LANDOVER, Md., -- The loss was ugly enough, but the reality is just as stark. And that’s what has to frighten the Washington Redskins. Or, rather, their fans.
Because when you look at this franchise, it’s tough to know where to pin your hope. On the owner who has never seen one of this teams post winning records in consecutive seasons? On the general manager who has never been the main person in charge of constructing a football team? On the coach who is now 3-7 in his first season after a 27-7 loss to previously one-win Tampa Bay? On the quarterback who once upon a time looked like the future of the game but now, two years later, there’s doubt about him even being the future of this franchise.
Those just happen to be the five most important parts of a franchise. And, in each case, there’s zero proof to suggest that they can be successful in their jobs. Quarterback Robert Griffin III excelled two years ago, but that feels like a lifetime ago thanks in part to injuries. Sunday, he was sacked six times.
At times he held the ball too long. At times the protection broke down. When they happened at the same time? Yikes. Griffin missed receiver DeSean Jackson twice downfield when he was open enough that it could have impacted the outcome. If you hold the ball too long, but hit these plays? Different feeling.
But the problem is that Washington needs to see more consistency from Griffin. They need to see quicker decisions. The initial impression is that he left plays on the field by not throwing the ball more in rhythm or, at times, by putting his eyes down as he tried to escape the pocket.
And they can’t keep seeing him dive over or through defenders at the end of runs. They need to know he’s still a guy worth building around. Redskins coach Jay Gruden doesn’t come across as being sold yet. Not at all. Griffin is a young quarterback who still needs time. But he also must show progress.
“Nobody proved that they deserve to start anywhere after today’s performance,” Gruden said. “He has a lot of improvement to do, obviously.”
But it’s not just Griffin. His offensive line opened few holes and were overwhelmed at times by Tampa Bay’s rush. That’s a big problem, of course.
However, Gruden also has to prove he’s a good long-term solution as a head coach. He has changed the atmosphere around the team but not the culture -- that only changes when you win. He’s a coach who puts a lot of trust into his coaches and players. They’re not rewarding whatever faith he’s shown. They lined up wrong at times Sunday and they failed to carry out certain defensive assignments. Overreacting to one loss is tough, but sometimes a loss is revealing. Like this one.
The problem is, when you’re around this team, they come across like they’re 10-2 and on a roll. Maybe that’s why they eventually climb out of this mess. Then again, maybe that’s why they’re in it. It’s a lot easier to believe the latter right now. They make costly, sometimes elementary, mistakes.
"We had some things that seemed simple to the coaches that we had breakdowns with," Gruden said.
If the players want a coach like Gruden, they’d better start doing their jobs or eventually they’ll get someone who is the exact opposite.
Can you trust Bruce Allen, the general manager, and owner Dan Snyder to enter the offseason with the necessary blueprint to turn it around? If you do, based on what? Yes, we’ve again reached the point where this is again under debate. If they don’t win at San Francisco or Indianapolis, their next two games, they’ll be sitting at 3-9 with a month left.
“It’s a hard transition,” Redskins safety Ryan Clark said. “This transition is not about winning a Super Bowl as much as it is changing the culture, changing the way men work.
“I’m not saying the turnaround is tough. We made it tougher than it needs to be.”
Yes, they have. Now they must ask: Do they have the right people in the right spots to make the turnaround complete? The answer might scare them.
