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Redskins vs. Titans: Five takeaways from Saturday’s loss

By Ian Cummings

NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 22: Josh Johnson #8 of the Washington Redskins looks to pass against the Tennessee Titans during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium on December 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 22: Josh Johnson #8 of the Washington Redskins looks to pass against the Tennessee Titans during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium on December 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 09: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins watches from the sidelines during the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. The Redskins defeated the Cardinals 24-6. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 09: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins watches from the sidelines during the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. The Redskins defeated the Cardinals 24-6. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

No. 2 – Jay Gruden isn’t as easy to let go

A sensible case can be made for both the departure and the retainment of longtime head coach Jay Gruden. The discussion surrounding the Redskins’ head man has been polarizing from start to finish, and that won’t change in the coming weeks.

On one hand, Gruden has been given time to turn this franchise around, and while he’s kept the team competitive for a number of years, he’s never made the leap. His teams consistently appear unprepared at random times, with lacking motivation, and his offense seems to be growing outdated. While Greg Manusky shoulders much of the blame for the Redskins’ recent struggles, Gruden picked Manusky. He also picked Barry. And Haslett. All failures. At some point, he must take reasonability for those choices.

On the other hand, however, Gruden has shown that when he’s comfortable with his personnel, he can open things up. Certain play calls against the Titans were masterful. The motion wide receiver screen to Jamison Crowder in the first half comes to mind, as does the quarterback sweep to Josh Johnson to pick up a key third down conversion.

Perhaps with more input on offense from a modern mind, Gruden’s best traits as a head coach can shine through; his players openly respect him and fight for him during games. Through massive amounts of injuries and front office unrest, he’s managed to keep the franchise afloat and alive in the NFC East. His tenure has not been perfect. His failings should be brought to light. But credit absolutely must be given where it’s due. And with Bruce Allen still in the President position, assuming the next coach would be better is a risky proposition.

Jay Gruden’s fate is no more transparent now than it was after the Cowboys loss, or the Giants loss, or the Jaguars victory. In 2019, Washington’s ownership will have a very hard, very important decision to make.

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