Redskins Jay Gruden ranked No. 27 head coach in NFL by Yahoo Sports
By Ian Cummings
In a recent abomination Yahoo Sports article, Redskins head coach Jay Gruden was ranked as the No. 27 head coach in the league.
Much has been made of Jay Gruden’s tenure with the Washington Redskins this offseason, and rightly so, as the crossroads are slowly coming together. After four years marred by positional instability, front office dysfunction, and relentless injuries, Gruden finally has a roster he can call his own. But as a consequence of the time lost, the stakes are driving up. Gruden needs to win this year. And he knows it.
The context suggests that Jay Gruden can compete in 2018. He survived a 2014 season that saw him start three quarterbacks more than four times each, going 4-12 in the process. The year after that, he led a Redskins team with a rather underdeveloped defense to an NFC East title. In 2016, Gruden was essentially a missed overtime field goal and a Week 17 interception away from finishing 10-6.
In 2017, the Redskins started out fairly strong, but their season was derailed by injuries, and now, in 2018, Gruden is feeling the pressure to produce. Some, however, have already given up on him. In his recent NFL head coach rankings on Yahoo Sports, Shalise Manza Young listed Gruden as his No. 27 head coach in the league. Here’s his reasoning:
"Four years, one playoff berth, one plus-.500 season, one franchise quarterback run out of town."
#Analysis.
Truly a stunning breakdown.
Normally, I wouldn’t give this coach rankings article the light of day, but this is too absurd to be ignored. The NFL is a results driven league, but Manza Young has all seven first-year coaches ahead of Gruden, including Gruden’s brother Jon, who falls in at nineteenth. Other coaches ahead of note who are listed ahead of Gruden include Jason Garrett, Vance Joseph, and Bill O’Brien.
More egregious than the number ranking is the description to validate that ranking. One measly sentence. Three commas. Zero context. Even Hue Jackson, who has a 1-31 record in his first two years with the Cleveland Browns, got one more sentence than Gruden. This level of ignorance from a writer with a platform is disturbing.
I’m not saying Jay Gruden should be ranked in the top fifteen. But there is a certain dismissal of information here that needs to be addressed. Yes, the playoff wins haven’t come. And yes, Jay Gruden has had his fair share of miscues, whether it’s with clock management, or a play call on third and short.
Nevertheless, keeping the Redskins competitive in a transition from an era of absolute chaos is something Jay Gruden doesn’t often get recognized for, and it’s this ignorance that might befuddle his legacy for good. Fun fact: Sometimes, to find results, you have to look past the record. It’s cumbersome. But it’s the only way to get the full picture. More often than not, the record is, more or less, a reflection of the coach. But Jay Gruden could very well be a case with an asterisk. He has a chance to prove that in 2018.
Next: Redskins Training Camp Profile: Jonathan Allen
Here at Riggo’s Rag, we’ve tried our best to give you the full picture. But, as always, opinions vary, even when all the information is available. What do you think about Gruden’s ranking in the article mentioned above? Should he be in the top fifteen? Or should he wallow with the bottom feeders? Feel free to give us your thoughts.