With a quarterback that Washington hopes will be the future of the franchise in the fold in Heisman winner and second overall pick Robert Griffin III, and a new-look receiving corps among other offseason upgrades, Redskins’ offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan believes the team to be primed for a playoff run.
"We don't go into a season not expecting to making the playoffs," Shanahan told the Redskins’ official website recently. "My expectation is to win. That’s why we came here."
Granted, this is the only answer Shanahan (or any other NFL coach) can give; we doubt if any coach has ever entered a season with no playoff hopes to speak of, and even if one did, he surely wouldn’t make it public. But Shanahan’s Redskins are playing in a the same division as the Cowboys (who have made some upgrades of their own this offseason), the Eagles and the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.
But with a youth movement on the offensive side of the ball, led by RG III, Shanahan thinks that the long-maligned franchise could be on the verge of turning their fortunes around.
"We want a chance to compete every year, and it’s been disappointing for us that we haven’t been able to," he said. "I believe in our guys. I know our guys believe in ourselves and we expect to come in and win. Anything short of that and we’re as coaches disappointed."
Stay on top of the latest Dallas Cowboys news with NBCDFW.com. Follow NBC DFW on Facebook or have breaking Cowboys news sent directly to your phone with Blue Star SMS alerts. Text "bluestar" to 622339 (NBCDFW) to subscribe, text HELP for more info, and text STOP to end the subscription. Message and data rates may apply.Read more about it here.
