Washington Redskins: Why Jay Gruden must be fired
Personnel decisions / in-game decisions
Joe Barry and Greg Manusky gave Jim Haslett a run for his money as the worst defensive coordinators of the Redskins for this decade. The Redskins decision-makers, when it comes to coaching, are pitiful. Blame Bruce Allen, blame Dan Snyder, blame Jay Gruden. They are horrendous at picking just an average defensive staff. The Redskins haven’t had a defense that was worth mentioning since Sean Taylor, unfortunately, went to heaven early. While Gruden wasn’t in Landover for that entire stretch, the coordinators and personnel he has picked have been abysmal.
With loads of talent on the defensive side of the ball, Jay put his bets on Greg Manusky after Joe Barry joined Los Angeles back in 2017. Of the numerous candidates the Redskins were linked to, Jay chose an unproven outside linebackers coach to run his defense. As for Joe Barry, the same defensive coordinator who coached the 0-16 Detroit Lions, Jay Gruden placed his bets on him to run his defense before Manusky. Giving someone an opportunity based on their previous track record or based on their progression and projection is one thing. Both hires have been proven to be horrendous.
Jay’s in-game decisions haven’t been any better. Against the Giants, Jay Gruden accepted a third-down penalty that “pushed the Giants out of field-goal range”, although Aldrich Rosas is 7 for 8 on kicks 50-plus yards or more, with a long of 57. Knowing you have one of the worst third-down defenses in the NFL, finally getting a stop and forcing Rosas to kick a 46-yard field goal where he’s 10 of 15 in his career, would have been the stop the defense desperately needed. How did that drive end up instead? The Giants ended up scoring a touchdown.
Another aspect of Gruden’s in-game decisions is his lack of awareness involving situational coaching, and a lack of awareness toward his personnel, among various other things.
Situational coaching and lack of awareness of his personnel at times go hand-in-hand. I mean the various attempts to continue something that isn’t working. Whether it be not enough shots down the field, not enough boot-action, non-creative, bland plays that, outside of a go or post pattern, get minimal yardage, or a continuous attempt to run the ball on first and second down when it isn’t working, the over-confident approach in a game plan that doesn’t fit the personnel at hand.
Example, Jay said he didn’t think Adrian Peterson‘s running style fits the “scheme.” The funny thing is, it would be much easier to run the ball into what has been your strength of the offensive line (Left Guard-Center-Right Guard) than the outside tackles. You’re missing Trent Williams, and Morgan Moses leads the league in penalties. Wouldn’t Peterson’s power running style work best when you can’t get any movement, any momentum, on the outside? You cannot pull to the right or left side using your tackles, because of the lack of athletic ability, lack of chemistry, and the plethora of penalties drawn. On the topic of the offensive line, the trouble the Redskins have had defending stunts along the defensive front has been awful. The Redskins continuously get torched during the Gruden era on issues that boil down to a lack of communication, and a lack of discipline.
When it comes to the defensive side of the football, and the attention to detail on that side, I can’t put too much blame on him. One thing I can blame is the unawareness of critical passing plays that continuously hurt the Redskins. I’m talking about pick plays, and shallow cross patterns. When asked by reporter Craig Hoffman after the Week 3 loss about said plays, Jay responded with: “I wouldn’t say it happens all the time. The Colts got us last year a couple of times.” Jay, I love you bud, but the pick plays and shallow cross patterns routinely beat the Redskins like a drum. Plays that have torched Washington for years, during every defensive coordinator’s tenure under Gruden. It’s a constant, and the Redskins haven’t had true and strict attention to detail.