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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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ARLINGTON, TX – NOVEMBER 30: Jeff Heath #38 of the Dallas Cowboys and Jamison Crowder #80 of the Washington Redskins chase a loose ball in the first quarter of a football game at AT&T Stadium on November 30, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX – NOVEMBER 30: Jeff Heath #38 of the Dallas Cowboys and Jamison Crowder #80 of the Washington Redskins chase a loose ball in the first quarter of a football game at AT&T Stadium on November 30, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

Inability to get new receivers involved and Jamison Crowder’s regression

One of the most notable areas of failure for the Redskins offense has come in their receiving corps. The unit suffered major losses in the offseason where Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson left the squad in the free agency. The Redskins front office thought they had found capable replacements in Terrelle Pryor and Josh Doctson, but they couldn’t have been more wrong.

In 2017, the Redskins receiving corps has been a disaster. Pryor, the big-name acquisition, played horribly in his time with the team. Before being placed on Injured Reserve, the big bodied wide-out did little to show chemistry with Kirk Cousins, and he never seemed to fit in the offense. Meanwhile, Doctson has had an up-and-down second season that has seen him drop countless passes but also make some nice contested catches. Still, his failure to get involved in the offense shows a lot about the team.

Even with the early struggles of these receivers, Gruden didn’t do much to get these guys involved. In the early part of the season, he played Ryan Grant over Doctson to give the second-year man more time to learn the playbook. This didn’t pay off, as Doctson’s abilities have not significantly improved.

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    • At the midpoint of the season, Gruden essentially benched Pryor for lack of production. That may have looked like a sensible move at the time, but realistically, Gruden should have called plays to get Pryor, and Doctson for that matter, involved in the offense early. Then if they struggled, he could consider benching them. But instead, Gruden had a short leash and the receivers were virtually yanked in favor of Grant, who is at best a high-level No. 4 receiver.

    Also, it’s worth noting that Jamison Crowder has also not performed up to expectations this year. Against Dallas last night, he was responsible for two turnovers. One was an interception on a catchable pass that bounced right off his hands. The second came on a punt return where he fumbled the ball away. That has been a major problem for Crowder this year, and he actually fumbled a second time against Dallas, but Gruden hasn’t done much to help him.

    When asked last night about whether or not he would consider replacing Crowder, Gruden said, per the Redskins official Twitter, “We don’t have anyone to put back there right now.” He further spoke about Maurice Harris being in concussion protocol, but the fact is that Crowder hadn’t been replaced back there for almost the whole season. Also, it’s worth noting that DeAngelo Hall fielded two punts this year, so why he wasn’t given another chance is unclear. What is clear is that Gruden has too long a leash with Crowder on returns, and that is becoming an issue for the team.

    Overall, the receiving corps hasn’t played up to expectations. Gruden deserves blame for some of that. He hasn’t done much in terms of the game plan to get the ball into the hands of his receivers and get them some confidence. Without that, it’s very hard for the unit of young guys and new acquisitions to get going.

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