Mike Wise
Mike Wise
Columnist

For Washington Redskins, nothing succeeds like success

Video: The Redskins now hold their own destiny in making the playoffs with two games left in the regular season. The Washington Post’s Jonathan Forsythe breaks down which teams need to lose in week 16 so that the Redskins path to the playoffs becomes easier.

Winning really is the great deodorant, isn’t it? It covers up the stench of what we thought we knew about a team and its players. It gives non-believers faith and almost instantly alters the psychological direction of a franchise.

Less than two months ago, Mike Shanahan and his players rode the empty Armageddon Express. Today, for the first time in more than a decade, the Washington Redskins churn toward the postseason on an overflowing bandwagon, the doomsayers of Nov. 4 now begging to be pulled aboard.

Video

The Post Sports Live crew offers bold predictions for the Redskins game at Philadelphia this weekend.

The Post Sports Live crew offers bold predictions for the Redskins game at Philadelphia this weekend.

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For the love of RGIII, Shanny, please take us with you!

Simply because of five straight victories, the entire organization — these players, this coaching staff, the front office, Tom the Security Guy Who Opens the Door to the Training Facility After Practice — has been re-imagined. We have vastly different perceptions of people we knew, heck, just six weeks ago.

Well, okay, all but one: Robert Gandhi III still walks on water. For everyone else, it has been makeover time:

Mike Shanahan at 3-6: Latest retread to take Dan Snyder’s millions and lose way too many games. Throws players under the bus after Carolina loss that he actually called a “must-win.” NFL passed him by in, like, 1998.

Shanahan at 8-6: Fearless leader whose brilliant ploy of pretending to throw in the towel rallied players to think like champions. Visionary, the only one who knew Kory Lichtensteiger was Russ Grimm-in-training, the personnel wizard who found “Amtrak” Alfred Morris in the sixth round and turned Tampa Bay’s discarded kicker into . . . Kai Foregone, Maker of Every Field Goal Ever Attempted. Genuine candidate for NFL executive and coach of the year awards.

London Fletcher at 3-6: He’s 37, all right — in dog years. Shouldn’t have been re-signed. Pro Bowler in name only, he’s now a slow, banged-up memory of a great linebacker. Sit him. Put the kids in.

Fletcher at 8-6: My man, 59! Didn’t I tell you this guy was the conscience and soul of this club? Savvy, old school, he’s just who the young bucks need to learn from.

Jim Haslett at 3-6: Oafish head of defense that gives up not just yards but entire continents. Relic. Only knows blitzing and “Bull in the Ring” drills. Schematically, he’s playing Electric Football in a Madden 2013 world.

Haslett at 8-6: Done more good with less talent on his roster than Cee Lo. Resourceful, ingenious, Haz is so advanced in defensive strategies he could camouflage a practice-squader a millisecond before he laid out Eli Manning.

Richard Crawford at 3-6: Who?

Crawford at 8-6: This Banks person you speak of? Once returned punts and kickoffs? I’m sorry; I’m not familiar with his work.

Daniel Snyder at 3-6: I don’t care what you say: It’s still his fault.

Snyder at 8-6: Damn if the owner didn’t finally get out of the way and let them all do their jobs. That’s maturity. That’s my kind of owner.

Bruce Allen at 3-6: Has anyone seen him? What does he actually do, organize alumni reunions? He’s the highest-paid cruise director since Julie from “The Love Boat.”

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