The Washington Redskins are in the midst of another mediocre season. Injuries have derailed a once 6-3, NFC East-leading team for the third year in a row. The big blow came when Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff went down for the season with a torn pectoral, then quarterback Alex Smith suffered a broken leg. Washington is 7-7 with two games left against the Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles. They currently sit just a game behind the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East lead, but the likelihood of them winning their final two games is small.
D.C. is most likely going to have another losing season and miss the playoffs. If this comes to fruition, head coach Jay Gruden, along with defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, must be fired as soon as possible.
5. Years of Mediocrity
Jay Gruden has been the coach in Washington since the 2014 season. Since then, the Redskins are 35-42-1 with one playoff appearance in 2015 when they won the NFC East. In Washington, mediocrity has become normal. His first season saw them go 4-12 and finish last in the division. They followed that year with a 9-7 NFC East title in a year when the division was down. The Packers then came into Washington and won the Wild Card Round, 35-18.
Washington has missed the playoffs the last two seasons, and it would take a miracle for them to sneak their way in this season without their quarterback. The Redskins lead the league in players on IR, including Smith and Colt McCoy to similar injuries. Mark Sanchez was brought in and played as one can imagine, which left them with Josh Johnson.
It is hard for a coach to manage a team with as many injuries as the Redskins have had, but at what point does the excuse stop? With this being the third year in a row using the excuse of injury, something has to change. If the Redskins miss the playoffs again, it will be hard to justify bringing Gruden back.
4. Late-Season Collapses
Over the Gruden era in D.C, the Redskins have started out hot many times but could not continue that momentum into the playoffs. In 2016, after they won the NFC East, the Redskins were 6-3-1 after 10 games and on their way to a postseason berth. They finished the season 2-4 and ended up on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. The next season, Washington was 4-4 with some winnable games on the upcoming schedule, but they were not able to win many of them and finished the season 7-9.
This year is no different. The Redskins were 6-3 and held a two-game lead in the NFC East. When Smith went down, the team lost four in a row before beating Cody Kessler and the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. While their playoff hopes are still technically alive, they are slim. Good teams in the NFL know how to overcome injuries and finish a season strong. The Redskins' inability to do either one reflects on the coaching staff, and it starts at the top with the head coach.
3. Penalties
The Redskins are near the top of the league in penalties with 105. Right tackle Morgan Moses is the most penalized player in the league with 14. They have 29 offensive holding penalties, 25 false starts and 16 in the secondary.
The only word that can describe this is discipline. And in the Redskins' case, a lack of it. Teams who lead the league in penalties are usually not successful. The Kansas City Chiefs are the exception this year since they lead the league in flags thrown, but the rest of the teams aren't as lucky. The Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos are along the same path as the Redskins when it comes to penalties.
The Redskins are in need of a leader who can keep the team within themselves and keep things simple. The amount of pre-snap penalties committed in Washington is not acceptable.
2. Offensive Performance
In 2016, the Redskins had the NFL's third-ranked offense. Kirk Cousins threw for 4,917 yards and 25 touchdowns. DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon both eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving, and Jamison Crowder just missed that mark but led the team with seven touchdowns. Despite missing the playoffs, Washington was an offensive juggernaut. Gruden got a lot of credit, but the real hero of that offense has been revealed: Sean McVay. The curernt coach of the Los Angeles Rams was the offensive coordinator of the Redskins and had a lot to do with their success.
This season, the Redskins have been one of the worst offensive teams in the league, even when Smith was healthy. They are averaging 18.9 points per game, which is 28th in the league. The Redskins average 315 yards per game and 201 of them through the air. Both numbers are near the bottom of the league. Gruden was supposed to come over from Cincinnati and develop this offense, but they have only regressed.
1. Big-Game Performance
The Redskins have made a habit of not only blowing leads but not showing up during big games. They held a 31-16 lead in New Orleans last season before losing 34-31 in overtime. In 2016, they held a 17-13 lead with a minute left in Detroit, but they let up a game-winning touchdown drive to Matthew Stafford and the Lions.
The biggest blunder came when the Redskins needed a Week 17 win against the Giants to clinch a playoff spot. At home, Washington went down 10-0. They were able to get the game tied, but 10 points was all they could muster. The season ended with Cousins throwing an interception off his back foot to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. This season, the defense has not shown up on many occasions. Their secondary was not able to tackle Amari Cooper on Thanksgiving in Dallas, and they surrendered 40 points in a blowout loss to the lowly Giants.
The Redskins' inability to show up in big games has gone on for years now. Gruden is emotionless on the sideline, as is Manusky. There are reports that the players like Gruden and play for him, but it does not look like it on the field. Players like Josh Norman, D.J. Swearinger and Mason Foster have openly made comments about the fan base and coaching staff. With this much drama going on paired with the lack of success, the Redskins need a change and Gruden should be the first to go.
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