Washington Redskins: Why Jay Gruden deserves more respect

Jay Gruden’s job isn’t safe in 2018. But it should be.

Jay Gruden is heading into his fifth year with the Washington Redskins. In his first four years, Gruden has never notched double-digit wins. Gruden only made the playoffs once, in 2015, as the beneficiary of an unusually weak NFC East. He lost in the first round of the playoffs. His career record is 28-35-1.

What I just gave you is a list of facts. Data points. Statistics. Statistics such as these are valuable. They quantify performance over a given period of time, and that data gathered is a mechanism through which conclusions can be made, in regards to coach and team performance, and whether changes must occur.

So naturally, if you take one look at Jay Gruden’s 28-35-1 record over four years, you’d be skeptical. Observe his records over the past three seasons, falling from 9-7 to 8-7-1 in 2016, and from 8-7-1 to 7-9 in 2017, and you’d notice a downward trend. Downward trends aren’t good.

So, looking at data alone, you may be inclined to make a change. To divert from Jay Gruden, and look elsewhere. But making such a brash decision, based on record alone, is short-sighted, and a horrendously misinformed. There’s no other way to put it.

Records and statistics and data points are useful. But there is certain information that statistics can not quantify.

Context.

Context is essential in evaluating Jay Gruden’s performance with the Washington Redskins. Observe his record alone, and you may be misled. If you refuse to look past Gruden’s record, then you must be biased against him. Because while his record shows that he should be on his last life, the context tells a very different tale.

So… let’s look at the context.