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Now that Mike Shanahan has shut down Donovan McNabb for the rest of the season, his critics grow louder. Critics who say the coach has done nothing more than follow Hall of Famer John Elway to two championships.

While Shanahan’s very brief tenure as head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders was unsuccessful, he had a nice stint as a quarterbacks coach for the Denver Broncos and helped Elway develop. He then won a Super Bowl as an offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers before returning to Denver as head coach.

Shanahan’s first year in Washington is nothing to be proud or even optimistic about. While heading the oldest team in the league this year, he walked in knowing he had a long rebuilding project in front of him with a franchise that has had sparse success since making four Super Bowls (winning three) between 1982 and 1991.

The Redskins’ season started with him butting heads with defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, and both men looked ridiculous many times. After suspending Haynesworth for the season, murmurs came from Redskins Park that Shanahan lost respect in the locker room. Benching McNabb just increased the rift and put the rest of the front office in a bind.

While owner Dan Snyder and general manager Bruce Allen remain quiet in their support of Shanahan, mostly due to the fact Snyder gave him $35 million over five years, there are problems that may plague Washington during his reign. Nepotism is the most prevalent issue.

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