Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan has denied claims that he gives special treatment to his son Kyle, who is the team's offensive coordinator.
Shanahan's future at the Redskins has come under question this season due to the team's poor form, winning just three matches a year after finishing top of the NFC East.
With the side's offense struggling to make the desired impact, Kyle Shanahan has also come under scrutiny, but his father has dismissed claims that he treats him any different to his other coordinators.
"I've said numerous times, I'd like to concentrate on football. But maybe I could say it best this way: It doesn't matter if Gary Kubiak was my offensive coordinator, Mike Heimerdinger, [defensive coordinator] Jim Haslett - a coordinator is a coordinator," ESPN quotes Shanahan as saying.
"If it's Jim, if it's Kyle, I get involved with all of the football matters and I will be heavily involved in both sides. At the end of the day, it's my responsibility to be accountable for everything that's done.
"I can guess where [the reports] come from. Hey, not everybody's happy and when you do have three wins, it can be a little tough. A lot of things do come out. It's part of this business. But you've got to be tough enough to work through it, and I think our organization and team is tough enough to work through it."
The Redskins have lost their last six matches and will finish the regular season with games against the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants.