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Washington Redskins: Why Jay Gruden deserves more respect

By Ian Cummings

NEW ORLEANS, LA - NOVEMBER 19: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins ooks on as his team takes on the New Orleans Saints during the first half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 19, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - NOVEMBER 19: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins ooks on as his team takes on the New Orleans Saints during the first half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 19, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 29: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins talks with quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 29: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins talks with quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images) /

Schematic Snags

Lost in the endless criticism of Jay Gruden’s record is the fact that he is one of the better, if not one of the best, play schemers and callers in the entire NFL. In 2015, he took a team with below-average talent to the playoffs. In 2016, he helped Kirk Cousins reach the doorstep of the 5,000-yard club. And in 2017, after losing two 1,000-yard receivers and experiencing a rash of injuries, as described earlier, Gruden still found a way to keep moving the football; by year’s end, his passing offense, despite all of its personnel deficiencies, was No. 12 in the NFL.

Gruden was instrumental in not only given Kirk Cousins the support and trust he needed to take over the starting job in 2015, but he also put Cousins in a scheme that almost ensured his success.  Gruden creates plays that naturally work receivers open with intersecting routes, misdirections, and intricate details. He’s very good at scheming to opponents’ weaknesses, as evidenced with Jordan Reed’s breakout season in 2015, when Gruden unleashed Reed upon linebackers who couldn’t cover him up the middle.

Gruden’s offensive schemes are supported by statistical evidence, and there are others in the football community who recognize Gruden’s technical prowess. Bleacher Report’s Doug Farrar, ahead of the 2017 season, praised Gruden’s ability as an effective West Coast mind. Farrar noted Gruden’s skill at using mismatches to trick defenses into stacking certain areas of the field, leaving other options open, using DeSean Jackson and his speed as an example as a possible decoy.

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Farrar ranked Gruden’s scheme as the No. 9 scheme in the entire NFL. In his article, Farrar looked ahead to the coming 2017 season, noting that Gruden would be tested without a deep threat in DeSean Jackson. However, Farrar capped off that thought by articulating this: “No matter who he has on the field, Jay Gruden will find ways to match the West Coast philosophy with deeper route combinations because he’s one of the best in the business when it comes to drawing them up”.

Farrar is a fan of Gruden’s scheme, and he also believes that Gruden could have done even better in previous years, had he not had so many factors working against him. Farrar stated, in a recent interview on 106.7, that “Jay Gruden schemed with one hand tied behind his back last year”. He noted Kirk Cousins’ inconsistent vision and inability to find open receivers, a trait that Gruden was noticeably frustrated with last season.

In an article by NBC Sports’ J.P. Finlay, Gruden, when presented with a quote by Cousins saying that he’d throw 20 interceptions if he played the way Gruden wanted him to, remarked: “He’d also throw about 60 touchdowns”.

Gruden’s schemes are very quarterback-friendly, and in the right hands, his scheme can lead this team far. In Alex Smith, Gruden may have found the perfect quarterback for his scheme. Smith is a more polished NFL quarterback than Cousins. He’s a veteran who has all the smarts necessary to maximize the talent around him, and with a reputation as an adept decision maker, he should make the most out of the options that Gruden gives him.

Furthermore, with Derrius Guice entering the fold as a credible running threat, and Paul Richardson filling the void left by DeSean Jackson as a speed receiver, Gruden once again has the weapons at his disposal to stay one step ahead of the defense. He’s done just as much with less.

Gruden receives an unfair amount of criticism for his “in-game blunders”. Yes, he’s not perfect. He was inconsistent on third and short, and in the red zone last year. But when bringing up those points, do not forget how Kirk Cousins may have handicapped the offense in the red zone. Do not forget every play where receivers ran open. Remember every time a receiver runs free into the end zone. Gruden schemed that play.

Judging by how well the Washington Redskins moved the football through the air, Gruden had many more good plays than bad ones. His running offense wasn’t so effective. But remember what he was working with. Gruden consistently maximizes minimal talent, and in 2018, in a year when he finally has a solid cast of talent across the board, there’s no reason to think he can’t find new heights.

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