loves so much.

The Redskins have been considered a joke in recent years. They signed a lot of bad free agents, basing all the evaluation process on bringing in the big name, giving roster spots to players who rarely produced as expected.

They gave away many high draft picks while failing to build a rock-solid foundation for seasons to come, contrary to what great teams like the Patriots, the Ravens or the Steelers have been able to do.

Shanahan and Bruce Allen may have kept that bad habit alive when they decided to trade for Donovan McNabb, a move that backfired, but the overall belief is that they’ve chosen the correct path to right this sinking ship.

Shanahan didn’t tolerate any prima donna acts. He put any player on his roster on the same level (no, Fat Albert, that contract didn’t mean that you were the best player on the team). He had the courage to suspend players that didn’t follow his lead and sent a clear message to the entire locker room—he came there to win, simple as that.

Utilizing Jim Haslett’s coaching experience, he switched the defense to a 3-4 without having the right personnel to properly run the scheme from day one, but this year the defensive side of the ball has witnessed significant improvements.

Pre-Shanahan players adapted well, and the new ones were asked to fill in immediately, and mostly did.

But defense has been the lesser problem for a long time.

The Redskins struggled mightily to find the right quarterback—McNabb, Grossman and Beck all failed in a certain way. This is the only roster spot for which Shanahan probably never had a plan, or was probably waiting to develop one knowing that the problem was meant to be solved approaching the 2012 draft.

This year’s draft was correctly used to pick some roster elements that fit the new defensive scheme and to add overall depth, so quarterback was not a high priority.

Even if it’s difficult to believe that Shanahan has seen something in a player (Beck) who actually still never has won as a starter in this league, he gave him a chance. But would be the Redskins a better team if Grossman would’ve run the offense without being demoted?

Anyway, whoever played this season was hopefully a mere bridge between today and the beginning of a new era.

Speaking of Rex, the team knew what it was getting from the former Florida Gator. Grossman never was the best decision-maker available and has always been turnover-prone, but he proved that he could give the offense the best chance to create big plays.

However, the Redskins once again lack the franchise player that they  desperately need to make a run to the postseason any given year. The team strongly deserves this after two decades of frustrating suffering.

Mistakes made by past management produced three playoffs appearances since the last time the team won the Super Bowl.

That’s not acceptable anymore in a place like Washington.

During that time span, no one found a way to make the offense work. Joe Gibbs, in his second stint, tried to bring back his old power-rushing concepts, but for the majority of the games, opposing defenses were stopping it too easily.

Steve Spurrier and the Fun ‘N’ Gun was a complete failure. So was Marty Schottenheimer.

This has been a team that produced very little on the offensive side, so defense was the only reason the Redskins played many close games. Last year and this year, the feeling has been dangerously close to this.

The reason of hope is exactly how the culture change helped to manage this franchise differently.

For the first time in the Snyder era, the draft was given strong value. Shanahan and Allen made a Patriot-like move, obtaining 12 picks. The Redskins picked well in the last two years, finally bringing into town something comparable to a solid foundation.

Think about the new generation of players.

Trent Williams, Shanahan’s first pick as a Redskin, steadily improved from his rookie campaign. Perry Riley, a fourth-rounder in 2010, has taken McIntosh’s starting spot. Ryan Kerrigan, this year’s first-round pick, proved doubters wrong and made an efficient switch from college defensive end to 3-4 outside linebacker.

Roy Helu Jr. is a one-cut back that fits perfectly in Shanahan’s typical zone-blocking scheme and is already considered the team’s future featured back. Niles Paul was valuable on blocking schemes, and last Sunday was utilized as third receiver. Leonard Hankerson showed flashes of the player this offense has desperately searched for for years—someone with athleticism and size—before ending on injured reserve.

The Redskins won only five games, couldn’t manage leads and gave up games that shouldn’t have been lost, a sinister feeling that brought everyone back to the disastrous Jim Zorn days.

But recent outings proved that they have improved so much, and they somehow moved the chains despite losing (again) Chris Cooley for season and not having Santana Moss active for a long time.

Grossman developed a nice chemistry with Jabar Gaffney, a player that should be on next year’s roster for his ability to make plays, and the rushing game can only improve as Helu accumulates experience and once Tim Hightower returns a healthy player.

Something’s still wrong, but the new Redskins’ operating ways could hold a competitive future.

The third draft run by Mike Shanahan will hopefully answer many questions, including to determine who will be the best signal-caller to accept this challenge.