Donovan McNabb's Syracuse Education Failed Him

[EmpireWF]

According to ESPN, here's the PFT piece:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...hat-mcnabb-cant-figure-out-shanahans-offense/

Talk continues that McNabb can't figure out Shanahan's offense
Posted by Michael David Smith on November 7, 2010 11:05 AM ET
The Washington Redskins are off this week, but there's no reprieve from the constant discussion about why Mike Shanahan benched Donovan McNabb late in last week's loss to the Lions.

The latest talk comes from a report on ESPN on Sunday morning in which Chris Mortensen said that Shanahan and his son and offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, have had to cut their playbook in half in order to pare it down enough for McNabb to learn it.

And it gets worse: Mortensen reports that even when McNabb is operating with the Cliff's Notes version of the playbook, he sometimes has trouble correctly calling the plays in the huddle.

At this point, with all these stories coming out about McNabb being unable to figure out the offense, it's hard not to get the feeling that there are folks within the Redskins organization who are making a concerted effort to make McNabb look bad. That's exactly what ESPN's Tom Jackson, who played in Denver for three seasons when Shanahan was a Broncos assistant, said after Mortensen's report.

"If you have a problem with your quarterback," Jackson said, "you call [him] in and you discuss that. This has now become so public that the quarterback is going to be completely embarrassed and it makes his job harder."

In Jackson's view, Shanahan and McNabb simply won't be able to work together going forward -- and Jackson thinks that's more Shanahan's fault than McNabb's.

"I always thought the job of a coach is to adjust your system to the guy who's quarterbacking your team," Jackson said. "This situation is irreconcilable."

 

[Rush]

He's too tired to call the plays.

 

[SuperKevin]

Put it on the label of a Chunky Soup Can and I bet he gets it

 

[AJay]

I hate McNabb but I also hate PFT. They are like the TMZ of the Football world. Trying to spin any story to make a soap opera drama out of it.

 

[NAHSTE]

Since "NFL Playbooks" is a huge part of the curriculum at Syracuse.

 

[Tengo Juego]

Since "NFL Playbooks" is a huge part of the curriculum at Syracuse.

Yes. And I've never read an NFL playbook, but I've heard some of the calls QB's have to make. That shit doesn't seem too easy to spit out. Let alone say clearly, and quickly for 10 players to hear and understand.

 

[dave]

McNabb ran Philly's playbook for 10 years.
No one can tell me Washington's playbook is more complex than Philly's.
Not even close.

This is clearly a personality issue between McNabb and Shanahan.

IMO, Shanahan should just release McNabb. Clearly, this situation isn't working.

Shanahan's behaviour in all of this has been disgraceful. I suspect a lot of Washington's black players are looking at this and seeing how McNabb has been dubbed out of shape, ill-prepared, etc... in the media by his coach. This shit should have been kept in house.

And the last time I checked, Washington is still 4-4 and a playoff spot wouldn't have been out of reach if Shanahan hadn't created this mess.

 

[Senser81]

Shanahan's behaviour in all of this has been disgraceful. I suspect a lot of Washington's black players are looking at this and seeing how McNabb has been dubbed out of shape, ill-prepared, etc... in the media by his coach. This shit should have been kept in house.

Yeah, I don't understand what Shanahan is doing. What is he trying to accomplish? He complains about McNabb being out of shape and ill prepared, then immediately inserts the most out of shape, ill prepared QB in the NFL (Rex Grossman).

 

[Bigpapa42]

McNabb ran Philly's playbook for 10 years.
No one can tell me Washington's playbook is more complex than Philly's.
Not even close.

Its not necessarily about the Skins book being more complex. It could simply be more complex verbiage. There could be a huge difference there. And one would assume that with regard to learning the Eagles playbook, McNabb wasn't asked to do know the entire thing in his first season there.

Regardless, this is not being handled well.

 

[Goober]

Shanahan had the same problem with Jake Plummer in Denver. He's expecting another John Elway to land in his lap...

 

[Hasselbeck]

Shanahan had the same problem with Jake Plummer in Denver. He's expecting another John Elway to land in his lap...

 

[jeffx]

This is clearly a personality issue between McNabb and Shanahan.

Seems like this was brewing for awhile. McNabb has been mediocre this season, and that INT sent Shanahan over the edge. He benched Donovan in a fit of anger and came up with some lame excuse.