Fire Gruden, Keep RGIII?

[Larry Gude]

The team needs wins. Bob got them a win. If he wins next week that complicates things. Gruden clearly wants to go in a different direction. Washington should draft linemen next time around. Many of the recent high draft QBs haven't lit the league up. So far only Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson have had any success. With the luck the redskins have been having they end up with Jamarcus Russell, Ryan Leaf or Vince Young and end up wasting a pick.

You feel like he actually won the game or just the fact that the Skins won? He looked like the same lost kid to me and Philly did more to hand it to us than he won it. I was excited for him to get those coupe chances late but, first, we had to punt, then, the pick, the GREAT move by Garcon and yet another roughing call.

And that one delay call I thought Gruden was gonna come unhinged as Robert wandered around making changes as the clock ticked away. He didn't screw up much but, man, I saw nothing to make me say "Well, maybe..."

 

[Monello]

I saw nothing to make me say "Well, maybe..."

But for Gruden and Griffin, games such as this are why they will be together at least one more year, for better or worse. It’s up to Gruden to make it work with Griffin; they successfully used some zone-read play-action passes, in addition to a few regular play-action throws. That’s Griffin’s game -- and needs to be for a while. There will be more frustration; there will be more moments of head-scratching and more big plays.

It’s up to Griffin to keep making plays and trying to restore his reputation and building on this game. Perfect Saturday? No. Bad? No. A winning effort? Yes.

“A lot of guys in the locker room told me that everything I have personally been through this year, it was big for me to go out and play like I did and help lead this team to a victory,” Griffin said. “I would say to them, 'Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do it.'"

No, he would not, and that’s a change. Griffin needs to rely on others -- the run game, the protection, the wideouts -- more than in his rookie year, though even then a lot of elements helped him. If Griffin wants to keep the job beyond next Sunday’s finale against Dallas, it’s what he’ll have to keep doing.

Saturday was a good team win, and in the end, it was far from just about Griffin. That’s the way it should be. What Saturday did, however, was add another layer to the debate over his future. It’s one that will linger for a while.

The skinny on the skins

 

[Larry Gude]

The skinny on the skins

This is one of those 'it's whether you win or lose, not how you play the game' pieces. If all that matters is that they won the game, then, there we go. To me, in the NFL, the goal is always winning Super Bowls and there are many ways to get that done including losing regular season games while getting better as a team across the board. Robert's inaccuracy and poor mechanics, slow decision making and bad decisions tend to, in my view, not bode well for winning a Superbowl, let alone getting there. He looks like a very talented guy that can and will make some great plays while missing easier ones. Same as when he got here. He took yet another pounding, much of it because our O line is sub par, some of it his apparent lack of pocket awareness. To me, the net picture is, if winning a Super bowl is the goal, you part company with the kid this offseason and move on. But, given this is the Redskins and all the other things that need to happen, build the lines, add depth refrain from the dumpster diving and flash signings, Robert was never the problem any way so, really, whatever.

 

[Coventry17]

As a Cowboys fan, I hope Washington keeps Gruden and continues to trot out Bob Griffin at QB. That will ensure the irrelevance of the Potomac Drainage Basin Indigenous Persons for years to come.

 

[Larry Gude]

As a Cowboys fan, I hope Washington keeps Gruden and continues to trot out Bob Griffin at QB. That will ensure the irrelevance of the Potomac Drainage Basin Indigenous Persons for years to come.

That how you felt last off season? The year before? When people were calling for a new head coach? Replace Romo?

The Redskins have been irrelevant because of the lack of stability and any continuity. You guys hung in there with Garret (year 4 I think) and with Romo while rebuilding the team, letting some stars go to build youth and talent. Right now, you have the big three, as you did with Aikeman, Smith and Irvin BUT you also have a fantastic O line, which you did back then AND your defense is not bad and could soon be very good.

If the Redskins are every going to be competitive again, it's gonna be because the owner finds some folks he wants to stick with. I don't think RGIII is the guy but, Gruden, I think he might be. In the mean time Snyder HAS to cut loose of Moss, Hall, Orakpo, Williams, Jackson and maybe even Kerrigan in an effort to get lots of picks and build youth and hope to find some up and comers instead of more has beens.

