Redskins: Jay Gruden wasn’t the answer, but real problem is rooted deeper
By Ian Cummings
An era has ended at Redskins Park. Or has it?
It was announced in the dark hours of Monday morning that the Washington Redskins had parted ways with long-time head coach Jay Gruden, after a home loss to the Patriots that punctuated an 0-5 start to the 2019 season.
The move was a long time coming; there were whispers of Gruden’s dwindling job security before the end of the 2018 season, and by the end of Week 5, Gruden likely expected and accepted his fate. It’s a move that allows the Redskins to restart, and re-assess their position. But it only scratches at the surface of the true problem in the nation’s capital.
It is in this situation that two truths can coincide with one another, and co-exist. Jay Gruden was not the answer for the Redskins at head coach. His inability to adjust in the heat of the moment, and his suspect preparation methods were common negative themes throughout his tenure. But Gruden was set up to fail in D.C., even if he wasn’t innocent by himself.
The firing of Gruden feels like the end of an era, but it isn’t. It’s simply the start of a new, ominous chapter under the pestering reign of Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen.
No matter who they’ve chosen to lead their team’s players over the years, Snyder and Allen have always been wrong. Where a front office should be open and introspective, Snyder and Allen have been stubborn and unaware. Where a front office should be hands-off, Snyder and Allen have been intrusive and impulsive. And where a front office should have a unified plan, Snyder and Allen have none.
Jay Gruden was never going to be the solution. But he’s not the reason the team has peaked only at mediocrity for the past two decades. He’s not the reason the franchise is one of the least-respected in the NFL. And he’s not the reason fans are in exodus from Ashburn, with each home game being overrun by supporters of the opposition.
This erosion was occurring before Gruden, and with each embarrassing spectacle, it compounds on itself, and becomes exponentially worse. Snyder and Allen may have won some people back by firing Gruden. But many more have had enough time to learn what the real problem is in Redskins Park.
Next. Studs and duds from Redskins 33-7 loss to the Patriots. dark
The real problem is Dan Snyder. The real problem is Bruce Allen. And the real problem is still here.