The Monday following the final week of the NFL season is typically a sad one for several teams each year, as it's referred to as "Black Monday." It's called that because of the high number of coaches that are let go after disappointing seasons.
Rob Chudzinski of the Cleveland Browns was the first coach to get the ax, while two more coaches, Mike Shanahan of the Washington Redskins, and Jim Schwartz of the Detroit Lions appear to be on the chopping block.
Shanahan's problems in Washington have been apparent and heavily publicized all year long as the Redskins stumbled to a 3-13 season just one year after a surprise playoff berth. Shanahan's downfall began in the 2012 playoffs, when he made the ill-advised decision to let rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III play in their opening round matchup despite obviously favoring an injured knee. He worsened that knee late in the game, tearing several ligaments and missing the whole preseason. Griffin wasn't the same player in 2013, showing reluctance early on to play with the reckless abandon he showed as a rookie; once it came back he was inaccurate overall and seemed to clash with the head coach. Down the stretch, Shanahan benched the prized quarterback in order to "keep him healthy" for 2014. However some NFL insiders believe Shanahan was simply tired of the organization and trying to get himself canned. In Detroit, Schwartz is almost certain to feel the wrath of a disappointed fan base and front office, as the Lions squandered a 6-3 start in a division where their two top rivals lost their starting quarterbacks for extended periods of time.
"I'd certainly like to be back," Schwartz said yesterday after dropping the season finale vs. the Minnesota Vikings, who played without 2012 MVP Adrian Peterson. "I feel like we have unfinished business here. We've come a long way in these years, but we still have ground that we can make and I'm anxious to have a chance to be able to do that."
After collapsing this badly with a franchise quarterback and the NFL's best wide receiver though, it seems a long shot he'll get his wish.
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