 

[Coventry17]

I was adamant when Bob Griffin was drafted that he was not an NFL ready quarterback. The success he had his rookie season was fools gold. He ran a college style, option oriented offense that NFL defenses had not faced in decades. When the league adjusted, Griffin was not as effective. Trent Dilfer said he watched the "all 22" from every game Griffin started his final year at Baylor. He came off his primary receiver to a secondary receiver SIX TIMES! That's six times all year! You can tell when watching him....he has the arm strength, a nice throwing motion and is a smart guy. However, all reports say that he lacks the work ethic to radically change his game, which is what he needs to do to play in the NFL. He is not a big guy, he can't take the pounding of the sacks and the tackles when he runs.

Jason Garrett is a Princeton grad, son of a coach (his dad worked for the Cowboys in the 80s) and played in the NFL. He worked his way up through the coaching ranks. I don't know that Jay Gruden has that kind of pedigree. He definitely doesn't have the personality to be a head coach; a head coach should never throw his own players under the bus to the media. Garrett inherited Wade Phillips' mess; he was tasked with rebuilding the team while still fielding a semi-competitive team. There was no "stick to" Garrett option; this was always the plan in Dallas. People want to believe that Jerry Jones sits up on his throne and runs the draft and signs the free agents he wants and meddles in the coaching. The truth of the matter is, the head coach (along with Stephen Jones) runs the personnel side of things. Jerry runs the business. It's no coincidence that Dallas drafted poorly during the Wade Phillips debacle (the 2009 draft is one of the worst for any team in NFL history) and has drafted well with Jason Garrett. Out of the Cowboys last 6 first round picks, 5 are first or second team All-Pro this year. The one who isn't is Mo Claiborne, who was a player Jerry was enamored with and orchestrated a draft day trade to go get. Jerry tried to hire to Garrett for the front office in the late 90s when it was clear the team was going to cut him. Jason wanted to keep playing football, so he went to the Giants. The Giants subsequently tried to hire him for the front office when he was leaving there! Troy Aikman has said that Jason Garrett taught him how to do film study and he wouldn't have been the quarterback he was without him.

As for Romo...if he played for any other team in the NFL he would be one of the league's poster boys. Hispanic heritage, undrafted free agent from a small school in Illinois, family man who does a lot in the community, doesn't do endorsement deals, soft spoken and humble. However, since he plays for Dallas, his accomplishments and failures get painted with a different brush. I read an article today from the Richmond Times Dispatch that said Aaron Rodgers is a Hall of Famer right now and that "time is running out" for Tony Romo. However, a quick study of their career numbers finds the two almost identical, except that Tony has about a season's worth more starts than Rodgers and thereby a few more compiled yards, TDs, etc. Rodgers has won a Super Bowl, but players don't win Super Bowls, teams do. If Patrick Crayton doesn't drop an easy pass late in the 4th quarter against the Giants in 2007, he runs 90 yards for a score, Dallas advances to the NFC Championship and we have a different narrative. Yet, Romo is labeled the "choker" for losing that game. Fourth highest rated QB in NFL history. Highest rated 4th quarter QB in NFL history. Just had the highest QB rating for December in NFL history. Most 4th quarter comebacks in the league since 2006, including leading the league with 5 this year. 5th lowest interception percentage in NFL history. This guy wasn't even invited to the NFL combine. Two guys recognized his talent and wanted to sign him: Sean Payton, who convinced Parcells to bring him to Dallas and Mike Shanahan (the guy Washington ran out of town) who tried to bring him to Denver. Tony has done things that have made me mental over the years. So did Aikman, so did Danny White...so did Staubach, for crying out loud. Staubach's last pass was to Herbert Scott, the offensive guard, as the Rams were bouncing Roger's head of the turf for the last of his 22 concussions. The only former Cowboys QB who I've ever heard speak in less than glowing terms about Romo is Steve Buerlein, who even gave him begrudging praise last week on NFL radio.

