Snider: Callahan Cost Himself & the Redskins

Bill Callahan has nobody else to blame but himself for the last two losses for the Redskins at home. He's just greasing the skids for his departure, which will make fans happy and several players who haven't always appreciated how hard Callahan has worked them.

Redskins coach Bill Callahan is now 0-2 over the past eight days.

A conservative approach and misguided faith in the defense cost Washington again, this time in a 41-35 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday. It wasn’t that the Redskins coaches were outsmarted by the Giants. Callahan outsmarted himself.

Washington should have gone for two points when scoring with 29 seconds remaining in regulation to close within 35-34. The Redskins were 3-11. What did they have to lose aside the second overall pick in next year’s draft?

But no, Callahan played it safe by kicking the extra point to force overtime. Sure enough, the Giants quickly scored a touchdown to end the game.

The Redskins are now 3-12.

Callahan tried to downplay his second game-costing decision in a week. He thought the defense would hold the Giants, who won the coin toss for first possession. Sure enough, New York quarterback Daniel Jones threw his fifth touchdown as the 4-11 Giants beat the Redskins for the second time this season.

“I just felt at the time we tied it and go into overtime,” Callahan said. “I felt that it was the right decision for our team.”

Well, obviously not.

This all comes one week after losing to Philadelphia when kicking a field goal rather than trying to convert a fourth-and-one with five minutes remaining. The 27-24 lead quickly melted by a defense that gave up two touchdowns just minutes before. Callahan should have tried to convert, hold the ball longer and kick a field goal if not scoring a touchdown. If nothing else, the move would have given the Eagles less time to travel the field.

Two coaching decisions – two losses.

Callahan took photos in the end zone with family members before the game. The team travels to Dallas on Saturday to close out the season so this was the proper time to say goodbye in the FedEx Field season-ender. Certainly, Callahan knows “interim” means not for long and he has shown no reason to be retained.

Oh, the team is playing a little better than the 0-5 start that forced coach Jay Gruden’s ouster, but then they’re playing the other crummy teams league wide versus earlier titans so of course things look better. Sorry, it’s fool’s gold.

Nobody expected the Redskins to turn around their season, but blowing games is inexcusable. It just adds to the many reason why Washington remains one of the league’s worst franchises nowadays.

Rick Snider is an award-winning sports writer who has covered Washington sports since 1978. He first wrote about the Redskins in 1983 before becoming a beat writer in 1993. Snider currently writes for several national and international publications and is a Washington tour guide. Follow Rick on Twitter at @Snide_Remarks.