The Washington Redskins are 2-2 and sit atop the NFC East standings, but Jay Gruden had some morbid remarks after their last loss. The Redskins got a 43-19 pummeling from the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. Drew Brees threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns, and become the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards. The NFC East is tight. Both the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are 2-3. Even the 1-4 New York Giants are still in the mix. Gruden says his team needs to make some adjustments if they want to stay on top.

“We have a cloud looming over our head with issues we have to clean up,” Gruden told the Washington Post.

His words were surprisingly grim, considering that the team leads their division. The Redskins' rushing attack was abysmal on Monday night. The team totaled 39 rushing yards for the game. Adrian Peterson was expected to be a solid replacement for rookie running back Derrius Guice, who tore his ACL before the regular season. However, Peterson had just four carries for six yards. The Redskins booted their quarterback Kirk Cousins to make room for Alex Smith, a proven veteran leader. Smith threw for 275 yards without a touchdown, but he did rush for one. Gruden says he wants to get on the same page as Smith to promote offensive success in the future.

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“We had some plays we left out there for whatever reason” Gruden said. “We have to make sure we get on the same page as him and dissect his brain a little bit and make sure that we’re all on the same page with what we are trying to read on each given play. I am a firm believer in really, really close communication with head coach and quarterback, especially the play-caller and quarterback. That’s something we’re working on . . . and we’re going to get him in better situations to succeed.”

Jay Gruden has plenty of time to clear the sky of clouds moving forward. They have a tough opponent in the Carolina Panthers to face in Week 6, and they just got Thomas Davis back from suspension. The Redskins could lose their division lead before Sunday is over.