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Redskins: It’s time to consider parting ways with Jay Gruden

By Jacob Camenker

ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 30: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins stands on the sidelines during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 30, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 30: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins stands on the sidelines during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 30, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 29: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins walks off the field following the Redskins loss to the Dallas Cowboys at FedEx Field on October 29, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 29: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins walks off the field following the Redskins loss to the Dallas Cowboys at FedEx Field on October 29, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Lack of energy and effort in big games

Over the course of the past couple seasons, the Redskins have lost countless key games. In 2016, they had a chance to beat the Panthers in Week 15 to get a stranglehold on the No. 6 seed. They blew the game after looking unprepared and lackadaisical. In Week 17 of that same season, they had a win-and-in game against the Giants, and once again they came out with no energy and blew it. That cost them a postseason berth and was a major disappointment for the team.

Thursday’s loss to the Cowboys was a similar performance. This was a game that the team desperately needed to win. They had to bring their A-game and put forth their best effort. Instead, they came out of the gate slow. They made a lot of early mistakes and they never recovered.

If this were a one game thing, then it could be written off as an outlier. But considering that this has happened repeatedly throughout Gruden’s tenure, it’s quite possible that he could be part of the problem. Perhaps Gruden isn’t a great motivator or the players just don’t respond to the ways that he looks to motivate the team. It’s one thing to start a contest slow, but it’s another thing to look completely unprepared and sluggish. That’s what the Redskins were like in Week 13 this year and in the two games from last year.

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The final month of the season will be an interesting case study for Gruden. The Redskins don’t have a lot to play for, so will Gruden be able to motivate them to play with a lot of energy? That remains to be seen. If he can show some ability to motivate them down the stretch, then it will be clear that he possesses the ability to do so.

At the same time, the question is about the big, important games for the team. The three aforementioned losses paint a bad picture of Gruden’s tenure as head coach, and they will certainly be looked at. Again, it’s one thing to lose a game in which a team fought hard. It’s another thing to lose after putting forth a mediocre effort.

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