As for the Redskins, they are the very definition of a dysfunctional franchise. Dan Snyder is not just a bad owner; by everything I've heard or read about him, he's a deplorable human being. He fosters an aura of paranoia everywhere he goes. He's had radio DJ's fired because they were critical of him. He has sued newspapers for libel for daring to speak bad about him. I don't think Snyder will ever change (that die is cast too deeply) and I don't think he'll ever sell the team. Washington's hope is that eventually the league would step in and strip him of his duties; however, judging by the fact that the NFL allowed Al Davis to insanely run the Raiders into the ground, I doubt they'll ever step in with Snyder. It tooks Dallas 4 or 5 years to rebuild (a process that is still going on) and I imagine it would take Washington at least that long. I just don't see the franchise being patient enough to wait that long.

 

[Larry Gude]

I was adamant when Bob Griffin was drafted that he was not an NFL ready quarterback. The success he had his rookie season was fools gold. .

Wow. Where to start?

Totally agree with Griffin. I thought it was crazy to trade so much for a guy with such a thin resume but, as a fan, you hope folks know what they're doing and you praise Shanahan, well, he was on board here at that draft and we, fans, were under the impression he was in charge or, at the very least, could have veto'd that trade and pick. Of course, because we live in Dan's world, we're pretty sure Snyder wanted it, period, and that Shanahan, like any other coach in Redskins land, will only have so much authority over players. So, to skip ahead to Snyder, you'll get no argument there, either. All I say in his favor is that he does want to win and he will spend money. I never got over his firing of Frank Herzog, think Larry Micheal's in the epitome of a Snyder guy, turd polisher, 24/7, did not like the culture of fear and intimidation he brought to the team be it radio, TV or print and so on. Lastly, on him, is his team, his toy and he wants to play with it so, there will always be that. The league has no problem with him because he brought even more money making to the table.

As far as Romo, if he had the same resume in playing for any other team, he'd have the same rep; bad mistakes at bad times, the fumble on the kick v. Seattle, etc. I agree he gets too much blame and, like any QB he gets too much credit. Simple fact of the matter is teams MUST have at least good O lines if not one of the best and teams must have at least good D lines if not one of the best, to do well in the play offs and to win SB's. Tony has not had that. I give Dallas, Garret, whomever, all the credit for building your O line and having the guts to ditch star players in order to build the team younger and deeper. That's how you over come the injuries, serious ones, you guys have faced. That's the recipe; really good lines, depth. It makes ANY qb a good one and a good one great. I've long considered Romo a great QB so, now, he has the team and the chance and, as for your analysis, it couldn't be a better test; Dallas v. Greenbay, in the playoffs, coming right up.

The one thing I have to say about this year is that I thought putting Romo back in against us, the Skins, in the first game, killed your year, risking his further injury, against a division foe that always seems to be able to hit him and/or hurt him, in a game your backup was playing well and probably, in think, would have won. When Tony came back in, it knocked off the rhythm you guys were building.

Last comment; on the field Romo comes off as a whiny cry baby who does not seem to be a 'team' guy. His demeanor just seems that way.

 

[b23hqb]

Hey, Redskins - trade up to the #1 with the Bucs and give us four or five picks that can start for us.......and you can keep Griffin.

 

[Beta]

As for Romo...if he played for any other team in the NFL he would be one of the league's poster boys.

WHAT?!?!?!?!

You must be the most blind Cowboy-homer "everyone hates us" fan on the planet. You've got to be KIDDING me. The COWBOYS are the team that gets propped up. Remember Jimmy Johnson/Troy Aikman/Emmitt Smith/etc? You know, the guys that probably made you a Cowboys fan instead of rooting for your hometown Redskins? Wow. Never thought I'd see a Cowboys fan, from one of "America's" teams, complain about how their players are looked at unfairly. Wow.

Romo is a decent QB who had a reputation for choking. That's why Rodgers, Brady, Manning(s), Roethlisburger, Wilson, etc are who they are and Romo is behind them. Super Bowl winning QBs who came to PLAY in December and into the playoffs, carrying their teams to victory, instead of whiffing year after year.

 

[Larry Gude]

Romo is a decent QB who had a reputation for choking. That's why Rodgers, Brady, Manning(s), Roethlisburger, Wilson, etc are who they are and Romo is behind them. Super Bowl winning QBs who came to PLAY in December and into the playoffs, carrying their teams to victory, instead of whiffing year after year.

