Redskins Reality Checks: Will the music stop in Nashville?
By Tim Payne
4. Reality Is, Jay Gruden is likely coaching for his job
A poor showing last week might have sealed Jay Gruden’s fate. Instead, the team dug deep and played for their scrutinized head coach. To Gruden’s credit, his guys do seem to really want to play for him when the chips are down. They don’t quit on the season with him at the helm.
However, another stumble down the stretch, with the playoffs in their sights, might prove too much for Dan Snyder. If the team competes well in both of their final two games of this season, I tend to think that Snyder will not fire Gruden, citing all of the injuries he’s had to deal with as an excuse for not progressing the last two years.
That said, I don’t think Gruden (or a few others in the front office) will survive any more embarrassing losses like the one two weeks ago against New York. I tend to think that if Snyder doesn’t fire Bruce Allen this offseason (or at least remove him from the football operations side of the team), then Jay Gruden is probably the best coach they will have the opportunity to have for the 2019 season.
Since that’s the case, it’s possible Jay is safe. But, betting on Snyder to think through all of the long-term ramifications and make a logical decision is probably not the best bet. I think two good showings in these last two weeks will probably cement Jay’s place in Washington for 2019. But a couple of lackluster showings might be enough to bring an unceremonious end to his tenure in D.C.