Washington Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan said last week that he had no doubt he would return to the team next season, and on Monday, the coach expressed appreciation for the support he has received from owner Daniel Snyder throughout the 5-11 season.

Mike Shanahan, head coach of the Washington Redskins speaks to the media at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Va. Monday. (Photo by Matt McClain For The Washington Post)Shanahan spent much of Monday beginning the review process for the 5-11 season that ended Sunday. He said he has spoken to Snyder and that he and the owner are on the same page regarding the Redskins plans going forward.

“The owner of the football team, you constantly keep him updated on the direction you plan on going with free agency and the draft,” said Shanahan, whom Snyder signed to a five-year, $35 million contract in December of 2010. “He’s been very, very supportive. He wants to do it the right way. He understands it’s not going to happen overnight if you do it the right way, and I appreciate his support.”

The 5-11 Redskins just posted the worst record of Shanahan’s 17 full seasons as a head coach. And Shanahan acknowledged that the losing has had a draining affect on him. But, he said the failures motivate him.

“It always takes a toll on you, all the time you put in. Any time you have a loss, with all the time and effort you put in, it’s like somebody stuck a knife in you,” Shanahan said. “It’s tough to go through a season like that. Thank God I haven’t been through a season like that before. I might not still be in this profession very long. But it’s something that really drives you and motivates you.

Shanahan added, “I enjoy what I do. I enjoy the challenge of putting a great football together here with the Washington Redskins. I know we’re not there yet, but I’m excited with what I do, I’m excited with the players that we’ve got, and I’m excited for the future.”

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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

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Washington Redskins‘ miserable National Football League season has hardened the resolve of head coach Mike Shanahan to return the once-proud franchise to its winning ways.

The three-time Super Bowl-winning Redskins finished in last place in the NFC East with a 5-11 record, losing 10 of their last 12 games after opening the year with a 3-1 mark.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of putting a great football team together here with the Washington Redskins. I know we’re not there yet,” Shanahan told reporters on Monday.

“But I’m excited with what I do. I’m excited about this football team and the players that we’ve got. And I’m excited for the future.”

Washington was 6-10 a year ago in Shanahan’s first season with the club and the coach admitted he did not expect to see an immediate turnaround for a franchise that has not made the NFL playoffs since the 2007 campaign.

“We’ve got the people that I feel give you the chance to make up something special. And that’s where it starts. It’s not going to happen all in one year or two years,” he said.

“I’m still disappointed we didn’t win 10 or 11 games. I really believe if we would have stayed healthy – that’s not using it as an excuse because we didn’t have a lot of depth – I think we could have gotten there.”

The Redskins lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 34-10 in their season finale on Sunday, sealing the team’s fourth-consecutive finish in the NFC East basement.

Shanahan, who won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos, conceded losing was agonizing.

“With all the time that you put in, every time you have a loss, especially with the effort that you put in, it’s like somebody sticks a knife in you. It’s tough to go through a season like that,” he said.

“Thank God I haven’t gone through any like this before. I might not have been in this profession very long. But it’s something that really drives you, 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.”

(Reporting By Steve Ginsburg; Editing by Frank Pingue)

The Washington Redskins’
miserable National Football League season has hardened the
resolve of head coach Mike Shanahan to return , you better be
motivated, because if you’re not motivated, you’re not going to
be in this business for a long time,” Shanahan the once-proud
franchise to its winning ways.

The three-time Super Bowl-winning Redskins finished in last
place in the NFC East with a 5-11 record, losing 10 of their
last 12 games after opening the year with a 3-1 mark.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of putting a great
football team together here with the Washington Redskins. I know
we’re not there yet.

“But I’m excited with what I do. I’m excited about this
football team and the players that we’ve got. And I’m excited
for the future.”

Washington was 6-10 a year ago in Shanahan’s first season
with the club and the coach admitted he did not expect to see an
immediate turnaround for a franchise that has not made the NFL
playoffs since the 2007 campaign.

“We’ve got the people that I feel give you the chance to
make up something special. And that’s where it starts. It’s not
going to happen all in one year or two years,” he said.

“I’m still disappointed we didn’t win 10 or 11 games. I
really believe if we would have stayed healthy – that’s not
using it as an excuse because we didn’t have a lot of depth – I
think we could have gotten there.”

The Redskins lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 34-10 in their
season finale on Sunday, sealing the team’s fourth-consecutive
finish in the NFC East basement.

Shanahan, who won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos,
conceded losing was agonizing.

“With all the time that you put in, every time you have a
loss, especially with the effort that you put in, it’s like
somebody sticks a knife in you. It’s tough to go through a
season like that,” he said.

“Thank God I haven’t gone through any like this before. I
might not have been in this profession very long. But it’s
something that really drives you, 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.”

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.”