Right but, to be fair, those other guys had better teams around them than Romo has which I think was the point. I mean, Romo QB'ing, say, the 49'ers? Not hard to argue they'd have at least one SB over the last 3-4 years. Rogers SB team beat an amazing Steelers team and he did it with an outstanding O line, solid D and some super skill people.

Put another way, do any of those guys have a SB if they've been QB in Dallas the last 6-8 years? No way. Agreed?

 

[SG_Player1974]

Well... Romo has the best running back in the NFL this year. One of the best wide receivers in the game, a good to great O-line, and a decent defense.

So... when he does choke.... what will be his excuse?

 

[Grumpy]

Makes ya wonder how Brady's career might have gone if the tuck-rule hadn't been invented on the spot 10 or so years ago.

 

[Larry Gude]

Well... Romo has the best running back in the NFL this year. One of the best wide receivers in the game, a good to great O-line, and a decent defense.

So... when he does choke.... what will be his excuse?

I don't think he will. Their success STARTS with that O line. He has never had anything approaching this. Murry became the best RB because of that line, not the other way around. Tony has more than enough skill people, Whitten, a monster in Bryant, the little white dude everyone has these days as a Welker type plus the other fast kid. I DO think it's going to be on Romo but, I think he has all he needs to more than handle Green Bay. From there, he'll face a tough test if it is the Seahawks. Tony has 'choked' because, like Peyton, it has mostly been on him. Too much. Gotta have help. Lots of it.

 

[Larry Gude]

Makes ya wonder how Brady's career might have gone if the tuck-rule hadn't been invented on the spot 10 or so years ago.

That's a great question to ponder; did that win give them the momentum to get on top and stay there or, would they have been in the mix the following year as well?

 

[SG_Player1974]

Well.... you see what the Lions put on Romo in the first half of their game. The answer to beating the Cowboys is PRESSURE ON ROMO! Plain and simple.

If GB and/or the Seahawks can maintain constant pressure on Romo when he is back to pass.... GAME OVER!!

 

[Larry Gude]

Well.... you see what the Lions put on Romo in the first half of their game. The answer to beating the Cowboys is PRESSURE ON ROMO! Plain and simple.

If GB and/or the Seahawks can maintain constant pressure on Romo when he is back to pass.... GAME OVER!!

Yeah and the Pack can't apply that sort of pressure. Detroit did it with their amazing front 4. Pack don't have that. That's how the Lions sorta controlled Bryant; no need to blitz, double him all game. Pack has to blitz, that means Whitten and it means one of the wide outs in single. I'll take Romo in that every time.

 

[SG_Player1974]

Yeah and the Pack can't apply that sort of pressure. Detroit did it with their amazing front 4. Pack don't have that. That's how the Lions sorta controlled Bryant; no need to blitz, double him all game. Pack has to blitz, that means Whitten and it means one of the wide outs in single. I'll take Romo in that every time.

Did you see the game? Detroit got to Romo with LB and CB blitz packages almost every time!

GB let loose Clay Mattews or any one of the CBs or Safeties and it will have the same effect.

 

[b23hqb]

Did you see the game? Detroit got to Romo with LB and CB blitz packages almost every time!

GB let loose Clay Mattews or any one of the CBs or Safeties and it will have the same effect.

Not necessarily, but it really doesn't matter. Green Bay is an adequate defense, especially at home. But Rogers on one leg, essentially? Rogers is Rogers, and he will not quit.

He was my QB for the season, and I hope his torn muscle in the calf (I know, only half of one of his legs) holds up, but then next week @ Seattle......

Dallas goes down.........

 

[b23hqb]

Makes ya wonder how Brady's career might have gone if the tuck-rule hadn't been invented on the spot 10 or so years ago.

Poor Tom Brady. Never had a chance to succeed in the NFL. No other player, or team, has EVER had a call go their way. The referees are PERFECT, just like all players never screw up or commit a foul.

That's how teams move on, and real teams don't dwell on it, especially those that the calls go against.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Poor Tom Brady. Never had a chance to succeed in the NFL. No other player, or team, has EVER had a call go their way. The referees are PERFECT, just like all players never screw up or commit a foul.

That's how teams move on, and real teams don't dwell on it, especially those that the calls go against.

He had white privilege.